Underachieving, overachieving or where we should be?

[Collymore]

I've noticed a lot of confrontation and differing views on the forum recently so I thought I'd start a topic where we could have some debate and try and get to the bottom of things. 

 

Seems to me there's three groups. 

 

1. Think we're overachieving and lucky to have Rodgers.

 

2. Think we're about where we should be but not happy about the lack of excitement in the football at the moment. 

 

3. Think we're underachieving and we need a complete change of management. 

 

I think when group 1 and 3 are in the same thread we're getting a lot of confrontation. 

 

I've been on this forum since 2004 and usually there is pretty much broad agreement on the overall picture, apart from the optimistic and pessimistic personalities that are always likely to disagree. 

 

I don't think I can remember having so many differing views and people planting themselves so broadly across the Leicester City view spectrum. 

 

Is it after 2016 we just have no real idea of what we should be as a club now? Is cementing ourselves as Europa League hopefuls for the next 5 years what we might have expected or have we underachieved? 

 

Is Rodgers doing a good steady job or could someone else come in and really kick on? 

 

I think these answers aren't clear and it's hard to find another club with our story to compare. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Corky]

We're underachieving. In 2018/19 we managed 52 points with an inferior squad (no Tielemans until February, Iheanacho wasn't settled, Barnes was new and raw, Maddison new to the league) and the majority of the season under a manager who nobody liked. We need 10 points from five games to match that total. Wolves have lost 15 matches and we're 7 points behind them.

 

This league season hasn't been good enough at all.

[foxinsocks]

I am nearest to a 2.

It's not black and white. Hes done some good.  But he has blind spots that he has failed to address (... and his team of elves do not compensate for).  But that's all managers isnt it.

But, I believe he must go as he is now pursuing his posession obsession and it is killing creativity and slowing our football... even to a point where we are second to everything.   This is brendans future...65% posession and no shots on goal.

I cant think any supporters can think this style is  acceptable.  

So help me... why arent more ft posters calling for an end?

It's not about this season... it's where he is taking us.

Edited 1 May 2022 by foxinsocks

[KFS]

This year is a massive underachievement when you consider how much our coach gets paid, the training ground and the fact we’ve played our reserves up until February. 

[Freeman's Wharfer]

We’re underachieving.

 

And it has nothing to do with money. If football worked like that then the same team would win the league every season and you could draw up a 20 team Premier League based on revenue. It’s such a nonsense argument to bring money into it and it’s come from Rodgers’ smart PR.

 

Even if you do want to judge on money, then what about wages? Because we spend big on player wages and Rodgers is 4th highest paid in the league. Should that not therefore suggest we’re meant to be somewhere up there?!

 

What I’d rather look at is the quality of squad. And for the last few years our squad has arguably been the 5th or 6th best in the league. So two 5th placed finishes are on par and there is no way on earth we should be languishing where we are.

 

If we win the Europa Conference League then Rodgers will get lots of credit for it but the reality, let’s not forget, is that we shouldn’t even be in this competition. Semi-finals of the Europa League and I’d forgive some of the “Leicester in a European semifinal” amazement that’s being peddled but not with this competition for me.

 

 

[sdb]

Last 2 seasons we have over achieved. But we buckled under pressure which was hard to take.

 

This season we have probably been just under par, given the injuries we've had. We could still finish well into the bottom third though, and that would be really poor. Performances have been really uninspiring too and we seem to wilt towards season finales every time.

 

The criticism has probably been harsh up until recently, but it is now hard to ignore that we are in a decline. It's just hard to know if it's short, mid or long term, and how far we are through that.

 

I think anyone totally 'Rodgers Out ' is probably bound to be under 25 and slightly spoilt by our last decade, but I could certainly understand those who feel a rot setting in. 

 

The summer is huge and this time next year will tell us what to do next, as it'll highlight 2021-22 as a blip, or 2021-23 as a period where the club stagnated.

Edited 1 May 2022 by sdb

[AyewJoking]

Where we should be.

 

Bottle 4th place twice in a row, miss out on champions league money, buy dud players.

 

What do you expect?

 

Injuries haven't helped and Rodgers won't budge from tactics that have made us a joke.

[Leicesterpool]

2.5 I think, I feel we're in limbo with Brendan, wins the europa conference league he goes down as of the greats. Loses the semi final and finish 14th! his time with the foxes is pretty much up. For me Thursday is make or break for Brendan. 

[Koke]

We're definitely underachieving. As @Corkysaid, we got 52 points in 18/19 with an inferior squad and managed that was despised. We won't even get 50 points this season. Also, reminder that we are in the UECL because we totally ****ed up finishing behind Spartak Moscow in the Europa League. Several players have regressed or stood still (Soyuncu, Tielemans, Barnes) and the summer buys are nowhere near the first team. 

[Foxxed]

Underachieve the impossible.
 

I should sell that one to Nike.

[Collymore]

I would say I'm a 2 but I could tip either way with a loss or a win.

 

What pulls me back to Earth is looking at clubs like Blackburn, Sunderland, Oldham, Derby etc and you feel so good. 

 

As people have mentioned, the investment in the training ground etc is a big one to raise expectations. What's awesome about that though is that unlike a player or manager - it's permanent.

 

It'll be there in the future and is a true investment in our infrastructure which what makes Top so special. 

 

It's actually looking like a shrewd investment as if we had blown the £100m in the transfer market at the time we'd have paid over the odds massively compared to the current market. 

 

No better investment than bricks and mortar. 

 

Edited 1 May 2022 by Collymore

[coolhandfox]

Underachieving mainly due to a squad being over stretched.

 

105 games since the start of last season. 

[Unabomber]

Well we are factually underachieving so not much of an argument 

[Collymore]

3 minutes ago, Unabomber said:

Well we are factually underachieving so not much of an argument 

 

What is this based on?

[Unabomber]

1 minute ago, Collymore said:

 

What is this based on?

Just my current thoughts on the situation 

[Collymore]

Delete.

Edited 1 May 2022 by Collymore

[Collymore]

1 minute ago, Unabomber said:

Just my current thoughts on the situation 

Care to elaborate?

[Unabomber]

Just now, Collymore said:

Care to elaborate?

Well we have a great squad which is better than that of West Ham, Wolves, Brighton and Newcastle and arguably even Man U yet we are below them all regardless of European comps. Also we finished 5th last season, spent a fair bit of money and instead of improving we have dramatically regressed. It’s a shame as I want it to work for Brendan. 

[Captain...]

As a club with this infrastructure and financial muscle. We overachieved in the league last 2 seasons, this season we're round about where we should be in the league, although we've certainly underachieved in some games.

 

For this squad it's really hard to say whether we're overachieving or not as they have been so good for the last 3 seasons. Arguably Fofana has overachieved because he was a teenager plucked from the French league, JJ a kid from league 1, Castagne 3rd choice full back for Atalanta, KDH way too old to be an academy player etc but because they've played so well we see this season as underachievement because we expect so much from these players because they overachieved in the last 2 seasons. Although this season has been crazy with injuries and COVID and fixture pile up. 

 

Or am I overthinking it?

 

I'm just happy with where we are and if this is what a bad season is these days then what a time to be a Leicester fan.

[Guest Lako42]

Underachieving 

 

Especially considering the managers salary 

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, Collymore said:

 

I've been on this forum since 2004

 

I don't know if to congratulate you or feel sorry for you 

[cropstonfox]

About where we should be.

Put the " Ghost seasons " aside.

We are around 7th in wealth and wages

So a good season is top 6 a bad season is a relegation fight.

So this season is around where we should be.

Next season will be better with less injuries.

Around 6th and a cup run.

That's where we are .

If you want better support Man City!

90 plus others teams would love to be us!

[Collymore]

6 minutes ago, Izzy said:

I don't know if to congratulate you or feel sorry for you 

A bit like us all with Rodgers! 

[foxinsocks]

15 minutes ago, cropstonfox said:

About where we should be.

Put the " Ghost seasons " aside.

We are around 7th in wealth and wages

So a good season is top 6 a bad season is a relegation fight.

So this season is around where we should be.

Next season will be better with less injuries.

Around 6th and a cup run.

That's where we are .

If you want better support Man City!

90 plus others teams would love to be us!

You are right....

Yet... do you think bredans vision of football is right for us?  I dont expect to achieve much more... but i wanted to beat newcastke, Everton,  villa... and playing this way we couldn't. 

[StanSP]

We're underachieving. 

 

Maybe it's me being eternally optimistic (sometimes) but next season could be some kind of refresh. 

 

Hopefully have majority of the squad fit to last the season, whether in Europe or not, and we can get some momentum back as a team. Get a good feeling back amongst the supporters and perhaps in and around the squad too. I feel like Rodgers' conservatism has come about because we a) have suffered those injuries and b) have become so fragile at the back. 

 

But it doesn't help if you're not scoring or creating enough from game to game to compliment that. The regular changes to personnel through those injuries really don't help the situation. 

 

Which is why I'm perhaps quietly hoping next season could be some kind of new dawn. Ultimately we need stability at this time. Changing the manager comes at a risk. Just because we may change a manager doesn't mean there's an automatic guarantee we instantly do better. Unless it's someone world class but who is that even going to be in our current standing? 

 

We're underachieving. I may be in the minority but I have hope for next season. I'm not one that will turn my back on my club just because I don't like the manager. That's just stupid. There's the old phrase that no player is bigger than the club, so in that same breath why would you stop watching because the manager (who isn't even bad) you don't like us still here? 

 

We know our level and where we should be aspiring to be - realistically, based on the last 2 seasons, that is challenging for Europe while being in Europe. Over time we will hope to become a club that can manage both competitions at the same time. Maybe after the last 2 seasons, a season out of Europe (if it happens like that) next season could be a blessing in disguise. Look at Arsenal and Spurs - no European football to worry about and their league form has them in the top 4. Not saying we go for top 4 again, but get in and amongst the top 6 could be possible. 

 

If we can maintain some consistency to get back there, I don't see how any fans could be unhappy about it. But if we get there, stay there even on the final day