An improvement on 8th next season. What’s needed?

[Nicolo Barella]

Realistically Rodgers is going nowhere. To improve on this year's result:

1. A whole suite of new defensive coaches, with top priority being a decent set-piece coach. 
2. A more physical, dynamic replacement for Tielemans in the mould of Soucek or Dembele from Spurs
3. An actual right winger - ideally with a high work rate. Someone at least as good as Lookman is on the left, but on the right
4. A hungry, skilled centre back as understudy to Evans. Could be a permanent like Saliba or on loan like Colwill, but that sort of profile

Halving our goals against from corners would result in anywhere from 5-15 extra points across the season. A stronger, more mobile midfield presence would allow us to press better and dominate games through the midfield more often, which has been our downfall at many points this season. And the right winger is obvious, needing no further explanation.

[Foxxed]

38 minutes ago, Nicolo Barella said:

Realistically Rodgers is going nowhere. To improve on this year's result:

1. A whole suite of new defensive coaches, with top priority being a decent set-piece coach. 
2. A more physical, dynamic replacement for Tielemans in the mould of Soucek or Dembele from Spurs
3. An actual right winger - ideally with a high work rate. Someone at least as good as Lookman is on the left, but on the right
4. A hungry, skilled centre back as understudy to Evans. Could be a permanent like Saliba or on loan like Colwill, but that sort of profile

Halving our goals against from corners would result in anywhere from 5-15 extra points across the season. A stronger, more mobile midfield presence would allow us to press better and dominate games through the midfield more often, which has been our downfall at many points this season. And the right winger is obvious, needing no further explanation.

Why is Bren going nowhere? Can we not shift him?

[Adrian]

I like the idea of maddison being made captain not because his personality obviously lends itself to leadership but because the responsibility would challenge him...he's cruising playing for us..doing enough to satisfy his ego but can he influence us to be more resilient I wonder

[Nicolo Barella]

54 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

Why is Bren going nowhere? Can we not shift him?

30 million pounds to pay his contract out, when we're struggling to sign players.

[Bert]

The first thing would be to be able to defend set pieces. That’s quite obvious for me. 
 

Otherwise, get rid of some dead wood and bring in some new players. We’ve had a strong end to the season albeit against teams that had little to play for but you still have to score the goals. 

[RumbleFox]

New fitness team
Psychologist 

Set piece coach

2/3 new quality additions to starting 11

 

[kingcarr21]

I would like to see us to add a more direct approach in matches. Not all the time but mix it up. I understand the idea of passing it sideways at the back to try and bring players onto you and create space. Too often this season in the big crunch matches the players have hidden within themselves, too nervous to try something. If they are told to pass pass pass its an easy cop out for a player to just shift responsibility to a teammate.

 

We still have Vardy, sometimes just punt the ball forward into space. Barnes would also thrive on balls put in front of him. Make opposition second guess what you are going to do.

 

Barnes has been my biggest frustration this season. The amount of times this season i've seen Barnes jogging when we have the ball when he has the biggest space in front of him for a perfect counter attack. Then when he does receive the ball the pass is always to his feet. It has to be Brendan's coaching/instructions as to why Barnes's first thought in that situation is not to put the after burners on and the ball will be put 20 yards in front of me to run onto.

 

We are so one dimensional at times.

 

Personnel wise, this team is good enough to make top 6 if set piece defending is addressed. We would have had so many more points. Which in turn breeds momentum. We all know what gaining momentum can do to a season. 

 

Though i think this current team can make top 6 a refresh could do us the world of good. Sometimes you just need a new face with enthusiasm to lift the squad.

[Freeman's Wharfer]

Here’s the answer to the question that many of you will be shocked to hear: new owners.

 

Newcastle, Villa and West Ham have all had fresh investment that will see them spend relatively big this summer. The ‘big six’ - either with or without Champions League revenue - will also be able to spend as much as, if not more than, those three.

 

Meanwhile, for us, the line seems to be that we need to sell fringe players to raise funds for a ‘rebuild’. This line of “finding another way to compete” is just a cover for the fact we have owners that can’t/won’t put in some of the sums other clubs have available to them thanks to super wealthy investors.

 

If Leicester want to be finishing higher than 8th for the foreseeable future, and sustainably, then fresh investment is needed.

[StriderHiryu]

1 hour ago, Adrian said:

I like the idea of maddison being made captain not because his personality obviously lends itself to leadership but because the responsibility would challenge him...he's cruising playing for us..doing enough to satisfy his ego but can he influence us to be more resilient I wonder

Could have the Beckham effect, who went from boy to man after being handed the national team armband. Stranger things have happened. 

[Bourbon Fox]

12 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

 

Lennon and Cambiasso were both leaders and had quality. Kante was a quiet man but led through example. Remember all those comebacks early in the title winning season? We need that mentality back. 

 

 

Yep. A midfield general, an old head who can anchor the side physically and mentally. Ideally one who will also occasionally pop up on the edge of the box and hammer a goal home through sheer force of will.

 

Even more so because Evans and Albrighton are both on borrowed time.

 

Add to that one or two capable wingers, and a ready-made striker ideally. 

[Bourbon Fox]

12 hours ago, Hales said:

Cryochambers for everyone to keep them fit 

This area is actually somewhere that we have got things right in the past, I'd love to know what the differences are now compared to the Pearson era.

 

Didn't we host a sports science conference or something around 2016? The injury rate can of course be partially attributed to the covid layoff followed by terrible fixture congestion, with international football on top - but I'd be really interested to get under the bonnet and see if we've gone backwards in this area.

 

[Bourbon Fox]

12 hours ago, kingkisnorbo said:

A keeper would be high on my list, if not top. 

He'd be rubbish, he's tiny!

[foxinsocks]

8 minutes ago, Bourbon Fox said:

He'd be rubbish, he's tiny!

I think he might be taller than kasper

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Pearson's sport science and support set up 

[Fear Of The Fox]

I would say we need to be more unorthodox in our attacking play. Everytime we brought more players in the box we created chances. The majority of teams have weak CBs that are prone to mistakes and they're panicking easily. 

[tickler28]

I hate to burst everyone's bubble but we could legitimately finish 8th again next season on a much higher points tally after having a decent season. West Ham finished 4 points above us and lost in a European semi final and are hailing a great season....small margins my friends....small margins.....we need to be very careful what we wish for.

 

I guess its not so much how it looks on paper....8th place finish....Community Shield winners....Euro Semi Final but how we arrived at those places which was the issue....numbers and stats tell less than half the story.

Edited 23 May 2022 by tickler28

[SouthStandUpperTier]

We really are at a fork in the road. So many question marks around this squad with around 7 or 8 players now within 2 years of their current contracts expiring. Evans and Vardy will be another year passed their physical peaks, although the break for the World Cup could help them stay fresh and injury free. 6th or 7th is definitely possible but we need this summer's transfer business to be significantly more successful than last summer's.

[foxinsocks]

18 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Pearson's sport science and support set up 

interesting to contrast Rodgers with Pearson.  For me Pearson's organisation of the club and support functions was marvelous... his on field tactics were the worst aspect of his game (he should  have had the confidence to employ someone to help him with this). 

 

Rodgers, seems to have devalued all the support functions - worse - he seems willing to blame everyone but himself for any poor result.

[Muzzy_no7]

I’m wondering does anyone think we need an alternative option up front?

 

Like Yussuf Poulsen or perhaps a Weghorst? 
 

With no European football I can’t see us keeping both Kelechi AND Daka happy. 
 

Brendan and his idiots will probably go and sign Welbeck  

[MonkeyTennis?]

I'd never have thought of it, but I love the idea of Maddison as captain. Its both mental and brilliant at the same time. He's always on at the ref already, he's a proper football lad, he backs himself. Perfect.

[yorkie1999]

Nothings needed, we just need a reletively injury free season 

[ScrumpyJack]

[jayfox26]

Difficult to see how we can finish much higher than 8th next season as the "big 6" all have decent managers now, and even West Ham have much more financial clout than us. The thing that works in our favour however is less games with not being in Europe. 8th isn't a terrible finish in this league if we can have some good cup runs, it's the performances that need to improve and cutting out the basic mistakes like conceding from set pieces. We could quite easily get another 10-15 points next season and still finish 8th. We also need to see how the middle lot recruit over the summer, like Villa, Brighton, Wolves and not forgetting Newcastle could spend big. Our transfer business needs to be spot on. 2 or 3 players that can make a big difference to our team in key positions could see us looking towards 7th and possibly 6th at a push. 2 or 3 signings like Soumare, Vestergaard and Bertrand and we could be looking much further down the table. 

[bovril]

All we needed was a bit more professionalism and we would've got European football, maybe pushing top 6. So as much as I'd like some more physicality in the team it wasn't that that made us spaff 5-10 points up the wall. 

[Bourbon Fox]

1 hour ago, foxinsocks said:

I think he might be taller than kasper

Almost

Edit: although maybe he's better in the air

Edited 23 May 2022 by Bourbon Fox