Ric Flair Live & Direct on BSLB Podcast

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

1 hour ago, lcfc_forever said:

I think the thing that Guy hinted at but couldn't quite say as it would undermine his defence of Rudkin was his inference that we simply haven't kept up with the progress of the PL, it's evolving so quickly and the standards are so high. 

I would think modern top level structures come into that as well. How many times have we heard that we do things differently, like some sort of cottage club because KP surround themselves with a small number of loyal people. Turns out after a while it gets very stale!

[Soar Fox]

Any pod this week lads?

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Soar Fox said:

Any pod this week lads?

Yes, probably won't be until midweek though. Got a very good guest coming on!

[Soar Fox]

2 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Yes, probably won't be until midweek though. Got a very good guest coming on!

Don’t tease us, you’ve got Guy Branston coming back for part 2 of the Rudkin defence. 

[Pliskin]

Just now, Soar Fox said:

Don’t tease us, you’ve got Guy Branston coming back for part 2 of the Rudkin defence. 

Best in the business….. 

[Sunbury Fox]

17 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

Best in the business….. 

So called...

[DezFox]

I have just listened to the Rudkin bit again. It’s mental. Stating he knows, when to change things up, and  he is best in the business. Complete joke.

 

he answering these questions like we are have been flying in the last couple of years, just completely ignoring what is actually happening. Crazy. 
 

Jake’s follow up question about why we have basically shit players on high wages. He simply cannot answer it, just saying it’s not our fault because football is really hard. He is just not answering it all. Really frustrating.  
 

The final question Rick asks is also really frustrating, he says these player are not at the level. Acting like we a playing well and scoring lol. The players that are starting are no where near performing at the level. 
 

he also uses bassey as an example, literally works against what he is saying. 

Edited 22 April by DezFox

[JimmyC74]

Latest episode another cracking listen. Really interesting contribution from Jonathan Northcroft. 
 

Also discussion around player power / culture very relevant and needs addressing as much as the structure.

 

 

[SafewayFox]

Agreed!

 

A great listen and loved the more in depth focus on what Jonathan had to say.

 

My only minor gripe was the reference to the feedback on here about Guy’s KPFC PR spin last week.

 

I said it last week and will re-iterate that on paper he was a great guest (amazing insight) but his apparent disdain for our academy players, “little Leicester just accept it” comments were what wound me up, not that he had a different opinion to me.

 

I completely disagree with Jordan and Jake about Ruud staying on but appreciate their differing views.

[JimmyC74]

I think the case for RVN staying is v. hard to make, although I do think he has been let down, probably in terms of backroom staff but definitely new players.  
 

Though I could see us being potentially forced into sticking with him if we have left ourselves with no contract / relegation break clause / financial wiggle room.  

 

I just don’t see he has done enough in terms of organising the team (in particular the defence) or introducing / integrating youth to suggest he can turn us around.

Edited 24 April by JimmyC74

[jayfox26]

27 minutes ago, JimmyC74 said:

I think the case for RVN staying is v. hard to make, although I do think he has been let down, probably in terms of backroom staff but definitely new players.  
 

Though I could see us being potentially forced into sticking with him if we have left ourselves with no contract / relegation break clause / financial wiggle room.  

 

I just don’t see he has done enough in terms of organising the team (in particular the defence) or introducing / integrating youth to suggest he can turn us around.

Aside from him just not seeming like a capable football manager, I get the feeling we are in Rodgers territory again where he doesn't want to be here and is just waiting for his money. It was an absolute disaster when we kept Rodgers on after he threw his toys out the pram and this has the potential to go the same way if we don't get rid soon! 

[JimmyC74]

1 minute ago, jayfox26 said:

Aside from him just not seeming like a capable football manager, I get the feeling we are in Rodgers territory again where he doesn't want to be here and is just waiting for his money. It was an absolute disaster when we kept Rodgers on after he threw his toys out the pram and this has the potential to go the same way if we don't get rid soon! 

As the pod sets out, without changes to our structure it feels like any prospect of success is on us striking gold with a manager who builds the club from foundations upwards (like Nige).

 

So success in spite of the structure not because of it

[jayfox26]

Just now, JimmyC74 said:

As the pod sets out, without changes to our structure it feels like any prospect of success is on us striking gold with a manager who builds the club from foundations upwards (like Nige).

 

So success in spite of the structure not because of it

Yes 100%. Puel did a decent job even though the football wasn't great and set the foundations for Rodgers to have some success but then we gave Rodgers too much power which has contributed to our downfall. Enzo was a good appointment but then Cooper and RVN have been dreadful. A good managerial appointment next season and we will be towards the top of the table. Another bad one and it will be another long, miserable season. 

[Haywood_6]

Great ep lads. Top guest in Jonathan. He’s spot on we’ve been left behind by clubs with smarter, modern setups behind the scenes. Other teams have evolved and got real know-how, we’re just relying on the same people who’ve consistently let us down for the last 4 or 5 years. No engagement from the club whatsoever and the longer they don't speak the worse it seems to get

[Ric Flair]

Jonathan was absolutely top class, quite possibly my favourite ever guest for insight in to how our club does or doesn't operate. Found his comments on what we are potentially lacking in the role Rudkin is being asked to do very affirming. We need more football people doing a lot of that role, we've been swept aside by teams who have the structure in place.

[JimmyC74]

2 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Jonathan was absolutely top class, quite possibly my favourite ever guest for insight in to how our club does or doesn't operate. Found his comments on what we are potentially lacking in the role Rudkin is being asked to do very affirming. We need more football people doing a lot of that role, we've been swept aside by teams who have the structure in place.

I thought it underlined our need for a Nigel Pearson type (if not the man himself) as Sporting Director.

 

Would love to see him on the pod.

[Iwebema]

Jonathan was excellent, one of the best guests you've had, spoke really well, good insight and caveated bits. And his tone, he felt like one of us, struggling to comprehend what's going on despite having knowledge.

 

I know quite a few people on here have said our success was down to Nigel Pearson, but this really brings it home, Jonathan gave a good overview of how things worked and why we have been left behind, good members of the team have been head hunted and we've been left with the dregs and we haven't evolved.

 

We are essentially Blockbuster when streaming services first appeared trying to cling on to something that's only heading in one direction.

 

On Rudkin, the interesting bit is another journalist with insight saying Rudkin needs help and has too much power, which seems to be the feeling around the club, he does work/try hard and could have a role, but not the one he has now.

 

The bit about we wanted O'Neil back and only got Ranieri because his agent sent a CV in...I mean that optimises the process the board goes through, pure vibes and luck. 

 

I struggle to agree on all the RVN points, I do understand the points raised and how he's been let down, but for me he's already shown he has a distain for us, never goes over to the fans, embraces opposition players laughing and joking with them, everything about him just screams he isn't the guy despite the bad circumstances, and though I do agree a disciplinarian is the right way forward, he doesn't seem to have much else in the locker tactically and team selection wise it's very poor.

 

Overall I do think it doesn't matter who is in charge until we see some shake up above the manager, no manager will be able to excel until that's fixed.

I find myself dissecting this podcast more than the football atm as its the only thing about leicester bringing me any joy!  😅

Good stuff keep it up.

[lcfcbluearmy]

On 22/04/2025 at 09:37, DezFox said:

I have just listened to the Rudkin bit again. It’s mental. Stating he knows, when to change things up, and  he is best in the business. Complete joke.

 

he answering these questions like we are have been flying in the last couple of years, just completely ignoring what is actually happening. Crazy. 
 

Jake’s follow up question about why we have basically shit players on high wages. He simply cannot answer it, just saying it’s not our fault because football is really hard. He is just not answering it all. Really frustrating.  
 

The final question Rick asks is also really frustrating, he says these player are not at the level. Acting like we a playing well and scoring lol. The players that are starting are no where near performing at the level. 
 

he also uses bassey as an example, literally works against what he is saying. 

To be fair I think guy was mostly talking about Rudkin from an academy perspective which if you look at it objectively and individually it is very possible that Rudkin has done a good job in this respect. The academy is thriving and does have alot of good talent in and has produced some major prem stars since he has been in charge of it e.g. Chilwell, Barnes, KDH etc.

 

However as director of football he has failed there is no doubt about that

[lcfc_forever]

Loved Northcroft's book about us so looking forward to this podcast! Well done to the BSLB team for getting him on. 

Edited 24 April by lcfc_forever

[ClaphamFox]

Brilliant pod this week. It was instructive to hear Jonathan Norcroft confirm what most of us have suspected for a while: that we've stubbornly stuck with a model that has become outmoded while other clubs (including some usually considered smaller than us) have overtaken us and left us behind. Also interesting to hear his observations about RVN - ie, that he's trying to set high standards and push us in the right direction but is struggling with a squad culture that had already become rotten beyond repair before he set foot in Seagrave. I actually felt more favourably disposed to RVN after that (although that feeling will no doubt disintegrate again at 1.45pm on Saturday when we learn that Faes, Soumare and Bobby DCR are starting against Wolves...).

 

Hopefully these rumours about changes at the top of the club come to fruition. The fork in the road that now faces us is much bigger than the one we faced two years ago - get it wrong now and we could be facing years in the wilderness. Hopefully the Thai government (or whoever) is sufficiently motivated to prevent that to ensure that decisive action is taken.

[Noahfence]

This podcast really is fantastic. Its like having group therapy every week. 
 

 

[CosbehFox]

I would like to take credit cos I saw Northcroft on a walk down Great Central Way and told Ric. Cheers 

Edited 24 April by CosbehFox

[Ric Flair]

43 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

I would like to take credit cos I saw Northcroft on a walk down Great Central Way and told Ric. Cheers 

I can confirm this is true.

[Lesta Legend]

3 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Jonathan was absolutely top class, quite possibly my favourite ever guest for insight in to how our club does or doesn't operate. Found his comments on what we are potentially lacking in the role Rudkin is being asked to do very affirming. We need more football people doing a lot of that role, we've been swept aside by teams who have the structure in place.

Couldn’t agree more, he explained it very well and how the people at the top now (I.e. Rudkin) haven’t got it in them to replicate and bring an organised structure back. 
 

We had a structure built by Pearson et al under the laissez faire approach from Vichai but sadly that structure and the good staff that worked within it have slowly been picked off and left. It’s been a slow downward spiral the day we let Pearson and Steve Walsh go and sadly the passing of Vichai. 
 

We all know it isn’t working and that things need to be changed with a structural style to a similar style as before but who is putting that in Top’s head - certainly isn’t Rudkin. 

[Nolucklcfc]

Interesting Jordan mentioning this meeting, heard about it a few times now. Hopefully it’s not just investment as that seems a bit pointless considering we can’t do anything with it.