The "do they mean us?" thread pt 4

[los dedos]

😅

[Fox92]

Not sure if posted elsewhere but brilliant video. Perhaps one to show the players now?

 

 

[CrazyKopCorner]

30 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Not sure if posted elsewhere but brilliant video. Perhaps one to show the players now?

 

 

hhmmmnn - Absolute no character in these players at all. 

 

When you see Wes, Huth, Was, Vardy, Nuge, Kasper, Cambiasso etc it's incredible we were ever in that situation. 

 

That 15 months of following Us from March 2015 to May 2016 still seems like a fairy-tale 

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Fox92 said:

Not sure if posted elsewhere but brilliant video. Perhaps one to show the players now?

 

 

According to Stowell it was all down to Cambiasso

 

https://www.leicestercity.news/news/former-leicester-city-coach-reveals-genius-behind-2014-15-premier-league-survival-it-wasnt-jamie-vardy/

 

Former Leicester City coach reveals ‘genius’ behind 2014/15 Premier League survival – it wasn’t Jamie Vardy
Sat 5 April 2025 07:00
Ben Clark
The 2014/15 season witnessed one of the all-time great Premier League escapes.

With just nine games to go, Leicester City found themselves marooned at the bottom of the table seven points from safety.

It was a dire situation, epitomised by the fact Nigel Pearson’s side had only picked up four wins from their first 29 games.

Not many gave them hope of turning their form around and staying in the division.

Yet that is exactly what the Foxes did, with a member of that season’s coaching staff since coming out and revealing the saviour behind it all.

Mike Stowell credits Esteban Cambiasso as the ‘genius’ behind survival
Speaking on the When You’re Smiling BBC Radio Leicester podcast, former Leicester goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell has shed light on the importance Esteban Cambiasso played in reviving Leicester’s fortunes that season.

Stowell said: “We all remember Cambiasso. I remember with 11 games to go him coming in with a plan and showing it to Nigel [Pearson] – ‘We’re going to win nine out of 11 and stay up.’ [Pearson] almost laughed him out of the room.”

Stowell added: “But that positivity that Cambiasso came into the dressing room with [meant Pearson] went: ‘He actually believes that’. And the players went, ‘What?’ And we put it up in a meeting and Cambiasso says: ‘Yes, come on lads, if we win this week – we can win this game, we can beat these.’

“He came about that statement, and lo and behold, it happened. And we all look back at that and go: ‘Wow, genius.’”

Cambiasso’s intervention clearly had the desired effect.

Leicester would go on to win seven of their last nine games, climbing to 14th in the table in the process, six points above the relegation zone.

It was somewhat fitting that the excellent run was also kick-started by the Argentine on the pitch, Cambiasso scoring the first goal in Leicester’s vital 2-1 win against West Ham that sparked the upturn in fortunes.

A one-season wonder and fans’ favourite – Esteban Cambiasso’s stats with Leicester
A Champions League winner with Inter Milan in 2009/10, Cambiasso signed for Leicester at the beginning of the 2014/15 campaign in a major coup for the newly promoted side.

That campaign would be his only one at the King Power Stadium, the midfielder rejecting the offer of a new deal in the summer of 2015.

 

Appearances    Goals    Assists
31    5    1
Esteban Cambiasso’s 2014/15 Premier League stats

Yet he remains a fans’ favourite for his contributions on the pitch, Cambiasso’s tireless displays, five goals and one assist helping him forge a bond with the Leicester faithful.

He was also a well-loved figure in the dressing room, with Kasper Schmeichel praising Cambiasso for his leadership qualities, among others.

Ultimately, the Argentine’s departure paved the way for new Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri to sign N’Golo Kante from Caen.

That transfer would have major ramifications for Leicester on the pitch, Kante being a vital cog in Ranieri’s system as Leicester won the Premier League against all odds the following season.

[lcfc278]

3 hours ago, davieG said:

According to Stowell it was all down to Cambiasso

 

https://www.leicestercity.news/news/former-leicester-city-coach-reveals-genius-behind-2014-15-premier-league-survival-it-wasnt-jamie-vardy/

 

Former Leicester City coach reveals ‘genius’ behind 2014/15 Premier League survival – it wasn’t Jamie Vardy
Sat 5 April 2025 07:00
Ben Clark
The 2014/15 season witnessed one of the all-time great Premier League escapes.

With just nine games to go, Leicester City found themselves marooned at the bottom of the table seven points from safety.

It was a dire situation, epitomised by the fact Nigel Pearson’s side had only picked up four wins from their first 29 games.

Not many gave them hope of turning their form around and staying in the division.

Yet that is exactly what the Foxes did, with a member of that season’s coaching staff since coming out and revealing the saviour behind it all.

Mike Stowell credits Esteban Cambiasso as the ‘genius’ behind survival
Speaking on the When You’re Smiling BBC Radio Leicester podcast, former Leicester goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell has shed light on the importance Esteban Cambiasso played in reviving Leicester’s fortunes that season.

Stowell said: “We all remember Cambiasso. I remember with 11 games to go him coming in with a plan and showing it to Nigel [Pearson] – ‘We’re going to win nine out of 11 and stay up.’ [Pearson] almost laughed him out of the room.”

Stowell added: “But that positivity that Cambiasso came into the dressing room with [meant Pearson] went: ‘He actually believes that’. And the players went, ‘What?’ And we put it up in a meeting and Cambiasso says: ‘Yes, come on lads, if we win this week – we can win this game, we can beat these.’

“He came about that statement, and lo and behold, it happened. And we all look back at that and go: ‘Wow, genius.’”

Cambiasso’s intervention clearly had the desired effect.

Leicester would go on to win seven of their last nine games, climbing to 14th in the table in the process, six points above the relegation zone.

It was somewhat fitting that the excellent run was also kick-started by the Argentine on the pitch, Cambiasso scoring the first goal in Leicester’s vital 2-1 win against West Ham that sparked the upturn in fortunes.

A one-season wonder and fans’ favourite – Esteban Cambiasso’s stats with Leicester
A Champions League winner with Inter Milan in 2009/10, Cambiasso signed for Leicester at the beginning of the 2014/15 campaign in a major coup for the newly promoted side.

That campaign would be his only one at the King Power Stadium, the midfielder rejecting the offer of a new deal in the summer of 2015.

 

Appearances    Goals    Assists
31    5    1
Esteban Cambiasso’s 2014/15 Premier League stats

Yet he remains a fans’ favourite for his contributions on the pitch, Cambiasso’s tireless displays, five goals and one assist helping him forge a bond with the Leicester faithful.

He was also a well-loved figure in the dressing room, with Kasper Schmeichel praising Cambiasso for his leadership qualities, among others.

Ultimately, the Argentine’s departure paved the way for new Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri to sign N’Golo Kante from Caen.

That transfer would have major ramifications for Leicester on the pitch, Kante being a vital cog in Ranieri’s system as Leicester won the Premier League against all odds the following season.

Yeah but it’s Mike Stowell. 

[CrazyKopCorner]

39 minutes ago, lcfc278 said:

Yeah but it’s Mike Stowell. 

Let’s face it Mike Stowell is a total plank. 

[JR99]

8 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Not sure if posted elsewhere but brilliant video. Perhaps one to show the players now?

 

 

Not sure I ever expect to love and relate to a team as much as I did to that 12/13 - 15/16 squad, some limited players but ones you knew would give there absolute all week in week out, Nige being the absolute legend he is and obviously Ranieri capping it off with the Premier league... if this squad, or more so the 22/23 squad, had even half the hunger and passion then we wouldn't be in the state we are now 

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-now-jeremy-monga-managers-10090575

 

What now for Jeremy Monga as manager's change of heart leaves Leicester City with call to make
Jordan Blackwell discusses the big match talking points from Leicester City's latest defeat, a 3-0 reverse to Newcastle United, Ruud van Nistelrooy's unexpected reaction why empty seats should be a concern

ByJordan Blackwell
13:26, 8 APR 2025Updated13:31, 8 APR 2025

Jeremy Monga with Newcastle's Tino Livramento after his Leicester City debut ended in a 3-0 defeat (Image: Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images)

At least they tried to score. Those are the kind of positive words Leicester City have been reduced to because of the depths to which they have sunk this season.

It should be a given that a competitive football team tries to stick the ball in the net, but that has not been true for every match City have played this term.

This is not a new low. The away fixtures at Newcastle, Everton, West Ham and Manchester City were poorer showings. Perhaps the home games against Chelsea, Brentford and Manchester United were too.

 

Games like Monday’s 3-0 defeat to Newcastle are just one of many of the same ilk, rather than an anomaly. Therein lies the real problem.

After last Wednesday’s trip to the Etihad, where City looked happy to defend a 2-0 defeat, it was a relief to see some intent.

There have only been five matches this season where City had more touches in the final third than they had against Newcastle. They won 12 corners, double the amount they’ve had in any other Premier League fixture this term.

Their tally of 0.5 expected goals was the second highest of this eight-match losing run. Ruud van Nistelrooy made attacking half-time changes to try to turn the game around.

But in trying to score, many serious flaws were exposed in City’s game. For one, their defensive organisation was so poor.

Leaving wing-back James Justin in a one-on-two inside two minutes, against a side who have excellent attacking full-backs, was a recipe for disaster and leaves you questioning what City were work on at the training ground.

The concentration at the back was seriously lacking too. It was bad enough for the first goal, when Victor Kristiansen left Jacob Murphy in too much space at the back post, but was dreadful for the second.

Wout Faes, Conor Coady and Luke Thomas were all goal side of Murphy when Fabian Schar tried his luck from halfway, but because they were all dawdling back, the Newcastle winger had time to take a shoddy touch and still score.

The third was evidence of how ill-equipped City are to deal with fast attacks. They never collected themselves after Bilal El Khannouss’s misplaced pass, with a weak header from Justin and then terrible one-on-one defending from Faes letting Newcastle in again.

Arguably, City were only able to attempt to reduce the deficit in the second half because Newcastle let them. The visitors were comfortable. They were conserving energy. Eddie Howe brought off key players.

And still, despite getting the ball into promising positions, City never troubled Newcastle’s defence enough to create promising openings.

That City tried a little harder and were still so bad really does not reflect well on van Nistelrooy as a coach. That a 3-0 home defeat might only be the fifth or sixth-worst game of the season is a terrible reflection on the running of the club.

 

 

RvN words leaves City with decision to make
Last week, van Nistelrooy was the captain unwilling to desert a sinking ship.

“It’s something I feel I want to go through with this team, with the squad, with the staff,” he said. “Stay together, stay connected with them, fight ourselves through this as people and give energy every day to get ourselves out of this.

“For me, it’s not something I feel I want to run away from. I want to be part of this and I want to fight for this with the squad.”

In the minutes after Monday’s defeat, he sounded like he was scrambling for a lifeboat, wanting a route out of the situation. He could not offer the same commitment as to his immediate future, and said there needed to be discussions on what is best for the club.

Van Nistelrooy suggested he had exhausted his options in terms of personnel and set-ups, as if to tell the club he can’t do any more with the hand they have dealt him.

He added: “If I speak for myself, coming here with the intent to bring the club forward, so far it didn’t work. I tried different things, different players, different structures, without results.”

In the immediate aftermath of a defeat, perhaps those were emotions talking. It must be difficult, as a serial winner as a player, to lose a 15th game in 16 as a manager and be setting national records for how bad your team is.

But if those words are what they sound like, like a manager trying to wash his hands of the situation, then it does leave City with a decision to make as to his future.

 

 

What now for Monga after change of heart
Van Nistelrooy was not in the right mood to discuss his change of heart on Jeremy Monga either. Having ruled him out of first-team action for weeks, because of his age and schooling limiting his training time, he then handed the 15-year-old his debut.

It was good that he did. The prodigy’s introduction got a huge cheer and gave fans at least a chance to see him represent the club before his future comes into focus again this summer.

The question now is whether he continues to play over the final seven matches. There doesn’t seem to be any reason why he would not.

There were two major positives to his performance. The first was that, had you not known he was the second-youngest player in Premier League history, you would not have guessed that he was only 15.

There were little moments, one at the start where he was stationed too far wide and had to be called in, where his inexperience was on display, but otherwise he looked the part.

Secondly, he did not look bogged down in the results that seem to be hanging over many members of the squad.

Every time he received the ball, he tried to do something positive, whether that was to feed a forward pass or beat his full-back.

In terms of bringing some enjoyment to fans as well, it would be nice if he did continue to feature.

It probably helped him too that he had an experienced head in Ricardo Pereira behind him. The Portuguese full-back was one of the first players over to Monga at the end of the game, while Kieran Trippier also appeared to offer some words of wisdom to the teenager.

 

 

Ricardo prompts 'what ifs'
Speaking of Ricardo, that’s now three substitute appearances in a row where he’s been one of the biggest positives on the pitch.

His dribbles through the heart of the Newcastle midfield and ventures into the box from deep were reminiscent of his first season at the club when, despite being a right-back, he was the team’s creative heart.

But seeing him play well is also a little deflating. What would have happened if he’d not been ruled out for four months? What would have happened if Steve Cooper had used him more often when he was fit?

It feels like the obvious change to make this weekend, to put Ricardo into the 11, but can he handle that? It would be a boost if so.

 

 

Empty seats ominous
Looking around at the stands prior to kick-off, it felt like there were too many empty seats for the official attendance of 30,403 to be accurate.

Those that did turn up should be commended. The team didn’t deserve anybody there after the debacle at Man City, and with the club having failed to score a home league goal since early December.

So much money in the Premier League comes from TV deals and sponsorships that ticket sales feel supplementary, rather than integral, to a club’s overall revenue.

It’s different in the Championship. TV and sponsorship money drops significantly, and so fans attending matches is far more important.

The accounts released last week showed that. Last season, in the Championship, City made as much money from ticket sales as they did in the Premier League the year prior.

General admission fees went down, but there were four more league games to attend, and with fans still turning up in their droves, it kept the ticket revenue high.

Whether that consistency of attendance will be seen next season is unclear, but the empty seats now are a little ominous going into a Championship campaign where the club will need the fans more than they currently do.

[Stuntman_Mike]

15 hours ago, davieG said:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-now-jeremy-monga-managers-10090575

 

What now for Jeremy Monga as manager's change of heart leaves Leicester City with call to make
Jordan Blackwell discusses the big match talking points from Leicester City's latest defeat, a 3-0 reverse to Newcastle United, Ruud van Nistelrooy's unexpected reaction why empty seats should be a concern

ByJordan Blackwell
13:26, 8 APR 2025Updated13:31, 8 APR 2025

Jeremy Monga with Newcastle's Tino Livramento after his Leicester City debut ended in a 3-0 defeat (Image: Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images)

At least they tried to score. Those are the kind of positive words Leicester City have been reduced to because of the depths to which they have sunk this season.

It should be a given that a competitive football team tries to stick the ball in the net, but that has not been true for every match City have played this term.

This is not a new low. The away fixtures at Newcastle, Everton, West Ham and Manchester City were poorer showings. Perhaps the home games against Chelsea, Brentford and Manchester United were too.

 

Games like Monday’s 3-0 defeat to Newcastle are just one of many of the same ilk, rather than an anomaly. Therein lies the real problem.

After last Wednesday’s trip to the Etihad, where City looked happy to defend a 2-0 defeat, it was a relief to see some intent.

There have only been five matches this season where City had more touches in the final third than they had against Newcastle. They won 12 corners, double the amount they’ve had in any other Premier League fixture this term.

Their tally of 0.5 expected goals was the second highest of this eight-match losing run. Ruud van Nistelrooy made attacking half-time changes to try to turn the game around.

But in trying to score, many serious flaws were exposed in City’s game. For one, their defensive organisation was so poor.

Leaving wing-back James Justin in a one-on-two inside two minutes, against a side who have excellent attacking full-backs, was a recipe for disaster and leaves you questioning what City were work on at the training ground.

The concentration at the back was seriously lacking too. It was bad enough for the first goal, when Victor Kristiansen left Jacob Murphy in too much space at the back post, but was dreadful for the second.

Wout Faes, Conor Coady and Luke Thomas were all goal side of Murphy when Fabian Schar tried his luck from halfway, but because they were all dawdling back, the Newcastle winger had time to take a shoddy touch and still score.

The third was evidence of how ill-equipped City are to deal with fast attacks. They never collected themselves after Bilal El Khannouss’s misplaced pass, with a weak header from Justin and then terrible one-on-one defending from Faes letting Newcastle in again.

Arguably, City were only able to attempt to reduce the deficit in the second half because Newcastle let them. The visitors were comfortable. They were conserving energy. Eddie Howe brought off key players.

And still, despite getting the ball into promising positions, City never troubled Newcastle’s defence enough to create promising openings.

That City tried a little harder and were still so bad really does not reflect well on van Nistelrooy as a coach. That a 3-0 home defeat might only be the fifth or sixth-worst game of the season is a terrible reflection on the running of the club.

 

 

RvN words leaves City with decision to make
Last week, van Nistelrooy was the captain unwilling to desert a sinking ship.

“It’s something I feel I want to go through with this team, with the squad, with the staff,” he said. “Stay together, stay connected with them, fight ourselves through this as people and give energy every day to get ourselves out of this.

“For me, it’s not something I feel I want to run away from. I want to be part of this and I want to fight for this with the squad.”

In the minutes after Monday’s defeat, he sounded like he was scrambling for a lifeboat, wanting a route out of the situation. He could not offer the same commitment as to his immediate future, and said there needed to be discussions on what is best for the club.

Van Nistelrooy suggested he had exhausted his options in terms of personnel and set-ups, as if to tell the club he can’t do any more with the hand they have dealt him.

He added: “If I speak for myself, coming here with the intent to bring the club forward, so far it didn’t work. I tried different things, different players, different structures, without results.”

In the immediate aftermath of a defeat, perhaps those were emotions talking. It must be difficult, as a serial winner as a player, to lose a 15th game in 16 as a manager and be setting national records for how bad your team is.

But if those words are what they sound like, like a manager trying to wash his hands of the situation, then it does leave City with a decision to make as to his future.

 

 

What now for Monga after change of heart
Van Nistelrooy was not in the right mood to discuss his change of heart on Jeremy Monga either. Having ruled him out of first-team action for weeks, because of his age and schooling limiting his training time, he then handed the 15-year-old his debut.

It was good that he did. The prodigy’s introduction got a huge cheer and gave fans at least a chance to see him represent the club before his future comes into focus again this summer.

The question now is whether he continues to play over the final seven matches. There doesn’t seem to be any reason why he would not.

There were two major positives to his performance. The first was that, had you not known he was the second-youngest player in Premier League history, you would not have guessed that he was only 15.

There were little moments, one at the start where he was stationed too far wide and had to be called in, where his inexperience was on display, but otherwise he looked the part.

Secondly, he did not look bogged down in the results that seem to be hanging over many members of the squad.

Every time he received the ball, he tried to do something positive, whether that was to feed a forward pass or beat his full-back.

In terms of bringing some enjoyment to fans as well, it would be nice if he did continue to feature.

It probably helped him too that he had an experienced head in Ricardo Pereira behind him. The Portuguese full-back was one of the first players over to Monga at the end of the game, while Kieran Trippier also appeared to offer some words of wisdom to the teenager.

 

 

Ricardo prompts 'what ifs'
Speaking of Ricardo, that’s now three substitute appearances in a row where he’s been one of the biggest positives on the pitch.

His dribbles through the heart of the Newcastle midfield and ventures into the box from deep were reminiscent of his first season at the club when, despite being a right-back, he was the team’s creative heart.

But seeing him play well is also a little deflating. What would have happened if he’d not been ruled out for four months? What would have happened if Steve Cooper had used him more often when he was fit?

It feels like the obvious change to make this weekend, to put Ricardo into the 11, but can he handle that? It would be a boost if so.

 

 

Empty seats ominous
Looking around at the stands prior to kick-off, it felt like there were too many empty seats for the official attendance of 30,403 to be accurate.

Those that did turn up should be commended. The team didn’t deserve anybody there after the debacle at Man City, and with the club having failed to score a home league goal since early December.

So much money in the Premier League comes from TV deals and sponsorships that ticket sales feel supplementary, rather than integral, to a club’s overall revenue.

It’s different in the Championship. TV and sponsorship money drops significantly, and so fans attending matches is far more important.

The accounts released last week showed that. Last season, in the Championship, City made as much money from ticket sales as they did in the Premier League the year prior.

General admission fees went down, but there were four more league games to attend, and with fans still turning up in their droves, it kept the ticket revenue high.

Whether that consistency of attendance will be seen next season is unclear, but the empty seats now are a little ominous going into a Championship campaign where the club will need the fans more than they currently do.

Condemned*

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/eighteen-mistakes-made-leicester-city-10134242

 

Eighteen mistakes made by Leicester City that overshadow easy relegation excuse
A closer look at the reasons that led to Leicester City's fall into the Championship, eliminating the excuse that their fate was decided by the gulf between top two divisions

ByJordan Blackwell
05:00, 26 APR 2025

Asked to name a reason why Leicester City had been relegated in the immediate aftermath of their downfall, Ruud van Nistelrooy pointed to the gulf between the established Premier League sides and those coming up from the Championship.

When he was then asked to name a reason specific to his side, he repeated the same answer.

Now, there is no denying that facing 17 sides who are all in their third consecutive seasons in the Premier League, and therefore in their third consecutive season of receiving Premier League money, makes for a difficult task for clubs who have been promoted.

In the Premier League, success is so often determined by money. There is no doubt it is a factor.

However, to react as if it is the sole factor in City’s demise is not only wilfully obtuse – they were only a promoted club because they got themselves relegated in the first place – but also unhelpful. City need to recognise where they have gone wrong so that they can learn from their mistakes.

Because every side makes them. Even those who are currently battling for Champions League places will have made errors.

Often, for those sides right at the bottom, it’s about a compendium of mistakes, rather than a single one.

And so, we have put together 18 reasons for City’s fall into the Championship, one for each of the points they had earned at the point at which their relegation was confirmed.

Some of City’s defeats will have been decided on moments of madness or poor individual displays. But it’s not the point to highlight those, more the issues that spanned the full season, or mistakes that had knock-on effects for the whole campaign.

Plus, it should be recognised that many of these mistakes are analysed in hindsight. They were perhaps decisions taken with the best intentions but ones have revealed themselves to be poorly-judged.

They are mistakes all the same, and it’s mistakes that have cost City. It's what the likes of chairman Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha, director of football Jon Rudkin, chief executive Susan Whelan and those in charge need to learn from.

 

Having to sell Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

The first issue arrived way back at the end of last June. It’s not the act of selling Dewsbury-Hall that was the problem, but more what it represented.

To cope with financial mismanagement across the previous, they were forced to sell their best player and a fan favourite two months after they were promoted.

To avoid punishment over the Profit and Sustainability Rules, selling Dewsbury-Hall made sense. But City had put themselves in the predicament where they had to do it, weakening their squad for a tougher division.

An unsatisfactory pre-season

There was a cancelled trip to the States, a hastily-organised alternative plan, an abandoned fixture, key signings after the season had begun, and a final friendly in which the club’s own 12-minutes highlights package only featured chances for the opposition. Pre-season could have gone much more smoothly.

 

Appointing Steve Cooper

Bringing in a more pragmatic manager to take the parts of Enzo Maresca’s gameplan that worked well but then to make tweaks to create a City side that was better-equipped for the rigours of the Premier League seemed, and still seems, like a strong plan on Cooper’s part.

But in reality, it didn’t work. It emerged that the players didn’t connect with Cooper, and despite the Welshman’s best efforts, the fans didn’t either.

Despite sitting 16th when Cooper was sacked, City’s performances did not suggest they were going to survive, their points tally at that point built on unsustainable rates of finishing, world-class goalkeeping, and a couple of fortunate refereeing decisions.

 

Signing experienced heads

Cooper wanted more experience, players who knew the Premier League and would not have wilted over a few bad results.

In came Jordan Ayew (the oldest player signed for a fee by any Premier League club last summer) and Bobby De Cordova-Reid. Ben Davies would have arrived from Tottenham too had Cooper got his wish.

But really, City already had enough Premier League experience in their ranks. What they needed was quality and/or energy.

Ayew and De Cordova-Reid delivered in moments, and it could be argued Ayew’s last-minute equaliser was only taken with such composure because of his experience, but they have not provided enough in their all-around performances for it to be suggested they were good signings.

 

Failing to prioritise high-quality centre-backs

Jannik Vestergaard was signed to a three-year deal despite never having won a Premier League game for City in which he’d started, while Caleb Okoli was brought in for a £13m fee that left Atalanta fans gratefully surprised. Wout Faes had still had rickety moments in the Championship while Conor Coady had hardly played.

Those were the centre-backs City had to choose from and it didn’t feel like any possible combination made the team an effective defensive unit.

Five of the six possible pairings have been trialled, with the longest run any duo had standing at seven matches, for Faes and Okoli together under Cooper and then Vestergaard and Coady together under van Nistelrooy.

A strong defence is built on unity, understanding and consistency. City’s centre-backs haven’t shown those qualities enough, and it needed to be an area for more significant spending in the summer.

Conceding from the right side

Especially early in the season, it felt like a significant percentage of the goals City conceded came from their right side.

The focus was on James Justin, but too often he either lacked support ahead of him or inside him, with the full-back and Faes never appearing to be on the same wavelength.

It gifted the opposition an easy route to goal, with very little done to try to stop sides exploiting such a flaw.

It has become less of an issue as the season has gone on, but perhaps because City have started conceding from everywhere.

 

Conceding every game (and often first)

Even Derby, in their record-setting 11-point campaign of 2007-08, kept three clean sheets. City have one so far.

City won’t end the campaign with the Premier League’s worst-ever defensive record, but their consistency in conceding almost every single week has put them on the back foot.

They have given themselves hills to climb too. They have conceded the first goal 28 times in 33 matches, six more occasions than the next worst side.

 

Bringing in Odsonne Edouard without a break clause

City would have been criticised had they not signed a striker, but what they ended up doing was worse.

They panicked and brought in Edouard for a considerable loan fee, with neither Cooper nor van Nistelrooy seeing fit to use him, even as a substitute.

Plus, there was no break clause in his loan contract, so City could not send him back to Crystal Palace without paying. Concerned about PSR, they chose instead to keep him, blocking them from bringing in another Premier League loanee in January.

It was a deal that has had no positive impact and harmed the club in more ways than one.

New signings simply not improving the team

This may be the big one. When there is such a gulf in quality between the Championship and the Premier League, transfers have to make an impact.

Take Oliver Skipp for example. It could be debated that City didn’t need a deep-lying midfielder last summer. It could be argued that the £20m fee was a case of overspending.

But those criticisms would have been forgotten had he improved the starting line-up. However, Skipp has been unable to do that.

City signed nine players last summer. In their last six games, they’ve had a maximum of two in their starting line-up. Sometimes it’s just been Bilal El Khannouss.

Most of the team has been the one that was relegated two years ago and so in some ways it's no surprise they've struggled.

 

‘Enzo, I miss u’

The players do not come out of this guilt-free. In November, images emerged of their Christmas party in Copenhagen, during which a sign saying ‘Enzo, I miss u’ was held aloft.

It’s not that the squad are not allowed to have fun, but the incident offered evidence that they were not moving on from Maresca’s departure, explaining their reluctance to get behind Cooper’s ideas.

 

Appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy’s future remains up in the air, but if his tenure was to end tomorrow, it would go down as a failure.

Perhaps he would have been better with a full pre-season. Instead, he was brought in midway through as a firefighter, and he has not seemed cut out for that job, such is his lack of experience of relegation battles.

The few flashes of promise have been marred by some awful displays, the worst performances of the season coming on his watch.

Failing to deliver on January assurances

When van Nistelrooy arrived, he said he was assured of new signings in January. In the end, he got one £3m right-back who has started one game.

It’s not the first time that promised January spending has not been delivered at City, and it can’t have helped van Nistelrooy’s motivation.

City had to be wary of PSR, but again, that’s their own fault in the first place. Wolves, meanwhile, spent over £40m and pulled away from the relegation battle.

 

Reliance on Jamie Vardy

In some cases, Vardy has defied expectations again, scoring more than double the amount he did during the last relegation.

But the goals and chances have dried up over the past few months, and perhaps it’s because he’s played too often as a 38-year-old.

Last season, he was managed well, playing 90 minutes just once and conserving energy for the climax to the campaign. This season, he’s played 18 lots of 90 minutes.

 

Failing to create chances (and take them)

Failing to score in nine straight home matches is incredibly poor. Such have been their woes in front of goal, City got themselves into a cycle where they were losing confidence in the final third and unable to take the chances they did create.

That was part of the problem too, though. They simply haven’t created enough at the top of the pitch to even get lucky goals, taking the fewest shots in the division.

A team that fashions the fewest chances, and then underperforms on finishing as they have since van Nistelrooy took charge, is not going to score often.

 

Fostering a disconnect between the club and supporters

The atmosphere at the King Power Stadium has not been as loud and as raucous as it could have been. It’s an unfortunate reference, but Nottingham Forest showed what a difference a great home atmosphere can have when they stayed up two years ago.

But it didn’t help that City frustrated their fans before the season had even begun with the debacle over the £25 physical season-ticket charge, and further issues followed, with a lack of communication from the top often cited.

Fans hold up a banner in protest of the Leicester City hierarchy during the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the King Power Stadium (Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

 

Ending the club’s academy inclusion streak

This is not a significant issue, but it is underwhelming. For 288 games in a row, nearly six years, City had at least one academy player in their matchday squad. That run ended under Cooper in October.

It may seem like a small matter, but for supporters, it was a big deal and only made them feel less connected with the club.

In recent weeks, van Nistelrooy has talked up homegrown players and their care for the club, and how he wants to use that going forward. Maybe the likes of Kasey McAteer and Luke Thomas should have played more often.

 

Too often failing to use the best players

Again, given the talk around the gap in quality between the top two divisions, it’s a wonder why both managers simply didn’t put their best players on the pitch more often.

Ricardo Pereira didn’t get a look-in under Cooper, while Abdul Fatawu missed a handful of games too.

When El Khannouss and Facundo Buonanotte have played together, City have looked at their most threatening, but van Nistelrooy has not taken a shine to the Argentinian and so matches with that twin threat have been few and far between.

 

Tendency to give up

‘Foxes Never Quit’? No, they sometimes do. Especially under van Nistelrooy there have been too many games where City have conceded early and given up on trying to get a result.

It drained belief from the squad and the fanbase and made every match more tougher than the last. Can City say they’ve fought hard enough? It doesn’t feel like they can.

[fox_favourite]

33 minutes ago, davieG said:

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/eighteen-mistakes-made-leicester-city-10134242

 

Eighteen mistakes made by Leicester City that overshadow easy relegation excuse
A closer look at the reasons that led to Leicester City's fall into the Championship, eliminating the excuse that their fate was decided by the gulf between top two divisions

ByJordan Blackwell
05:00, 26 APR 2025

Asked to name a reason why Leicester City had been relegated in the immediate aftermath of their downfall, Ruud van Nistelrooy pointed to the gulf between the established Premier League sides and those coming up from the Championship.

When he was then asked to name a reason specific to his side, he repeated the same answer.

Now, there is no denying that facing 17 sides who are all in their third consecutive seasons in the Premier League, and therefore in their third consecutive season of receiving Premier League money, makes for a difficult task for clubs who have been promoted.

In the Premier League, success is so often determined by money. There is no doubt it is a factor.

However, to react as if it is the sole factor in City’s demise is not only wilfully obtuse – they were only a promoted club because they got themselves relegated in the first place – but also unhelpful. City need to recognise where they have gone wrong so that they can learn from their mistakes.

Because every side makes them. Even those who are currently battling for Champions League places will have made errors.

Often, for those sides right at the bottom, it’s about a compendium of mistakes, rather than a single one.

And so, we have put together 18 reasons for City’s fall into the Championship, one for each of the points they had earned at the point at which their relegation was confirmed.

Some of City’s defeats will have been decided on moments of madness or poor individual displays. But it’s not the point to highlight those, more the issues that spanned the full season, or mistakes that had knock-on effects for the whole campaign.

Plus, it should be recognised that many of these mistakes are analysed in hindsight. They were perhaps decisions taken with the best intentions but ones have revealed themselves to be poorly-judged.

They are mistakes all the same, and it’s mistakes that have cost City. It's what the likes of chairman Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha, director of football Jon Rudkin, chief executive Susan Whelan and those in charge need to learn from.

 

Having to sell Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

The first issue arrived way back at the end of last June. It’s not the act of selling Dewsbury-Hall that was the problem, but more what it represented.

To cope with financial mismanagement across the previous, they were forced to sell their best player and a fan favourite two months after they were promoted.

To avoid punishment over the Profit and Sustainability Rules, selling Dewsbury-Hall made sense. But City had put themselves in the predicament where they had to do it, weakening their squad for a tougher division.

An unsatisfactory pre-season

There was a cancelled trip to the States, a hastily-organised alternative plan, an abandoned fixture, key signings after the season had begun, and a final friendly in which the club’s own 12-minutes highlights package only featured chances for the opposition. Pre-season could have gone much more smoothly.

 

Appointing Steve Cooper

Bringing in a more pragmatic manager to take the parts of Enzo Maresca’s gameplan that worked well but then to make tweaks to create a City side that was better-equipped for the rigours of the Premier League seemed, and still seems, like a strong plan on Cooper’s part.

But in reality, it didn’t work. It emerged that the players didn’t connect with Cooper, and despite the Welshman’s best efforts, the fans didn’t either.

Despite sitting 16th when Cooper was sacked, City’s performances did not suggest they were going to survive, their points tally at that point built on unsustainable rates of finishing, world-class goalkeeping, and a couple of fortunate refereeing decisions.

 

Signing experienced heads

Cooper wanted more experience, players who knew the Premier League and would not have wilted over a few bad results.

In came Jordan Ayew (the oldest player signed for a fee by any Premier League club last summer) and Bobby De Cordova-Reid. Ben Davies would have arrived from Tottenham too had Cooper got his wish.

But really, City already had enough Premier League experience in their ranks. What they needed was quality and/or energy.

Ayew and De Cordova-Reid delivered in moments, and it could be argued Ayew’s last-minute equaliser was only taken with such composure because of his experience, but they have not provided enough in their all-around performances for it to be suggested they were good signings.

 

Failing to prioritise high-quality centre-backs

Jannik Vestergaard was signed to a three-year deal despite never having won a Premier League game for City in which he’d started, while Caleb Okoli was brought in for a £13m fee that left Atalanta fans gratefully surprised. Wout Faes had still had rickety moments in the Championship while Conor Coady had hardly played.

Those were the centre-backs City had to choose from and it didn’t feel like any possible combination made the team an effective defensive unit.

Five of the six possible pairings have been trialled, with the longest run any duo had standing at seven matches, for Faes and Okoli together under Cooper and then Vestergaard and Coady together under van Nistelrooy.

A strong defence is built on unity, understanding and consistency. City’s centre-backs haven’t shown those qualities enough, and it needed to be an area for more significant spending in the summer.

Conceding from the right side

Especially early in the season, it felt like a significant percentage of the goals City conceded came from their right side.

The focus was on James Justin, but too often he either lacked support ahead of him or inside him, with the full-back and Faes never appearing to be on the same wavelength.

It gifted the opposition an easy route to goal, with very little done to try to stop sides exploiting such a flaw.

It has become less of an issue as the season has gone on, but perhaps because City have started conceding from everywhere.

 

Conceding every game (and often first)

Even Derby, in their record-setting 11-point campaign of 2007-08, kept three clean sheets. City have one so far.

City won’t end the campaign with the Premier League’s worst-ever defensive record, but their consistency in conceding almost every single week has put them on the back foot.

They have given themselves hills to climb too. They have conceded the first goal 28 times in 33 matches, six more occasions than the next worst side.

 

Bringing in Odsonne Edouard without a break clause

City would have been criticised had they not signed a striker, but what they ended up doing was worse.

They panicked and brought in Edouard for a considerable loan fee, with neither Cooper nor van Nistelrooy seeing fit to use him, even as a substitute.

Plus, there was no break clause in his loan contract, so City could not send him back to Crystal Palace without paying. Concerned about PSR, they chose instead to keep him, blocking them from bringing in another Premier League loanee in January.

It was a deal that has had no positive impact and harmed the club in more ways than one.

New signings simply not improving the team

This may be the big one. When there is such a gulf in quality between the Championship and the Premier League, transfers have to make an impact.

Take Oliver Skipp for example. It could be debated that City didn’t need a deep-lying midfielder last summer. It could be argued that the £20m fee was a case of overspending.

But those criticisms would have been forgotten had he improved the starting line-up. However, Skipp has been unable to do that.

City signed nine players last summer. In their last six games, they’ve had a maximum of two in their starting line-up. Sometimes it’s just been Bilal El Khannouss.

Most of the team has been the one that was relegated two years ago and so in some ways it's no surprise they've struggled.

 

‘Enzo, I miss u’

The players do not come out of this guilt-free. In November, images emerged of their Christmas party in Copenhagen, during which a sign saying ‘Enzo, I miss u’ was held aloft.

It’s not that the squad are not allowed to have fun, but the incident offered evidence that they were not moving on from Maresca’s departure, explaining their reluctance to get behind Cooper’s ideas.

 

Appointment of Ruud van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy’s future remains up in the air, but if his tenure was to end tomorrow, it would go down as a failure.

Perhaps he would have been better with a full pre-season. Instead, he was brought in midway through as a firefighter, and he has not seemed cut out for that job, such is his lack of experience of relegation battles.

The few flashes of promise have been marred by some awful displays, the worst performances of the season coming on his watch.

Failing to deliver on January assurances

When van Nistelrooy arrived, he said he was assured of new signings in January. In the end, he got one £3m right-back who has started one game.

It’s not the first time that promised January spending has not been delivered at City, and it can’t have helped van Nistelrooy’s motivation.

City had to be wary of PSR, but again, that’s their own fault in the first place. Wolves, meanwhile, spent over £40m and pulled away from the relegation battle.

 

Reliance on Jamie Vardy

In some cases, Vardy has defied expectations again, scoring more than double the amount he did during the last relegation.

But the goals and chances have dried up over the past few months, and perhaps it’s because he’s played too often as a 38-year-old.

Last season, he was managed well, playing 90 minutes just once and conserving energy for the climax to the campaign. This season, he’s played 18 lots of 90 minutes.

 

Failing to create chances (and take them)

Failing to score in nine straight home matches is incredibly poor. Such have been their woes in front of goal, City got themselves into a cycle where they were losing confidence in the final third and unable to take the chances they did create.

That was part of the problem too, though. They simply haven’t created enough at the top of the pitch to even get lucky goals, taking the fewest shots in the division.

A team that fashions the fewest chances, and then underperforms on finishing as they have since van Nistelrooy took charge, is not going to score often.

 

Fostering a disconnect between the club and supporters

The atmosphere at the King Power Stadium has not been as loud and as raucous as it could have been. It’s an unfortunate reference, but Nottingham Forest showed what a difference a great home atmosphere can have when they stayed up two years ago.

But it didn’t help that City frustrated their fans before the season had even begun with the debacle over the £25 physical season-ticket charge, and further issues followed, with a lack of communication from the top often cited.

Fans hold up a banner in protest of the Leicester City hierarchy during the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the King Power Stadium (Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

 

Ending the club’s academy inclusion streak

This is not a significant issue, but it is underwhelming. For 288 games in a row, nearly six years, City had at least one academy player in their matchday squad. That run ended under Cooper in October.

It may seem like a small matter, but for supporters, it was a big deal and only made them feel less connected with the club.

In recent weeks, van Nistelrooy has talked up homegrown players and their care for the club, and how he wants to use that going forward. Maybe the likes of Kasey McAteer and Luke Thomas should have played more often.

 

Too often failing to use the best players

Again, given the talk around the gap in quality between the top two divisions, it’s a wonder why both managers simply didn’t put their best players on the pitch more often.

Ricardo Pereira didn’t get a look-in under Cooper, while Abdul Fatawu missed a handful of games too.

When El Khannouss and Facundo Buonanotte have played together, City have looked at their most threatening, but van Nistelrooy has not taken a shine to the Argentinian and so matches with that twin threat have been few and far between.

 

Tendency to give up

‘Foxes Never Quit’? No, they sometimes do. Especially under van Nistelrooy there have been too many games where City have conceded early and given up on trying to get a result.

It drained belief from the squad and the fanbase and made every match more tougher than the last. Can City say they’ve fought hard enough? It doesn’t feel like they can.

Don't think you can argue with that. 

 

Fans are disconnected and frustrated mainly down to the lack of communication. Even now, a week after it was confirmed, what have the club said about relegation? "Our place is confirmed in the Championship". It's utterly disgusting that they disregard the fans like this. 

 

Then to mask it all, they pump social media with Vardy stuff. Granted is the GOAT without question, but they are quick to put that out but not to recognise THEIR failings, and there are many. 

 

This season is on the board for me. Every decision has been baffling, no coherent thought in the club on what to do. 

 

 

[davieG]

 

Tom Wagner makes bold Birmingham City prediction involving Leicester City and Southampton

By 
Adam Tiffen

Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner has predicted that his side will have as good a chance at winning promotion to the Premier League next season as newly relegated Leicester City or Southampton will.

There are two things that Wagner really isn't short of: ambition and money. The American businessman has used these two things in League One to completely smash the competition, reset the trajectory of the club and they're on track to become the highest points-scoring side in English footballing history.

They have put together a squad for Chris Davies that is miles better than any other third-tier side, and this has been largely down to the revenue that the club have been able to generate.

Wagner loves to talk money and revenue and stress its importance to him. A big income perfectly correlates with success in football in his mind - a theory that is pretty hard to argue with - and his projections for the season to come suggest that more history is in the making for Blues.

Tom Wagner's Birmingham City, Premier League promotion prediction
The club already has huge fund-generating deals with brands like Nike, Delta Air Lines and Undefeated. The behind-the-scenes Amazon Prime documentary on the club's 2024/25 campaign has also been a big financial help for Birmingham this season.

 

With the way that their income is going, the American believes that, next season, City will bring in as much money as the Premier League's relegated clubs, Leicester and Southampton, who are set to receive large, eight-figure payments from their soon-to-be former division on the way down. According to Wagner, this will give Birmingham a level playing field to compete with them for promotion.

"Parachute payment clubs have a roughly one-in-four chance of getting promoted," Wagner explained to The Times. "Non-parachute clubs have a one in 16 chance. So, OK, if we can achieve parachute-level revenues, we’re four times more likely to get promoted.

"If our revenue progresses as we expect into next season, which is basically a certainty, we will be the highest revenue-generating club in the Championship ever not receiving parachute payments — and we will be on a par with those receiving parachute payments.

Tom Wagner, Birmingham City
"If we then progress one year further, and we’re fortunate enough to end up in the Premier League, we’ll be a mid-table club or better in total revenue, first year in.

"When you get inside the top eight, those clubs are real financial powerhouses. But between nine and 12, there’s space to move into that sphere and compete with the clubs that are six, seven, eight in total revenue. I think we can get there very quickly.

A double promotion would be a shocking accomplishment, even for Birmingham's high standards
Ipswich's remarkable campaign last time out in which they won automatic promotion to the Premier League, the season after doing so from League One, was widely and rightfully heralded as one of the great footballing achievements in recent times.

The Tractor Boys have been well-backed by their own American owners, no doubt about it. Birmingham, though, are an acceptably bigger fish when it comes to splashing, and earning, cash.

There's a reason why this feat of climbing from the third rung of the ladder all the way up to the top in the quickest fashion possible has been done so few times in the game's history, and while Davies' team knows a thing or two already about resetting records, their potentially league-best budget in the Championship doesn't give them any divine right to be up near the top this time next year.

If they do manage to replicate the success that Kieran McKenna had last season, it shouldn't be solely put down to Knighthead's hefty pockets. Birmingham's players and staff should, and would, receive all the praise in the world.