The "do they mean us?" thread pt 4

[doubledeckerderek]

There’s a piece about our demise coming up on the main 6 o’clock news.  Good that the Aiyawatt is getting all this unwelcome bad publicity.  Won’t be going down well with the family in Bangkok

[when_you're_smiling]

Leicester’s decline and fall feels like a cruel parable as League One beckons

“Is it the players, do they not care? Have you put your trust in the wrong people? This is the football club that we love and it’s down in League One, we just want to know what’s going on!”

Those were some of the thoughts aired by one board member of the Foxes Trust as Leicester fans sought to challenge their club’s owner, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, outside the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night. If they were unable to put a finger on quite why their club had been relegated to League One, then the man known as “Top” was none the wiser. “I cannot blame anyone,” he replied to his inquisitors. “I can blame myself if you want to. I tried everything, we all tried, but it was not enough.”

 

It may actually not be a mystery as to why, a decade after pulling off the football miracle of the century by winning the Premier League, Leicester are back in the third tier. There is an argument to be made that the root cause of the failure lies in that seismic success. But while Leicester are not finished and will likely be back sooner rather than later, their crisis is both unique and reflective of broader trends that many would say are harming English football.

 

Leicester’s immediate problems have been vivid from the turn of the year, since which point they have won two league matches, had six points deducted by the English Football League after breaching financial rules and changed managers to no discernible (at least, discernibly positive) effect. Fans are divided and there is much criticism of the players, who were told they were “not fit to wear the shirt” after defeat at Portsmouth last weekend.

 

Also in the firing line is Jon Rudkin, the sporting director. He is a man whose links with Leicester City go back 30 years and whose career forms a golden thread through their halcyon seasons. Rudkin’s first senior job at Leicester was as the academy manager from 2003, when he helped bring through future stars such as Andy King, Ben Chilwell and Harvey Barnes. He became director of football in 2014, the year Leicester returned to the Premier League after a decade away, and it was he who presided over not only a league title at odds of 5,000-1 but a first FA Cup title in the club’s history.

The year they won the Cup, in 2021, Leicester narrowly missed out for a second consecutive season on qualification for the Champions League under Brendan Rodgers. That summer, the club shifted approach in the transfer market. Instead of looking to offset some of their spending by making sales, as they had each season since returning to the top division (from 2016-21 the sales read: N’Golo Kanté, Danny Drinkwater, Riyadh Mahrez, Harry Maguire and, finally, Chilwell), Leicester would look to build. In 2021-22, less than £4m was recouped from player sales, while the acquisition of Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumaré and Jannik Vestergaard cost an estimated £55m.

 

This, in the language of the era, was a club “going for it”. Having punched a hole in the glass ceiling of the Premier League, Leicester were trying to climb through it. But the move turned out to be a failure in the short and long term. None of those summer signings were a success while Leicester’s pre-tax losses tripled from £31.2m to £92.5m, a club record.

 

Leicester reverted to their previous practices the following summer and sold Wesley Fofana for £70m, the key player in their defence. By the end of 2022-23, however, Leicester had not only been relegated but also posted another £90m loss. Despite an immediate return to the top flight, the losses accumulated over a three-season period were enough for the Premier League to charge Leicester with a breach of its profitability and sustainability rules. It set in train a process that led to the EFL docking the points that mean the team are seven adrift of Blackburn, 21st in the Championship, with two games remaining.

 

Doubtless there is enough blame to go around here – between the owners, executives and players – and any inquest into what has gone wrong is likely to be lengthy and heated. It should not be forgotten that there has been a tragedy in the mix: Top lost his father, and the club a revered leader, when Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in a helicopter crash in 2018.

But as the club look to reforge the connection with their support that once made the King Power such a magical place, it is tempting to look at Leicester’s fate and see it as a parable.

 

They challenged the football gods and, for a moment, were so successful they thought they could join them. Ten years later, those gods have had their revenge.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/22/leicester-city-relegated-ownership-championship-league-one

 

[Nalis]

5 hours ago, SystonFox said:

there seems to be a lot of fans of other clubs who are revelling in our downfall. 

Well deserved, we were loved by some and disliked by others over the years.

 

If any other east midlands team had back to back relegations from the premier league, barely a fvck would be given nationally compared to the onslaught we are getting and that to me speaks volumes.

[don_danbury]

1 hour ago, Nalis said:

Well deserved, we were loved by some and disliked by others over the years.

 

If any other east midlands team had back to back relegations from the premier league, barely a fvck would be given nationally compared to the onslaught we are getting and that to me speaks volumes.

judging from youtube comments it seems most are cov and forest fans. and of course some salty leeds fans still mad because we got promoted instead of them a few seasons back. 

[OntarioFox]

Leeds fans are such a weird bunch, would think they've got more important things to be focussing on right now. For a supposedly big club they don't half look small time

[CosbehFox]

You are only ever disliked like that if we actually challenged them and made them jealous. They are swimming around in their pool without any pots and pans, fuk them 
 

If not we’d have received the pat on the head type comments we did around the first half of the Prem season under Pearson. 

[john ridley]

Us being relegated made more news than Cov getting promoted, we're  still massive. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Guest Mickyblueeyes]

1 hour ago, john ridley said:

Us being relegated made more news than Cov getting promoted, we're  still massive. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

It’s because we are a big club. We were a decent size club before the PL win. That win and that period just propelled us. We have always been “big”. Top 20 clubs in England we are nestled into that ranking with ease. The only people who don’t think that is a group in our own fan base and Top. 

[davieG]

[filbertway]

14 minutes ago, davieG said:

Yes. Lob in the context of a lot of Marti's points being won despite the performance, thanks to outrageous stuff from Fatawu and James.

 

Fatawu's missed some very simple chances in the past few months and James has been injured the majority of it.

 

Edited to say, that I don't entirely blame Marti. He came in late and we have what you would describe as "luxury" players. (More the not hardworking part rather than extremely talented on the ball though ) Ideally you' have maybe 1,2 maybe 3 if you're big favourites. 

 

The vast majority of our squad is comprised of these players that can't even put in a shift. We have very little physicality or players known for busying a gut. Most squads start with hard work and trying to outrun the opposition. I think stats back up that our team has been outran by pretty much everyone.

 

I think we've got "capable" players, but we've filled the squad with very similar players. Which is why on paper, outsiders are surprised to see us where we are. 

 

It's an absolute must that we prioritise strong, determined and hard working players. Especially in defence and CM. These are the players that allow you to build a solid foundation and not let games run away from you week in week out. I think the past few years really sum up the importance of this part of the game.

 

Enter Russell Martin, signing 8 players who can pass 5 yards all day but could get out of a wet paper bag

 

Edited 23 April by filbertway

[Spudulike]

16 hours ago, john ridley said:

Us being relegated made more news than Cov getting promoted, we're  still massive. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I noticed that. LCFC were the main sports feature on the BBC prime time news.

[WorcesterBlue]

I'm an Ipswich supporter. 

I would just like to say that I am sorry for the state of your club. It is clearly not the supporters fault. 

Town have been into administration and then down to Div 1. Five years ago we were in grave danger of dropping into Div 2.

You will go down. You may find you have another points deduction. But after those have worked through you will be a massive force in a puddle of minnows.

Some sensible investor will come along and recognise a big fish going cheaply. And the Foxes will rise again.

Good luck.

[davieG]

Lawyer who defended Leicester City apologises after relegation with heartfelt message

 

Leicester City Lawyer Nick De Marco KC has apologised that he 'ould not do more' to help save the club from relegation.

 

Taking to social media following the confirmation of City’s relegation on Tuesday night, De Marco wrote: “I’m terribly sad for Leicester tonight, having got to know the club so well over the last few years.

“I’m sorry we could not have done more. It’s a great club with great fans, and some excellent people there.

“Wishing them all the best to come straight back up next year. I will be watching League One closely next year hoping both LCFC & SWFC finish in the top 2.”

 

The lawyer has been appointed by Sheffield Wednesday’s prospective new owner as they look to complete a takeover of the club.

[Clogger_]

Just now, davieG said:

Lawyer who defended Leicester City apologises after relegation with heartfelt message

 

Leicester City Lawyer Nick De Marco KC has apologised that he 'ould not do more' to help save the club from relegation.

 

Taking to social media following the confirmation of City’s relegation on Tuesday night, De Marco wrote: “I’m terribly sad for Leicester tonight, having got to know the club so well over the last few years.

“I’m sorry we could not have done more. It’s a great club with great fans, and some excellent people there.

“Wishing them all the best to come straight back up next year. I will be watching League One closely next year hoping both LCFC & SWFC finish in the top 2.”

 

The lawyer has been appointed by Sheffield Wednesday’s prospective new owner as they look to complete a takeover of the club.

He tried, and in a grubby kind of way contributed more than Top ever did

[Langston]

We shouldn't even know who Nick De Marco is..

[Wymsey]

11 minutes ago, Langston said:

We shouldn't even know who Nick De Marco is..

Need more qualified and reputable like him in the industry.

[Langston]

1 minute ago, Wymsey said:

Need more qualified and reputable like him in the industry.

 

What?? I mean from the sense we shouldn't know he exists.. We shouldn't be in such a mess..

[Mike Oxlong]

At least he tried harder than the players 

[Tommy Fresh]

[AjcW]

36 minutes ago, Tommy Fresh said:

He always never goes quite far enough for me, I think probably because he doesn't have much time to watch us these days with his media empire.

 

One interesting thing though, he's worth A LOT of money these days, so i'd like to think he'd at least be there in some capacity if we did struggle again like 25 years ago.

 

Just for some context, the sponsorship FUSE pay for on that pod alone (and he owns about 20 now) is about £100k per 6 or so episodes.

[CrazyKopCorner]

20 hours ago, davieG said:

Lawyer who defended Leicester City apologises after relegation with heartfelt message

 

Leicester City Lawyer Nick De Marco KC has apologised that he 'ould not do more' to help save the club from relegation.

 

Taking to social media following the confirmation of City’s relegation on Tuesday night, De Marco wrote: “I’m terribly sad for Leicester tonight, having got to know the club so well over the last few years.

“I’m sorry we could not have done more. It’s a great club with great fans, and some excellent people there.

“Wishing them all the best to come straight back up next year. I will be watching League One closely next year hoping both LCFC & SWFC finish in the top 2.”

 

The lawyer has been appointed by Sheffield Wednesday’s prospective new owner as they look to complete a takeover of the club.

Nick my boy nothing to apologise for you're in the running the running for player of the season mate 

[OntarioFox]

Pull the other one Nick, I know it's your job but you're part of the problem, this belief that as long as we can pay a good enough lawyer we can get away with blatant financial mismanagement. Last year's verdict probably had Rudkin and co popping champagne and giving each other handies under the mahogany desk.

 

You're enabling criminally stupid people. Making them feel vindicated when escaping deserved punishment.

Edited 24 April by OntarioFox

[WorcesterBlue]

On 23/04/2026 at 16:09, WorcesterBlue said:

I'm an Ipswich supporter. 

I would just like to say that I am sorry for the state of your club. It is clearly not the supporters fault. 

Town have been into administration and then down to Div 1. Five years ago we were in grave danger of dropping into Div 2.

You will go down. You may find you have another points deduction. But after those have worked through you will be a massive force in a puddle of minnows.

Some sensible investor will come along and recognise a big fish going cheaply. And the Foxes will rise again.

Good luck.

City 1 Millwall 1. Excellent. Thanks Foxes. COYB.

[davieG]

[LCFCCHRIS]

Those reveling in our demise could only dream of being on a journey like ours. I'd genuinely take league two for the next 10 years, having won that we did, rather than being ecstatic over staying in the prem by finishing 17th and / or the very occasional upset against a man city or Liverpool. 

 

In life you remember the highs and lows more than than the balanced. I would have already given up on football if I were an Everton fan for example.

 

It's pretty standard behaviour to take the piss and fair enough, but we are the most interesting club in the world, smaller teams like Notts forest and Coventry could only dream of it.