Milans Masterplan

[Geo V]

Milan Mandaric says that Leicester City have all the foundations in place as he begins in his quest to take the Foxes back to the Premiership.

The Serbian-born businessman was confirmed as the new owner and Executive Chairman of the club following an EGM last Friday.

And speaking on Leicester City World, Milan cited the club's supporters and their facilities as a great base to build from.

He said: "The supporters are the greatest asset that this football club has. When I became frustrated during the buying process the fans still came out in their numbers. That further proved to me what we have here.

"Over 30,000 supporters came to watch the game against Barnsley just before Christmas. That truly was a great effort.

"So we have got great support and we also have good facilities. What is missing now is Premiership football. We have got to work on that."

City now face back-to-back home fixtures against Leeds United (Tuesday, March 13) and QPR (Saturday, March 17) - and Milan confirmed that the support from the stands would play a big part on what happened on the pitch in the coming months.

He added: "I have been pleasantly surprised with the numbers that we have seen at the Walkers since I arrived at the club. They have bought into what we are trying to do here.

"It would be great if that backing could continue.

"We will continue to look forward. I hope that during this period the fans do come out and give us their support."

[Geo V]

The facilities are there, as are the fans but the manager isnt the man and the players certainly arent. Lets hope MM quickly realises this and makes the neccasary change to take this club forward.

[STUHILL]

MM told us 3 years, I was hoping this summer would be a big shake-up in the squad BUT i'm not so sure, I think it will take MM 10-15 games in to the new season at least to realise how much work needs to be done with the squad! I hope it doesn't and he really mixes things up in Summer but i just have a bad feeling it will take him longer!

[Geo V]

MM told us 3 years, I was hoping this summer would be a big shake-up in the squad BUT i'm not so sure, I think it will take MM 10-15 games in to the new season at least to realise how much work needs to be done with the squad! I hope it doesn't and he really mixes things up in Summer but i just have a bad feeling it will take him longer!

MM has been to enough games now to know we arent playing well and our players arent upto scratch. He should also have had enough time to realise that RK is attempting to punch above his weight. Changes need to happen in the summer and big ones at that, if we are to really move forward.

[Jon the Hat]

MM has been to enough games now to know we arent playing well and our players arent upto scratch. He should also have had enough time to realise that RK is attempting to punch above his weight. Changes need to happen in the summer and big ones at that, if we are to really move forward.

I really don't think we need to worry about this. Milan has put his cash into the club and is clearly also going to put in his time. He won't stand for the kind of crap Kelly has been serving up. Kelly has the remaining games to show he can make the best of what we have, otherwise he's out. In my view he doesn't have it, so we are unlikely to see anything different in the next few months.

Come the summer it will be all change. There is no way Milan thinks we can do this without significant changes in management and playing squad. Does he say he bought the club becuase of the great manager or quality players? No.

[Thracian]

MM told us 3 years, I was hoping this summer would be a big shake-up in the squad BUT i'm not so sure, I think it will take MM 10-15 games in to the new season at least to realise how much work needs to be done with the squad! I hope it doesn't and he really mixes things up in Summer but i just have a bad feeling it will take him longer!

That's the biggest reason we need a change of direction now - although that still leaves the major question of change to what!

We still need a few points needed to secure our place in the Championship and then we need a whole new approach to our team structure based on balance all round, high defending and support in numbers when we attack.

That will require changes and the manager needs to find out then where the weaknesses lie when that happenss and even if we have worthwhile players at all for a number of positions.

However they perform, people like Dodds, King, Sheehan (if fit), Gradel even Wesolowski, Stearman and Logan need to be fully evaluated in a positive side and decisions made about their likely usefulness in future or otherwise.

As you say it will take time to transform the focus of our side from negative to positive and, as I suggested last season, the time to start is now because so many of the questions of last season have still not yet been answered, a situation I find extraordinary.

[STUHILL]

That's the biggest reason we need a change of direction now - although that still leaves the major question of change to what!

We still need a few points needed to secure our place in the Championship and then we need a whole new approach to our team structure based on balance all round, high defending and support in numbers when we attack.

That will require changes and the manager needs to find out then where the weaknesses lie when that happenss and even if we have worthwhile players at all for a number of positions.

However they perform, people like Dodds, King, Sheehan (if fit), Gradel even Wesolowski, Stearman and Logan need to be fully evaluated in a positive side and decisions made about their likely usefulness in future or otherwise.

As you say it will take time to transform the focus of our side from negative to positive and, as I suggested last season, the time to start is now because so many of the questions of last season have still not yet been answered, a situation I find extraordinary.

I agree the time to start is now! I just worry that the situation of new chairman and Kelly trying to prove his worth by not taking any chances is going to cost us precious time. After we are safe, MM should have a word and say right Kelly, lets start planning for next season now i.e. use the remainding games to shake it up a little!! We would find that far more useful than putting out same team each week with poor performances!

[Geo V]

I really don't think we need to worry about this. Milan has put his cash into the club and is clearly also going to put in his time. He won't stand for the kind of crap Kelly has been serving up. Kelly has the remaining games to show he can make the best of what we have, otherwise he's out. In my view he doesn't have it, so we are unlikely to see anything different in the next few months.

Come the summer it will be all change. There is no way Milan thinks we can do this without significant changes in management and playing squad. Does he say he bought the club becuase of the great manager or quality players? No.

Ive said all along that from the moment that MM came in, he had an idea on a new manager but didnt want to seem like some big ogre and sling RK out straight away. I`d also bet that if Dowie waited until the seasons end he would be our new manager. The point is, many of us think that RK wont be here next season regardless of results so why not make the change sooner rather than later??? A new guy coming in needs to assess the squad and then punt the ones he doesnt fancy out. If we have to wait until the summer and then someone comes in we will not only miss out on potential Bosmans but will have to wait for a new man to assess the squad.

RK OUT now.

[STUHILL]

Stuart Pearce apparantly has 2-3 games to save his job, I'm not convinced about the guy. But I've always liked his 'no shit' attitude! We havn't had a real passionate, angry manager for a while! Exactly what championship teams need I think! Look at Roy Keane at Sunderland! He's shoved a rocket up their arse!

[lookwhaticando]

Stuart Pearce apparantly has 2-3 games to save his job, I'm not convinced about the guy. But I've always liked his 'no shit' attitude! We havn't had a real passionate, angry manager for a while! Exactly what championship teams need I think! Look at Roy Keane at Sunderland! He's shoved a rocket up their arse!

I'd have Pearce here over most of the other names being banded about from time to time.

Don't know what's happened up in Manchester since that dazzling first run at the job... and it's hardly inspiring that they're sitting dangerously low in the league right now. But still... if it came down to appointing Pearce or some dodgy Frenchman, it'd have to be Pearce.

[Thracian]

I'd have Pearce here over most of the other names being banded about from time to time.

Don't know what's happened up in Manchester since that dazzling first run at the job... and it's hardly inspiring that they're sitting dangerously low in the league right now. But still... if it came down to appointing Pearce or some dodgy Frenchman, it'd have to be Pearce.

Not for me. Big heart but I'm not convinced he's a shrewd football manager.

Keegan's out of the options by the sound of it so Paul Ince has gone to the top of my wish list although I do like some of the football Tilson's got his team playing at Southend despite the fact that he's struggling to survive this season.

[lcfc_jme]

Right at this moment in time, the 3 years Milan was talking about makes me think he was drunk or high at the time of the interview. How anybody can seriously believe that we, in our current on-field state, will be playing Premiership football in 3 years is beyond me.

I hope he understands just how much work he's going to have to do in terms of revamping the current squad and bringing in the right manager to get the team playing, looking solid and moving up the league on a consistent basis instead of only when they're involved in the thick of a relegation fight.

[STUHILL]

Right at this moment in time, the 3 years Milan was talking about makes me think he was drunk or high at the time of the interview. How anybody can seriously believe that we, in our current on-field state, will be playing Premiership football in 3 years is beyond me.

I hope he understands just how much work he's going to have to do in terms of revamping the current squad and bringing in the right manager to get the team playing, looking solid and moving up the league on a consistent basis instead of only when they're involved in the thick of a relegation fight.

I think it's achievable in 3 years and i think we will either do it or be very very close! I just think it will take a change of manager and a change of most of the squad to do it! Which will probably take a couple of seasons to achieve. Although a playoff shot isn't totally out of the question next season. Confidence plays a huge part in the Championship, If we start well, who knows!

[lcfc_jme]

I think it's achievable in 3 years and i think we will either do it or be very very close! I just think it will take a change of manager and a change of most of the squad to do it! Which will probably take a couple of seasons to achieve. Although a playoff shot isn't totally out of the question next season. Confidence plays a huge part in the Championship, If we start well, who knows!

Starting is very important to us, but really, if we get the large-scale overhaul of the squad that we so desperately need, then an explosive start may well be out of the question as the lads might not have gelled all that well and would be just finding their feet in a new team. The choice of manager would also need to be good, as we don't want another Craig Levein/Rob Kelly coming in to do the job - that wouldn't benefit anyone.

I'm not all that convinced Milan will want us bringing in whole-scale changes to the playing staff either though, as from what I understand he is happy with the core of the team and a big fan of developing the youth facilities, meaning 4 or 5 changes involving money are likely at the very most I'd think.

[davieG]

Right at this moment in time, the 3 years Milan was talking about makes me think he was drunk or high at the time of the interview. How anybody can seriously believe that we, in our current on-field state, will be playing Premiership football in 3 years is beyond me.

I hope he understands just how much work he's going to have to do in terms of revamping the current squad and bringing in the right manager to get the team playing, looking solid and moving up the league on a consistent basis instead of only when they're involved in the thick of a relegation fight.

With a more positive approach, putting square pegs in square holes as promised I believe the current crop of players could have got us into the play-offs. Although we've been shite we've never been over run and many teams that have taken results off of us have been equally shite, 12 draws is the reason we're where we are, but that seems to satisfy RK.

[STUHILL]

With a more positive approach, putting square pegs in square holes as promised I believe the current crop of players could have got us into the play-offs. Although we've been shite we've never been over run and many teams that have taken results off of us have been equally shite, 12 draws is the reason we're where we are, but that seems to satisfy RK.

No I really think we are missing at least 2-3 players in our team with real quality to be even close to the playoffs. i think Mid-table is about right for our playing squad we had this year. I have to look at the teams above us and in the playoff positions or thereabouts and they all have some better quality players, especially in midfield.

[lcfc_jme]

With a more positive approach, putting square pegs in square holes as promised I believe the current crop of players could have got us into the play-offs. Although we've been shite we've never been over run and many teams that have taken results off of us have been equally shite, 12 draws is the reason we're where we are, but that seems to satisfy RK.

I appreciate what you're saying to be honest, and it has been said before many-a-time that the quality of the Championship overall this season has been pretty woeful - one of the many reasons there are teams sitting around us in the league looking over their shoulders at the drop, and so many teams still in touching distance of the playoffs.

Honestly though, you really feel that players like Johnson could have lifted us towards the playoffs?

12 draws for us this season? I am under the impression that we should have won at least 6 of those (meaning we'd have won 17 this term), and with the correct application/management we would have won. It does seem to satisfy Kelly - evident in the fact that he set his stall out to take 16 points from our remaining 16 games or something equally as unambitious.

[He's not bald]

Not for me. Big heart but I'm not convinced he's a shrewd football manager.

Keegan's out of the options by the sound of it so Paul Ince has gone to the top of my wish list although I do like some of the football Tilson's got his team playing at Southend despite the fact that he's struggling to survive this season.

Why?

[lcfc_jme]

Why?

Requested Reason