Something Old, Something New, No one Borrowed Yet and Plenty Blue

[davieG]

Mandaric, the man they love to love

Anna Kessel sees Leicester's new chairman feted by home fans and those of his former club as Portsmouth's star striker David Nugent proves his worth

Sunday August 5, 2007

The Observer

Let's face it, Milan Mandaric was always going to be a hit at Leicester City. Turn up at a club fresh out of administration with £25million in your back pocket, name-checking friends like the late, great George Best, and with a proven record of Premiership football - the fans are going to love you.Throw in a promise of Premier League football within three years and an expanded 45,000-seat stadium, and it is safe to say that if Mandaric were on Facebook, his would be a very popular site.

The match programme for the friendly at Walkers Stadium contained testimonies for the new Leicester chairman from the Portsmouth Supporters Trust and even an individual thank-you from Linvoy Primus. Speaking before the match, Mandaric took pleasure in recalling his popularity at his former club. 'I asked my dear friend who I miss so much, George Best, "Is this normal that people sing 'Milan we love you', do they sing that to other chairmen?" George said: "Of course they do, but they use other words".'There are some individuals who would use 'other words' for the new Leicester chairman. Three former board members resigned when Mandaric took over the club, citing distrust of his methods and his motives. Unfazed, Mandaric answers the criticism with his signature charm and aplomb. 'I will only be judged on what I do and not what people think of me,' he said. 'I will be measured on my results.'

And he will be, even by his doubters, although some of the whispers about him are pretty sinister. A source close to the board claimed that Mandaric had gained the support of local and national media, having enlisted the help of a Fleet Street name who 'regularly appeared by his side at matches', to smooth his way into power.

Concerned for his club, he concluded that: 'The whole of Leicester is gambling on him.'

The appointment of former MK Dons manager Martin Allen, who made a name for himself managing in the lower leagues with Barnet and Brentford, could be seen as the bigger gamble.

Mandaric passed up the chance to sign the more established former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock or former Fulham manager Chris Coleman, instead recruiting Allen, but stood resolute by his decision, referring to a previous manager who brought unexpected success to the club. 'Martin O'Neill didn't come from a big club and probably people asked the chairman then the same question,' he said.

The biggest test will be whether Allen can survive Mandaric's infamous impatience with managers - Allen is his third already at Leicester, having made seven changes at Pompey.

What will Allen have to achieve to avoid the chop this season? 'We are looking for a top-six place some time round January,' says Mandaric, 'and I would be very disappointed if we don't finish in the upper part of the table. I give people chances, but I'm not a loser, and I'm not going to tolerate a losing situation either.'

That is tough talking. Is the inimitable 'Mad Dog' Allen intimidated? 'Not one little bit,' said the former Portsmouth captain. Driving into the Leicester training ground last week, he dismissed the question of how big a transition the job has been for him, cataloguing the changes he has made to the club. Starting with the flowerbeds.

'They were all tatty and horrible,' said Allen. 'They had those grey stones, the ones you get at the cemetery. When you're really ill, you get a little leaflet sent through saying which colour do you want put on top of you. So we've put in nice white, yellow and blue flowers with pretty bark all over them. This is now the place to come in and make yourself a better player.'

Striding past the training pitches, waving and pointing, Allen runs through the rest. The youth teams are now out in Portakabins until they 'earn the right' to be with the senior players; the cleaners are in trouble for leaving hoovers lying around - 'I tripped over one on my first day'. 'Fancy food' is off the menu and the canteen has been renamed 'The Operating Theatre'.

Finishing his tour, Allen points to his PA, Clare Morris, and barks: 'Interview her!' Morris has been at Leicester for 13 years, but she's never seen anything like this before.

'He's really made his mark on the club,' she says, 'I've worked with a lot of managers, including Martin O'Neill, and we've never had so many changes.'

Morris recalled their first staff meeting when Allen laid down his working approach. 'He said: "You've heard of FIFA, well here it's going to be FIFO: fit in or f-off".

Yesterday it was fit in or be subbed as both managers raided their substitutes' benches, in the traditional pre-season friendly manner.

Portsmouth had the brighter start, with shots from Sulley Muntari and David Nugent in the first five minutes, but it was the home team who took the lead after only 14 minutes as Iain Hume chipped a stunned David James after a clever ball from Mark de Vries put him through on goal. Six minutes later Portsmouth scored an equaliser as Arnold Mvuemba passed to Nugent, who sidefooted the ball home.

At the start of the second half, Leicester were resurgent, hammering James' goal with shots from Hume, James Wesolowski, Stephen Clemence and Shaun Newton. However, Nugent made his mark again three minutes after the interval, the England striker providing the pass for Lomana LuaLua to put the visitors ahead.

Pompey's Franck Songo'o came off the bench to seal the victory eight minutes from time after superb movement from LuaLua on the edge of the Leicester area. The winger sent over a pinpoint cross that Nugent held up for Songo'o to lash home.

'It's too early to conclude anything from that,' said Allen. 'We had six good chances in the second half - you take those and it's game, set and match. I was disappointed that the players didn't get their rewards, but you have to respect a goalkeeper who makes saves like that,' the Leicester boss said, blowing out his cheeks.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was equally dismissive. 'I never read anything into pre-season games,' he said. 'I remember at Bournemouth we lost six of ours and ended up winning the league.'

The pre-season results may not matter, but one thing's for certain, Mandaric has friends at home and away. As the game entered its closing minutes, the Portsmouth fans let out a rousing chorus: 'Milan, there's only one Milan'. The Leicester faithful simply stood and applauded.

[Cal]

Morris recalled their first staff meeting when Allen laid down his working approach. 'He said: "You've heard of FIFA, well here it's going to be FIFO: fit in or f-off".

Haha

[Cat Burger]

Morris recalled their first staff meeting when Allen laid down his working approach. 'He said: "You've heard of FIFA, well here it's going to be FIFO: fit in or f-off".

Oh yes, there's plenty of room for comments like that in football, what a man.