Make yourself at home in Leicester, Sven

[davieG]

Decent article

http://www.just-football.com/2011/02/leicester-city-make-yourself-at-home-sven/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Just-football+(Just-Football)

Sven Goran Eriksson. Name ring a bell? He’s currently quietly going about the business of reviving a certain East Midlands outfit. David Cockcroft reports.

Saturday 16th October 2010 was a highly anticipated date on the football calendar of a Leicester Cityfan. This was to be the day former Leicester manager Nigel Pearson, the man handed the task of rebuilding the Foxes following the club’s first ever drop into the third tier of English football, would return to his successful managerial stomping ground.

Under Pearson’s direction Leicester almost made it back into the Premier League, a penalty shootout in Cardiff foiling their hopes of back-to-back promotions, and the former Middlesbrough captain could expect a warm welcome back to the Walkers Stadium regardless of his unexpected exit just four months earlier.

However, the anticipation of Pearson’s return was eclipsed as quickly as it takes a newly installed multi-million pound striker to fall out of the Manchester City first team, and all because of three little words.Sven Goran Eriksson.

The newly formed Paulo Sousa style of play wasn’t comprehended well at the Walkers Stadium and the 6-1 demolition at Fratton Park, in front of the Sky cameras to boot, was a nightmare Sousa never recovered from. The Leicester board seemed reluctant to allow him more time in redeeming the confidence Milan Mandaric had instilled in him back in the summer of 2010 and another manager left the East Midlands club, just three months after his predecessor Pearson.

Chris Powell and Mike Stowell took charge of the following home game against S****horpe United but neither their 3-1 win nor poetic naming was ever going to be enough to take the job on a permanent basis. Leicester’s newly installed Thai owners were thinking big and in football management they don’t come much bigger than England’s first foreign manager.

Saturday October 16th 2010 now had an alternative homecoming.

The Swede was appointed and another regime began in Leicester. The game against Hull City, which now saw a modest overcast reception for Nigel Pearson, finished 1-1 and this unbeaten home form in the Championship still remains at large today.

Eriksson has managed 11 Leicester games at the Walkers Stadium over three competitions. Only once has his team, and on this occasion it was a weakened team, been beaten during these 11 games, a 4-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion in the League Cup 4th round.

The remaining 10 fixtures, one that of course included high flying Manchester City in the FA Cup, have all ended with Leicester avoiding defeat.

Due to this unbeaten run of form in the league at the Walkers Stadium, Eriksson’s Leicester have rapidly moved up the Championship table and at the time of writing sit only 4 points outside the top six and a playoff place. From the 42 points accumulated thus far in the season, Eriksson is responsible for 34 of them, yet did not take up his post until after 10 league games in.

Where the heart is

Astoundingly over 60% of these 34 points achieved under Eriksson, have been done so whilst playing at the Walkers Stadium.

Good home form is imperative in order to achieve promotion to the Premier League. Last term, Newcastle United returned to the top flight at the first time of asking thanks to an unbeaten season at St James Park. The other two promoted clubs, West Bromwich Albion and Blackpool both only experienced four home defeats in the Championship from the 23 fixtures played.

It’s no coincidence. Good home form goes hand in hand with promotion.

This year’s surprise package in the English second tier has been the consistent form of Neil Warnock’s Queens Park Rangers, a side that have only lost all 3 points on just one occasion at Loftus Road so far. Widely tipped Nottingham Forest, who currently sit in 4th position with games in hand on all their opposing threats, are yet to taste defeat on home soil in the 2010/2011 League programme.

On this evidence, Leicester, a side that have only been beaten twice at home in the Championship themselves this season, both of course coming before the arrival of Eriksson, seem in good stead for a promotion charge.

The fans feel this team is good enough and the time is right for a return to the Premier League after a seven year absence.

In addition to this remarkable feat on home soil, Eriksson has also managed to attract an array of talent that have helped set the club up for a late play off push. Loan signings such as Yakubu and Kyle Naughton have been welcomed and highly approved by the Blue Army.

Leicester fans are under no illusions either and are fully aware that the quality of players arriving in the East Midlands is largely because of the lure the new manager has, a man that has a CV boasting positions at Benfica, Lazio, Manchester City and Mexico to name but a few.

These are exciting times at a club that has needed to re-establish itself over the past decade.

The dizzy heights Martin O’Neill took Leicester City too in the late 1990s was rapidly destroyed following his exit and it’s taken a long line of managers and playing personnel to get the club back to where O’Neill originally picked them up in 1996.

Eriksson now finds himself in that very position, on the brink of the top flight, but this time with money to spend. If this impressive home form is to continue, Leicester’s hopes and ambitions could soon start to become reality.

David Cockcroft is a regular contributor to Just Football. Follow him on Twitter @dcf_2009.

[StanSP]

We're getting some recognition, which is good. And it's no doubt Sven's arrival changed our fortunes. As you said, decent article to read - air of positivity now whenever Leicester mentioned

[Guest BlueBrett]

Astoundingly over 60% of these 34 points achieved under Eriksson, have been done so whilst playing at the Walkers Stadium.

Is it really uncommon for teams to amass the majority of their points at home?

Nice article though. I think many people in the media would like to see us win promotion this year purely because they are besotted by Sven and would love to scrutinise his perfromance week in week out in the Premier League.

[Haydos]

Is it really uncommon for teams to amass the majority of their points at home?

Nice article though. I think many people in the media would like to see us win promotion this year purely because they are besotted by Sven and would love to scrutinise his perfromance week in week out in the Premier League.

I was gonna point that out. It's astounding that the word 'astounding' is used to describe it. I would expect it to be more than that, maybe 65-70% tbh.

[Edmund]

From the 42 points accumulated thus far in the season, Eriksson is responsible for 34 of them, yet did not take up his post until after 10 league games in.

Says it all really. Sven and Faz have been nothing but first class since arriving.