My preview for the season

[One Arm Babba]

Ok, So stay with me. I've had a cold all week, so got stuck in to the hot whisky when I got home and I'm a little fuzzy now.

I'm well excited that the season starts tonight, I know we have to wait until tomorrow but its still like Christmas already for me. One more sleep and a lie in and I'll hopefully get 3 pts for breakfast.

I wanted to write a few things that don't come easy for a Leicester fan of (counts on fingers and toes) 21 years!*** We find ourselves in a very unlikely position and certainly one we are not used to. If someone would have said to me in 2002, that in less than 10 years time you will be the favorites to win the league and the richest club in the division. I would have told them to get bent and ring the towers to see if a patient had escaped. But, that is the position we are in. We are the favorites, well at least joint with West Ham. I could see the odds shifting slightly if we sign Long or Maynard. The money we are spending is brilliant. When did a Championship team last spend the kind of money we are? I know the transfer fees only account for £9million (Only!?!) but, the signing fees and wages along with the prospective Long/Maynard/Jong deals means that by the time this window closes, we would have spent nearly £20million!!! We can all agree that we needed new faces, I think Sven and his management team have done a phenomenal job in identifying the players that they need to achieve promotion. Every signing for me is a good fit, and after seeing a little bit of them in pre-season and against Real Madrid I am.... Confident.

We're used to being the underdog, it suits us. We are Leicester, we don't care. Yet overnight we have to deal with a whole new lot of stigmas that none of us have had before unless we switched allegiances. I've never felt confident before? It's strange, yet, quite nice. I know what failure feels like so I won't allow myself to get carried away. I am a Leicester fan after all...

Still, every time I try and look for the negatives or the reality pill this wave of confidence comes over me. We have a great first team squad (minus 1 jewel in its crown), a fantastic pitch and stadium, the best manager in the division hands down and the shrewdest owners I've seen in football for a long time and last but no means least - the best supporters.

I can't wait to get back to England for a game or two. I hope all that are going tomorrow have a cracking day and get the result to start the season in the right way.

I really think this year is our time. I think we can live with the favorites tag, we can succeed.

WE CAN!!!

***Disclaimer - I dont have 21 digits

[ta-fc]

good read pal, I have to admit I'm pretty excited about the forthcoming season but also have that tiny bit of dread creeping in that this could all blow up in our faces maybe its cause were there to be shot at or maybe its just the Leicester fan's natural defence in case of failure... Roll on the season and roll on promotion (fingers crossed)

[ian_marshall]

Well written! As I watch the Hull v Blackpool game it's apparent how far the team has come. Most people on this forum were up in arms when Pearson left and some claim we've yet to have a better manager.

Initially I thought Hull had bought well in the summer and would be a side really looking to push on and have a go this season. But the more I watch of this game it's apparent that just like the side Nigel assembled at Leicester their team is a mix of journeymen and talented but highly inexperienced players with little depth to the squad. I'm sure over the course of the season they will be there or thereabouts.

However when I draw comparison between them and ourselves, the difference in quality, strength in depth and championship experience is enormous.

Judging by the way Blackpool are making hard work of this above average championship side makes me think that if these two teams are considered to be two of the stronger teams in this division, then surely we stand a very good chance of finishing in the top two this season.

Under Sven we've made great progress looking well organised as a unit and playing some very good attractive football in the process; something which I feel a lot of championship clubs will struggle to contain this season. On the basis of tonights game I really don't envisage many problems ahead going into the new season.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Be careful not to draw to many conclusions too early. In truth we can all guess where we are at, but in reality no one knows much until balls are kicked in anger.

This club always enjoys a rollercoaster ride and I'm not expecting any different this season, in fact I positively embrace it.

On paper, we look ok but it may only take a broken leg, internal turmoil, a loss of confidence or a mixture of all 3 to de-rail what many both fans and onlookers consider to be a certain promotion push.

Time will indeed only tell, but may I say 'middlesborough under strachen' in an attempt to provide another double shot of pessimism so that we the Leicester fans can go back to being that way - anything different doesn't really suit us.

[ian_marshall]

Be careful not to draw to many conclusions too early. In truth we can all guess where we are at, but in reality no one knows much until balls are kicked in anger.

This club always enjoys a rollercoaster ride and I'm not expecting any different this season, in fact I positively embrace it.

On paper, we look ok but it may only take a broken leg, internal turmoil, a loss of confidence or a mixture of all 3 to de-rail what many both fans and onlookers consider to be a certain promotion push.

Time will indeed only tell, but may I say 'middlesborough under strachen' in an attempt to provide another double shot of pessimism so that we the Leicester fans can go back to being that way - anything different doesn't really suit us.

I have to agree that we shouldn't get carried away so early in what will inevitably be a very long season with a mixture of highs and lows. Furthermore I also agree that football isn't played on paper and other factors will indeed influence our season.

However, with the exception of our strikers we now have virtually 2 teams we could field so injuries, suspensions and form shouldn't be an excuse as the quality we have in terms of depth is very high and If Sven broke the squad into two teams I would feel confident that whichever team he chose to play has enough championship experience to hold their own against the majority of sides in this league. This is in my opinion is where we have a clear advantage over virtually every team with the exception of West Ham and possibly Ipswich. Blackpool, Birmingham, Hull, Forest, Cardiff, Reading all have extremely strong first elevens, but do not have the strength in depth to maintain a push for the top two. Even with a lucky injury free season and few suspensions those mentioned above would most likely still experience a lull in form at some point which would make it difficult to ascertain a top two spot as their reserves are average players at best and would struggle to maintain any momentum of form.

Please don't see this as a personal attack on your opinion as I fully appreciate other peoples views and objections as it breeds healthy discussion. However, I do feel that it is unfair to draw comparisons between ourselves and Middlesbrough. The reason I say this, is that Middlesbrough spent lots of money on players who were not proven in the Chamionship. Virtually all of their players came from the SPL and as we Foxes fans have experienced over the years, players who've proven themselves in Scotland's top flight, despite a few exceptions, generally really struggle to adapt to life in the Championship. By comparison we have invested in players who not only have a wealth of experience playing in this league but also were deemed by many to be some of the top players in this division. The players we've brought in from outside of the Championship with the exception of Peltier are experienced Premier League players so know what the English game is all about, arguably have a higher fitness level than most Championship players and certainly have a higher degree of technical ability. Subsequently, that is why I do not see us going down the same path that Middlesbrough. In the unlikely event that we were to struggle for whatever reason, I have faith in the owners that they have the financial capability and desire to invest further if it looks as though things aren't going to plan.