The best Leicester City team,,, ever?

[LanguedocFox]

I'm coming up to my 56th anniversary as a City supporter - first match, against Grimsby Town, 26 January 1957 - so over the years I have seen some good City sides, and a lot of not-very-good ones.

In the 1960s, I watched the teams that Matt Gillies built, with players like Banks, Shilton, Dougan and McClintock, in the 1970s I watched Jimmy Bloomfield create sides with artists like Weller and Worthington, and in the 1990s I saw Martin O'Neill put together teams that actually won stuff (how good was that?) On the other hand, even these good City sides had weak spots that opposing sides could - and often did - expose with ease.

I live in France now, so I only get over to see a few matches each season, and I've only seen this current side on television. But it seems to me that we have an almost perfect mix of players - something that Gillies, Bloomfield and O'Neill never really had. With the addition of Wood, we have a fantastic strike force, to match a sublime midfield and a massively solid defence. Am I being overly optimistic, or is this potentially the best City side ever?

[KingPowerLCFC1884]

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[rico]

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[Happy Fox]

I'm coming up to my 56th anniversary as a City supporter - first match, against Grimsby Town, 26 January 1957 - so over the years I have seen some good City sides, and a lot of not-very-good ones.

In the 1960s, I watched the teams that Matt Gillies built, with players like Banks, Shilton, Dougan and McClintock, in the 1970s I watched Jimmy Bloomfield create sides with artists like Weller and Worthington, and in the 1990s I saw Martin O'Neill put together teams that actually won stuff (how good was that?) On the other hand, even these good City sides had weak spots that opposing sides could - and often did - expose with ease.

I live in France now, so I only get over to see a few matches each season, and I've only seen this current side on television. But it seems to me that we have an almost perfect mix of players - something that Gillies, Bloomfield and O'Neill never really had. With the addition of Wood, we have a fantastic strike force, to match a sublime midfield and a massively solid defence. Am I being overly optimistic, or is this potentially the best City side ever?

Calm down mate wait till we get promotion with this side and establish ourselves as a top 10 prem club if that happens then it will pretty close, to reaching the heights of MON, the former eras I cannot really talk about because I wasn't round then

[davieG]

Only time will. Big difference between this team and the others is the level we're playing at.

[Finnegan]

... we're fifth in the second tier...

[LanguedocFox]

Calm down mate wait till we get promotion with this side and establish ourselves as a top 10 prem club if that happens then it will pretty close, to reaching the heights of MON, the former eras I cannot really talk about because I wasn't round then

I did say "potentially".

Sure, we need to win stuff and get a regular top-ten Premier finish. But I just love the look of this side. Even if they are all young enough to be my grandchildren...

[Mark_w]

This is a joke... right?

[Happy Fox]

I did say "potentially".

Sure, we need to win stuff and get a regular top-ten Premier finish. But I just love the look of this side. Even if they are all young enough to be my grandchildren...

I concur with what you are saying certainly the team ethic and quality is the best we have had in some time and that is testament to NP.

[Captain...]

I did say "potentially".

Sure, we need to win stuff and get a regular top-ten Premier finish. But I just love the look of this side. Even if they are all young enough to be my grandchildren...

If we keep this team together and progress and make quality additions year on year in 5 years time when the likes of knocky, Marshall, drinky, James, Moore, Schlupp, waghorn, king, de laet, wood, are all around their peak then we will have one hell of a team, potentially the best ever, but at the moment it is nothing but potential, but managerial changes, selling our stars, or just players fading away could very easily prevent them reaching their potential as individuals and as a team.

[Father Ted]

I see where you are coming from.

I've said this before, we have a very good mix of young players that if we can hold on to for 2/3 years could progress into very good Premiership footballers.

Schmeichel (26) - young in Goalkeeper terms and has shown glimpses off excellence, part of the meanest Championship defence.

De Laet (24) - hardly put a foot wrong this season, can defend and attack.

Moore (19) - Has shown some mature performances for a 19 year old at right back and centre back. Has leadership qualities and built like a brick shithouse.

Schlupp (20) - Has also shown versatility, quick, strong, raw.

Drinkwater (22) - Midfield maestro playing like a 27-year old.

James (21) - Put in a couple of promising performances, if he could do this more consistently he has the potential to do well.

Knockaert (21) - Arsenal's been sniffing and not long until a few other Prem clubs are too.

Marshall (21) - Some excellent performances last season and has shown glimpses of that this season too. We all know he has great technique. Cracking future.

Wood (21) - Been somewhat of a Championship journeyman but has scored in numbers where ever he's been. Only 21 and settling down will do him the world of good.

King (24) - One of the more experienced 'young lads', has developed with us throughout the years and knows the club inside out. Could become a 1-club man I reckon. Legend in the making.

Waghorn (22) - Has shown some recent form to suggest he's got over his injury and fitness issues. Confidence will flow soon.

There's 11 players that could easily make up a core of players for the next 3/4/5 years and this is without a doubt a long term project from Pearson and I'm loving it.

[Dan LCFC]

It's nowhere near the best and I can confidently say that as even a 19 year old.

The potential is huge, some of the players at this club I'm proud to say are ours, but it's not close to being the best, yet.

The foundations couldn't be much better though - we've got plenty of youngsters, a very interesting mix of players and we play an attractive brand of football, there's more talented players with quality on the ball and less players with work rate over skill.

We've got some way to go but the potential of this squad excites me.

[smudger63]

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[dmayne7]

I agree that POTENTIALLY it is the best team we've had because there's a lot of talented youngsters in the squad as Father Ted has pointed out. They've been schooled at big clubs and have had the exposure to championship football.

Obviously, there's a long way to go before we reach the level these players are capable of and we'll likely have to accept that players like Knocky and Marshall may go onto bigger clubs before we can see it through but we'd be getting silly sums of money if they do go and that means that we'll be able to replace them.

Patience will be the key and as we all know, that's not something we're blessed with as a collective but if we give them the time needed to Flourish then they can certainly outdo the teams of yesteryear.

[kingfox]

Definitely not the best side ever.

[dpjfox]

Banks

Mills

Elliott

Walsh

Nish

Weller

Lennon

Parker

Glover

Worthington

Lineker

[shearfox]

Not the best side, however if a lot of the young players reach their potential and we manage to keep hold of them we could well have by far the best side since the 90's could even surpass it...

[foxfanazer]

Banks

Mills

Elliott

Walsh

Nish

Weller

Lennon

Parker

Glover

Worthington

Lineker

no izzet?

[Bert]

Finishing top ten in the premiership. That's our best side ever.

[foxaholic]

I'm coming up to my 56th anniversary as a City supporter - first match, against Grimsby Town, 26 January 1957 - so over the years I have seen some good City sides, and a lot of not-very-good ones.

In the 1960s, I watched the teams that Matt Gillies built, with players like Banks, Shilton, Dougan and McClintock, in the 1970s I watched Jimmy Bloomfield create sides with artists like Weller and Worthington, and in the 1990s I saw Martin O'Neill put together teams that actually won stuff (how good was that?) On the other hand, even these good City sides had weak spots that opposing sides could - and often did - expose with ease.

I live in France now, so I only get over to see a few matches each season, and I've only seen this current side on television. But it seems to me that we have an almost perfect mix of players - something that Gillies, Bloomfield and O'Neill never really had. With the addition of Wood, we have a fantastic strike force, to match a sublime midfield and a massively solid defence. Am I being overly optimistic, or is this potentially the best City side ever?

Not one would get in the side that nearly done the double in the sixties. Could you see thisside beat Man u 6-0

[Guest]

Definitely not the best side ever.

Alright then Mystic Meg

[Bilo]

The Gillies side that nearly won the double, the Bloomfield side that were the most entertaining team in England for three years or the MO'N side that afforded us so many trips to Wembley and took us to Europe twice. Not to mention having a World Cup winning goalkeeper and a 'keeper who'd go on to become England's most capped ever player.

This side has so much potential, but it has a lot to live up to. If however it can stay together and live up to its promise, we could be in for another MO'N style era.

[old koppite]

Has to be some of the early to mid 70s teams for me. A time when we had several international players in the team, had produced 2 of the best goalkeepers in the world ever, we were buying top players in their prime from other clubs and not always selling, were finishing top half of the highest league, and reaching finals and the late rounds of the FA Cup when it was the best club cup trophy in the world.

[Webbo]

If we only draw against Bristol City we'll be one of the worst ever again.

[cjslcfc]

A bit outrageous to say the best ever. As a team they've only been playing together this season!

The potential is unreal, and many of the players e.g Knockaert, Marshall, DD, James, De Laet, Schlupp, Waghorn, King, Moore etc have all shown glimpses of their future ability. If we can keep this team together, persist with the attacking football we have played for some of the season and, most importantly, keep the manager (he knows what he wants from his team, as shown by his signings, the football we play, the work ethic etc) then I am very optimistic for the next few years.

Technically, I would say it is one of the most talented teams I've seen us have (even though I'm only 19 and obviously haven't seen a lot of the teams of the past). But talent doesn't always brew success, and it's just as important to have a team ethic, everyone working for each other and not just resting on the laurels of ability.

If/when this team achieves something as important as a mid-high prem finish and maybe even a trophy (aka the MO'n era) then it can be considered as one of our better TEAMS.

For now I'd say we are very lucky to have the squad and manager we have. There are bags of potential in the players, and they are undoubtedly talented. Long way 'til as a team they have achieved anything though: 1st challenge - getting promotion!

(Also, a thread may have already been started before but looking at our squad who do you think has the ability/potential to make the step up to the prem. I'd say the majority)