Where did it all go wrong?

[Bilo]

Well that was devastating.

 

Easily the worst sixty seconds of my life as a Leicester City supporter.

 

It could, and perhaps should, have been so very different. We went to Peterborough in February chasing Cardiff all the way on the back of five successive wins, with a truly incredible goalscoring run to boot. At 1-0 up the Moys End erupted, and we looked certain to clinch a sixth straight win. 

 

The rest is history. 

 

That game seemed to mark a turning point. The nature of defeat to Peterborough seemed to hurt us badly and we were never really the same thereafter. We slumped from a side many thought had a real chance of catching Cardiff to a side that needed a last minute goal on the last day to clinch sixth place.

 

Some of it was rotten luck and silly mistakes. Nugent's last minute suicide tackle at home to Birmingham. Millwall's last minute winner. Cardiff's extremely luck last minute equaliser after we'd played them off the park. 

 

Some was just plain terrible. The 2-0 defeat to Barnsley. Dumped out of the cup at home to a Hudderfield side that were lucky to avoid relegation. 

 

How did we go from a side that scored 12 goals in 3 games in January to a side that struggled the way we did in the last few months of the season?

 

I believe the answer is inexperience. We have an experienced spine of the side in Morgan, King and Nugent but our policy of youthfulness is a double edged sword. When things are going well, we'll take teams apart. Ask Ipswich, Huddersfield and Bristol City. When they aren't, I feel the lack of mental toughness and the fragile confidence of players learning their trade is a handicap, not an insignificant one either.

 

So what do we need? 

 

Mission one is to keep Kasper. This is crucial as he has been the best 'keeper we've had since the days of Martin O'Neill.

 

The answer for me in terms of what else we need is leaders. We need players who aren't afraid to rough it up and get physical when it is needed. King, Drinkwater and James perhaps aren't those players. As good a game as King has had today, he often goes missing in physical encounters and the same can be said of Drinkwater and James. A latter day Robbie Savage is perhaps the order of the day. The likes of Gallagher and Wellens have had their day at Leicester City and should leave in the summer to help finance this vital move. Danns appeared to be that man at one stage but has had too many off days and appears to have found his level at Huddersfield. With Gallagher, Danns and Wellens' wages off the books we should look for this signing.

 

Defensively, we need a new left-back. Konchesky must be on serious wages and his best days appear to be behind him. Schlupp performs admirably there but he can't carry the load alone. St. Ledger will probably never play for us again, so we again need to look out for a replacement for him. Preferably on more realistic wages too.

 

Up front, it needs to be all change too. Vardy has never been good enough if we're honest, and Beckford has been poor value for money. Futacs has been worse still. With Kane returning to Tottenham, this would leave with two strikers good enough for the job with Blyth, Hopper and Panayioutou completely unproven. The relegation of Wolves should make the signing of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake a no brainer. Big, strong and capable of scoring 15 a season even in that dreadful Wolves side, he should be top of the list.

 

There are many positives to take from this season. We have a good, young team. There are certain teams in this division that will not fancy playing us one bit next season. The teams coming down from the Premiership may be flawed again as QPR badly need to balance the books, Reading continue to adjust to a new style and we'll have either have a Wigan side trying to balance European football with Championship fare or an utterly demoralised Aston Villa side. Big spending Cardiff are gone. Watford are either going up or will be forced into a new recruitment policy. 

 

Coming up from League One, we have sides in Doncaster and Bournemouth that are likely to consider survival to be the priority. Same applies to either Brentford or Yeovil. 

 

So next season; we're likely to see the Championship visited with a QPR side that will need to shed players left, right and centre to avoid administration, a Wigan side with a new manager trying to balance Europe with trips to Barnsley and three sides coming up from League One scrapping to stay in the division. Only Reading really hold any fear at this stage.

 

The situation is not hopeless for us. Far from it. Some of the big earners who will be leaving in the summer won't be missed. Gallagher, Wellens, Beckford, Danns and St. Ledger are not vital to our cause but will clear serious wedge from our wage budget, enabling us to bring in players more in line with the club's new direction. I'm not just talking about young players but players who've excelled at mediocre teams such as Ebanks-Blake, Olsson, Matt Phillips, Sako et al.

 

Do things the right way and we can turn this heartbreak into hunger. We just need to take advantage of our strengths, of which there are many, and overcome the weaknesses that saw us go from second to seventh in a few weeks. This won't be an easy or quick fix, I'm sure we'll see players we want to see stay go elsewhere and struggle to shift some of the dead wood, but there's no reason why we can't learn from this season and become a stronger team because of it.

 

Look at Cardiff as our inspiration now. They were hammered in the play-offs a year ago by West Ham and have just strolled the league. Sure, they spent like sailors on shore leave but that isn't always a guarantee of success. It's better to spend well than spend big. We have the nucleus of a league winning team here, I truly believe that having watched us stuff the likes of Ipswich and Derby, we just need to hone it.

 

This time next year we could be busily entering Old Trafford and the Emirates into our sat-navs.

 

Keep the faith.

 

 

 

 

[Kitchandro]

There were numerous errors, from managment staff and players.

 

Certainly the attitude went the wrong way around that time, we didn't arrest the mental slide, we fvcked up our tactics, and we didn't make the squad strong or balanced enough.

 

We just had too many shortcomings that we let get worse and worse. At first they were issues we could fix, then they became problems, then fatal weaknesses.

[Bilo]

There were numerous errors, from managment staff and players.

 

Certainly the attitude went the wrong way around that time, we didn't arrest the mental slide, we fvcked up our tactics, and we didn't make the squad strong or balanced enough.

 

We just had too many shortcomings that we let get worse and worse. At first they were issues we could fix, then they became problems, then fatal weaknesses.

 

A good point.

 

This was a failing of management too, the inability to address problems before they snowballed.

[harpendenfox]

Excellent thoughtful post Bilo. No point dwelling on this disappointment for too long. We will get there. I just hope we can have more games with atmosphere like the last few.

And whilst or team is not yet quite good enough, we have first class support

[red5]

End of last season when we never sacked np

[whoareyaaa]

Maybe it was a lack of experience, Maybe is was a mental thing due to us having one of the youngest squads in the Championship, Maybe it was just pure bad luck. (those 3 last minute goals).

 

Maybe it was bad tactics in certain games, Maybe it was a lack of clinical finishing we certainty created a lot of chances in those last 16 games.

 

At Christmas we was flying, playing some good football and had the best defensive record in football league.

 

10 points would have seen us grab automatic promotion.

 

Positives: we have a young squad, we don't have a huge wage bill. A few quality additions to the squad will see us challenging again next year... we have no divine right to get promoted.

 

The big question now is do we stick with the same man or bring in someone else.

[Matt]

January, well Feburary at a push.

[sdb]

You learn from your mistakes and we should come back stronger next season.

 

Young side, been through a lot this year. Use this pain to spur us on next season. 

 

I say this as I watch Man Utd lift the Prem trophy after the end they had to their season 12 months ago. 

[foxfanazer]

January, well Feburary at a push.

Well certainly not January as NP win manager of the month and Wood was banging goals in

[DMU Fox]

Well that was devastating.

 

Easily the worst sixty seconds of my life as a Leicester City supporter.

 

It could, and perhaps should, have been so very different. We went to Peterborough in February chasing Cardiff all the way on the back of five successive wins, with a truly incredible goalscoring run to boot. At 1-0 up the Moys End erupted, and we looked certain to clinch a sixth straight win. 

 

The rest is history. 

 

That game seemed to mark a turning point. The nature of defeat to Peterborough seemed to hurt us badly and we were never really the same thereafter. We slumped from a side many thought had a real chance of catching Cardiff to a side that needed a last minute goal on the last day to clinch sixth place.

 

Some of it was rotten luck and silly mistakes. Nugent's last minute suicide tackle at home to Birmingham. Millwall's last minute winner. Cardiff's extremely luck last minute equaliser after we'd played them off the park. 

 

Some was just plain terrible. The 2-0 defeat to Barnsley. Dumped out of the cup at home to a Hudderfield side that were lucky to avoid relegation. 

 

How did we go from a side that scored 12 goals in 3 games in January to a side that struggled the way we did in the last few months of the season?

 

I believe the answer is inexperience. We have an experienced spine of the side in Morgan, King and Nugent but our policy of youthfulness is a double edged sword. When things are going well, we'll take teams apart. Ask Ipswich, Huddersfield and Bristol City. When they aren't, I feel the lack of mental toughness and the fragile confidence of players learning their trade is a handicap, not an insignificant one either.

 

So what do we need? 

 

Mission one is to keep Kasper. This is crucial as he has been the best 'keeper we've had since the days of Martin O'Neill.

 

The answer for me in terms of what else we need is leaders. We need players who aren't afraid to rough it up and get physical when it is needed. King, Drinkwater and James perhaps aren't those players. As good a game as King has had today, he often goes missing in physical encounters and the same can be said of Drinkwater and James. A latter day Robbie Savage is perhaps the order of the day. The likes of Gallagher and Wellens have had their day at Leicester City and should leave in the summer to help finance this vital move. Danns appeared to be that man at one stage but has had too many off days and appears to have found his level at Huddersfield. With Gallagher, Danns and Wellens' wages off the books we should look for this signing.

 

Defensively, we need a new left-back. Konchesky must be on serious wages and his best days appear to be behind him. Schlupp performs admirably there but he can't carry the load alone. St. Ledger will probably never play for us again, so we again need to look out for a replacement for him. Preferably on more realistic wages too.

 

Up front, it needs to be all change too. Vardy has never been good enough if we're honest, and Beckford has been poor value for money. Futacs has been worse still. With Kane returning to Tottenham, this would leave with two strikers good enough for the job with Blyth, Hopper and Panayioutou completely unproven. The relegation of Wolves should make the signing of Sylvain Ebanks-Blake a no brainer. Big, strong and capable of scoring 15 a season even in that dreadful Wolves side, he should be top of the list.

 

There are many positives to take from this season. We have a good, young team. There are certain teams in this division that will not fancy playing us one bit next season. The teams coming down from the Premiership may be flawed again as QPR badly need to balance the books, Reading continue to adjust to a new style and we'll have either have a Wigan side trying to balance European football with Championship fare or an utterly demoralised Aston Villa side. Big spending Cardiff are gone. Watford are either going up or will be forced into a new recruitment policy. 

 

Coming up from League One, we have sides in Doncaster and Bournemouth that are likely to consider survival to be the priority. Same applies to either Brentford or Yeovil. 

 

So next season; we're likely to see the Championship visited with a QPR side that will need to shed players left, right and centre to avoid administration, a Wigan side with a new manager trying to balance Europe with trips to Barnsley and three sides coming up from League One scrapping to stay in the division. Only Reading really hold any fear at this stage.

 

The situation is not hopeless for us. Far from it. Some of the big earners who will be leaving in the summer won't be missed. Gallagher, Wellens, Beckford, Danns and St. Ledger are not vital to our cause but will clear serious wedge from our wage budget, enabling us to bring in players more in line with the club's new direction. I'm not just talking about young players but players who've excelled at mediocre teams such as Ebanks-Blake, Olsson, Matt Phillips, Sako et al.

 

Do things the right way and we can turn this heartbreak into hunger. We just need to take advantage of our strengths, of which there are many, and overcome the weaknesses that saw us go from second to seventh in a few weeks. This won't be an easy or quick fix, I'm sure we'll see players we want to see stay go elsewhere and struggle to shift some of the dead wood, but there's no reason why we can't learn from this season and become a stronger team because of it.

 

Look at Cardiff as our inspiration now. They were hammered in the play-offs a year ago by West Ham and have just strolled the league. Sure, they spent like sailors on shore leave but that isn't always a guarantee of success. It's better to spend well than spend big. We have the nucleus of a league winning team here, I truly believe that having watched us stuff the likes of Ipswich and Derby, we just need to hone it.

 

This time next year we could be busily entering Old Trafford and the Emirates into our sat-navs.

 

Keep the faith.

 

Spot on. Nailed everything on the head for me. I think management needs to take responsibility for not addressing the short comings that we had in our good spells,as well as in some games getting the tactics right. I think some of the players need to have a look at themselves too, some of their performances at times were embarrassing (Barnsley, Derby away for example).

 

However there are so many plus points from this season, we have improved so much from this time last year and progress is being made. We have a good future ahead of us & a few good signings later & we could be pushing for top 2. Stick with NP and we'll be fine.

[FoxesAreBlue]

End of last season when we never sacked np

Nice try.

[Matt]

Well certainly not January as NP win manager of the month and Wood was banging goals in

 

Ok, February, as I said.

[Col city fan]

Well where it seemed to go wrong was in the Cup fixture against the Udders.. We never truly picked up since then.

And for those people who, like Nige, were happy to give away the cups so cheaply, in favour of 'automatic promotion'... Hang yer heads.

That's laughable and I still haven't forgiven Pearson for doing this.

[Leicesterpool]

Leaving aside the play off game, where on earth do it go wrong from September to January we we're simply unstoppable, we couldn't stop scoring goals and the team looked to having the time of there life, but suddenly all came crashing down to a sudden Holt, for some reason we couldn't score and the team seemed to have lost confidence quickly. So how come? Too many players leaving the club?, players falling out?, the teams lack of confidence for the manager?, players played out of position?, lack of support from fans? or the pressure got to the team?

 

Myself I think it went wrong from that cup draw against Huddersfield, Pearson made far too many changes and i think it resulted in alot of players being unhappy, since then i think the problem as been with players and management. Looking at the team pre the forest game, the team looked for me to have lacked confidence. Pearson never seemed to have raised is troops to battle. For me the big problem with Pearson is, he never seems to encourage and lift the team enough. Pearson for me is a just simply a cold negative person and do you want somebody like that managing your team? I mean when was the last time he defended a player.

 

Lets hear your opinions on why it went wrong?

[Fox92]

Pressure and lack of confidence which led to horrid football at times, imo. I think it's not fair to say fallouts etc when we only see the external side of the club (how they perform and talk on the pitch).

[ADK]

The poor run of course.

 

Could easily have fished out another 10 points to see us in the auto's.

 

Still, there were a number of games in the season i felt we were the better side but we lost out by a goal to either lose or draw.

 

I think our finishing cost us at times and i think we conceded too many set pieces, despite our decent defensive record the only one you'd definately want to keep defensively would be Morgan. I think overall our midfield was our strongest point. I think squad depth is a major issue and was one of a few factors that led to our poor run. Even in the play off we had virtually no options on the bench where as Watford were able to bring in game changing players. Pearson tried to bring in fresh legs but those fresh legs were the likes of Wellens and Gallagher who simply don't seem good enough these days.

[HEGGSY]

February 9th 2013.

[LJS]

I don't think I'd ever felt so optimistic as I did going into that match at Peterborough. It was my first day of two weeks annual leave, we were in cracking form, and looking at our fixtures I thought we'd be solid in the top two and progressing in the cup. I'd have laughed at you if you'd told me how it was all going to end.

Never mind. It doesn't matter, not really. The club is still here and we finished sixth, not sixth from bottom. We go again next year. The only depressing thing is the ten week gap before it all starts again.

[Jiggers the Fox]

I think Peterborough was probably a turning point. Ridiculous to think we didn't concede one goal after 80 minutes up until then. God knows how many late goals we conceded after this game!

[crisp monster]

Surprised ADK thinks our midfield has been our strongest point.

I think our away record all season would suggest otherwise.

[seenitall]

I don't think I'd ever felt so optimistic as I did going into that match at Peterborough. It was my first day of two weeks annual leave, we were in cracking form, and looking at our fixtures I thought we'd be solid in the top two and progressing in the cup. I'd have laughed at you if you'd told me how it was all going to end.

Never mind. It doesn't matter, not really. The club is still here and we finished sixth, not sixth from bottom. We go again next year. The only depressing thing is the ten week gap before it all starts again.

Acceptance of this is the reason we stay mediocre - until 3 or four years ago this attitude would not have been tolerated - fans used to protest outside the ground over shite like this.....come on City fans, don't you want the glory, don't you want to see talented players both in our opponents and for our own team - remember when we had England players (3 at one time when I was young) when our managers were coveted by Premier league teams, when players like Walsh, Lennon, Izzet, Cottee (nicking a winner at Man Utd FFS), even Lineker, Heskey, Smith, McAllister played for us....we are still Leicester City with bigger gates than half the current Premier League teams.......Come On You Blues fight for some respect - Watford my arse, we used to shit teams like them

[LJS]

Acceptance of this is the reason we stay mediocre - until 3 or four years ago this attitude would not have been tolerated - fans used to protest outside the ground over shite like this.....come on City fans, don't you want the glory, don't you want to see talented players both in our opponents and for our own team - remember when we had England players (3 at one time when I was young) when our managers were coveted by Premier league teams, when players like Walsh, Lennon, Izzet, Cottee (nicking a winner at Man Utd FFS), even Lineker, Heskey, Smith, McAllister played for us....we are still Leicester City with bigger gates than half the current Premier League teams.......Come On You Blues fight for some respect - Watford my arse, we used to shit teams like them

You're taking it the wrong way. Clearly I'd rather we finished higher but I was talking about how little it matters in the grand scheme of things. It's football, that's all. The summer is around the corner, holidays are fast approaching. Life is good. We can do the 'worrying about a game' stuff all over again in August. I don't know about you but I won't be spendig the summer months in a bad mood because my football team didn't get promoted.

[whoareyaaa]

Acceptance of this is the reason we stay mediocre - until 3 or four years ago this attitude would not have been tolerated - fans used to protest outside the ground over shite like this.....come on City fans, don't you want the glory, don't you want to see talented players both in our opponents and for our own team - remember when we had England players (3 at one time when I was young) when our managers were coveted by Premier league teams, when players like Walsh, Lennon, Izzet, Cottee (nicking a winner at Man Utd FFS), even Lineker, Heskey, Smith, McAllister played for us....we are still Leicester City with bigger gates than half the current Premier League teams.......Come On You Blues fight for some respect - Watford my arse, we used to shit teams like them

 

that was about 15 years ago, we don't have any divine right to be in the Prem like you seem to think, We have to earn that right by building a team which is capable of going up and staying up and that won't happen when you're swapping managers and squads every single season.

 

Your living in the past mate. get real.

[seenitall]

that was about 15 years ago, we don't have any divine right to be in the Prem like you seem to think, We have to earn that right by building a team which is capable of going up and staying up and I think that is what Pearson is trying to do.

 

Your living in the past mate. get real.

Glad it amuses you - his team is not capable of going up and as for staying up I guess we'll never know - you're supporting the wrong team me old China, us old fvckers remember what it is like to support a team and players you can be proud of.........not this shower of reserves from Prem teams managed by an over rated Barnsley manager

[Corky]

What's surprising and confusing is that we were far better defensively when playing our attacking, attractive football up until January, yet since changing our style to be more defensive the defence has leaked goals at an alarming rate.