Reality Check.

[Deucalion]

We are now promoted to the Premier League in case anybody had not noticed.

 

To be competitive in the PL we are going to need to fund a PL team.  This means we may have to spend some big figures on transfer fees and offer players lucrative contracts to persuade them to come in the first place.  

 

As someone who used to be infuriated with the powers that be never investing in the club and wanting to run it on the cheap, having owners prepared to invest is a dream come true.  Does anyone really want to go back to the days when our record transfer was £350 000???

 

With investment comes risk.  While I want our owners to make a decent fist of our PL challenge, it has to be at the back of everyone's minds that sometimes things don't go to plan.  However, I trust our owners and management team to ensure that any PL sized contracts handed out have clauses to insure the club against relegation.

 

In other words, we can stop scrutinising every penny spent and just enjoy the new era which I believe is dawning at Leicester City !!

 

   

[WhispyWizard]

I don't necessarily agree that we have to spend big, the squad at the moment got us 102 points in the Championship and will be buzzing to do well next season.

 

I do agree that we will haveto pay a substantial amount more in wages now, but that goes for the players that got us promoted as well. This is why i question it when people think £40k is too much for Schmeichel.

 

Yes we will need a few players, but going out and splashing the cash isn't Pearsons style, he'd rather have the up and coming Luke Shaws and Barkleys before they break through. Its a risky strategy, but one that has paid off this season with a reletivly young and settled squad.

 

I personally don't think we will spend any more than £5m on any single player this transfer window, it would be very unlike Pearson to pour all his eggs into 1 basket.

[johnny the fox]

Many a mickle makes a muckle ..

[foxile5]

Unfortunately being a Premier League team for the forseeable will require a Premier League budget.

 

It seems madness that we should sign Kasper on a £40,000 p/w contract but that represents value for money in the Premier League. I am old enough to have had several top flight season tickets at Filber Street. I don't remember people panicing about when we were paying the likes of Muzzy, Lenny and co £25,000 plus a week. They were worth that as they contributed to keeping us in the top flight. Fast forward 10 - 15 years and inflation, over payment etc etc has resulted in a Premier League keeper being worth £40,000 a week. It seems a lot, but it isn't if it keeps us up there.

 

We should be mindful of not splashing the cash willy nilly, Svennis anyone?, but also keep in mind that our owners are billionaires who have absolved our debt. It is their money and they are going to spend it as they see fit, which is fine by me.

[Fox92]

There are two ways to look at it though. We all know promoted teams have to spend to compete, but you can be safe (which I think Nige will be like) or just buy loads of players.

Look at QPR. They came up and brought 13/14 players. That was always going to be a disaster. On the other hand, look at the success Hull have had this season (which I hope we can replicate) and Bruce didn't go crazy he just added simple positions, several players.

[connorlcfc]

i totally agree, the squad we have now may have been good enough for the championship but it is far off prem standards if you ask me, when we played man city, yes i know they are a very good team and we werent going to win but seriously all the players looked scared to death of sticking a foot out, and especially drinkwater in that game i found he wondered too much and he was scared to tackle any of their players, we have GOT to spend at least £15 million on a few players we could do with 1 maybe 2 new strikers , a couple of midfielders, a new left back and maybe 1 or 2 center backs as well, i know most people think that we shouldnt change the squad all that much but to stand a chance we need to make some serious investments this season

[cc_star]

i totally agree, the squad we have now may have been good enough for the championship but it is far off prem standards if you ask me, when we played man city, yes i know they are a very good team and we werent going to win but seriously all the players looked scared to death of sticking a foot out, and especially drinkwater in that game i found he wondered too much and he was scared to tackle any of their players, we have GOT to spend at least £15 million on a few players we could do with 1 maybe 2 new strikers , a couple of midfielders, a new left back and maybe 1 or 2 center backs as well, i know most people think that we shouldnt change the squad all that much but to stand a chance we need to make some serious investments this season

I don't know about how much we should spend as I don't think it's relevant when you look at players like Mahrez etc, but we need a piece of Premier League class or two. Hull's signing of Huddlestone etc was critical in them never being involved in relegation fight.

Saying that, we are a much better team than Hull (& Cardiff) were, with excellent players at the right age to progress in Drinkwater, James, De Laet, Knocky etc... And in Mahrez could have already signed our 'difference maker'

I think we need a CB, CDM & pacey winger.

Taking chances from setpieces & breaking with pace will be critical to survival as we won't have overwhelming possession in opponent's half in the top flight which contributed to us having greater number of chances

[The Horse's Mouth]

After the Sven era, the spend big thing can **** off.

[Deucalion]

I'm not suggesting spending on every out of contract has-been in a scattergun approach to transfers.

 

But I'm totally comfortable with a few choice and expensive signings and existing players getting contracts to match the division they will be playing in, with the caveat that they are free or take a cut if we are relegated.

 

After the over-exuberance of the Sven years, people needed to check their expectations of what we would spend and favour frugality. But...the sea has again changed, and we will have to splash to some extent to have a fighting chance.  In fact, we are very lucky we are able to.

 

So...we again need to remodulate our expectations...this time upwards !!

[Guest ttfn]

I think we've already got enough to stay up. The signings we make are those which turn us from being good enough to stay up to comfortably staying up (as somebody else has said, a Huddlestone-level player).

[Col city fan]

I don't know about how much we should spend as I don't think it's relevant when you look at players like Mahrez etc, but we need a piece of Premier League class or two. Hull's signing of Huddlestone etc was critical in them never being involved in relegation fight.

Saying that, we are a much better team than Hull (& Cardiff) were, with excellent players at the right age to progress in Drinkwater, James, De Laet, Knocky etc... And in Mahrez could have already signed our 'difference maker'

I think we need a CB, CDM & pacey winger.

Taking chances from setpieces & breaking with pace will be critical to survival as we won't have overwhelming possession in opponent's half in the top flight which contributed to us having greater number of chances

Excellent post. I find myself agreeing totally.

We have the makings of a squad who can compete. A couple or three key signings and I think we'll be ok.

It's about CONFIDENCE. If we start well, we should be fine. If we don't it could be a long ol season.

That's why the fixture list could be crucial.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

Excellent post. I find myself agreeing totally.

We have the makings of a squad who can compete. A couple or three key signings and I think we'll be ok.

It's about CONFIDENCE. If we start well, we should be fine. If we don't it could be a long ol season.

That's why the fixture list could be crucial.

Not necessarily, lots of teams start season well then nose-dive. We could start terribly then go on a 10 game unbeaten run towards the end of the season which sees us go from bottom 3 to mid-table. Happens quite often in the PL and is why I won't panic if we don't win in the first few matches, and why I won't get ahead of myself if we're top of the table 10 matches in

Having said that, if we have a run-in like Norwich's this season and are bottom at Christmas I don't think I'd hold too much hope!

[MPH]

With a bigger budget comes a different kind of player... With more wages to offer there becomes the possibility of people wanting to come to Leicester for money so Nige and his team will have to be on guard..

I think Nige needs to stick to his policy of looking for young hungry players with a point to prove although we'll be looking in the class above this year obviously.

[crisp packet]

We are now promoted to the Premier League in case anybody had not noticed.

To be competitive in the PL we are going to need to fund a PL team. This means we may have to spend some big figures on transfer fees and offer players lucrative contracts to persuade them to come in the first place.

As someone who used to be infuriated with the powers that be never investing in the club and wanting to run it on the cheap, having owners prepared to invest is a dream come true. Does anyone really want to go back to the days when our record transfer was £350 000???

With investment comes risk. While I want our owners to make a decent fist of our PL challenge, it has to be at the back of everyone's minds that sometimes things don't go to plan. However, I trust our owners and management team to ensure that any PL sized contracts handed out have clauses to insure the club against relegation.

In other words, we can stop scrutinising every penny spent and just enjoy the new era which I believe is dawning at Leicester City !!

Good post.

I agree totally, I was around for all our premier league years. In 2000 I'd say the average prem player was on 20k a week. Lennon, muzzy Elliot etc was on 30k + although it didn't end well.

We was at filbo in then days playing in front of crowds if 17-19 k and building a new ground?

We now will be playing in front of 30k every week with owners who have money if needed .

Personally I would like to see our younger players all tied up on longer contracts and let them progress as a team together ?

I hope we but quality REAL QUALITY to add to this already promising group. But real quality cost £££ real money.

Under Sven we had no plan, no direction . Sven thought he was building a championship representative squad 2x players for every position. But didn't have a clue what formation to put all these square pegs into ... Clueless !!!!!

Pearson Walsh and shakey are a different ball game.

This season we have used 23 players of the 18 in match day squads I'd say your GTF, hammonds etc will become your players18-25 in the squad .

We need 4 quality players to add to the starting goup for me ? A dominating centre half ,an attacking midfielder another wide player left footed. A new centre forward all of real quality which cost lots and lots of pound notes in fees and wages . But this isn't the same Leicester city!!!!

Coyb

[bluebeau]

I think it's a certainty that NP will not bring any big name Charlies to the football club. I can see him bringing in some fairly unknown foreign players & some good young British players with big potential. Steve Walsh & the scouting staff will unearth some diamonds.

 

Did any of you guys see Fleetwood v York on Sky last night? I was impressed with the young blonde haired wide player that was named MOM, Pringle or something like that?

 

I would like to see him signed for City if he plays like that on a regular basis. He put in some terrific crosses & has got pace.

 

There must be some decent young players in the lower leagues that are capable of stepping up, e.g. Muzzy, Lennon, Savage, Vardy etc etc.

[Bettsj2]

Sven had the right idea. Spend BIG. If he'd have been given more time, he'd have got that squad rocking.

NP needs to get in the game or we'll be down by Easter. Spend, spend, SPEND!!!!!

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I think we've already got enough to stay up. The signings we make are those which turn us from being good enough to stay up to comfortably staying up (as somebody else has said, a Huddlestone-level player).

We are not good enough to survive in the Premiership, with our current squad. Even bringing in quality players will not guarantee our safety. There is a massive gap between it, and the Championship.

 

Some people are living in cuckoo land.

 

When N.P. brings in players, I believe they will fit in and keep us safe, so that we have a foundation to build on, over the next few years.

[Happy Fox]

We are not good enough to survive in the Premiership, with our current squad. Even bringing in quality players will not guarantee our safety. There is a massive gap between it, and the Championship.

 

Some people are living in cuckoo land.

 

When N.P. brings in players, I believe they will fit in and keep us safe, so that we have a foundation to build on, over the next few years.

 

A team that has romped title with 102 points isn't good enough to survive are you having a laugh! There isn't really a massive gap as their once was.

 

I think we will do well next season, teams in the past that have won the championship with 100 points plus, have finished in the prem respectively Reading 8th, Newcastle 12th and Fulham 14th.

 

No reason why we cannot finish somewhere between 11th-15th.

[LCFCCKEANO]

Quality isnt always = to money, id say we need a prem quality lb,cb,cdm,winger,st but it doesnt matter on price, they just need to be the right standard

[Bob Weasel Fox]

I think signing players with the right heart and determination along with a smattering of quality will see us do ok next season

[Agent Fox]

It's fun spending big but do we need to? We have players of similar quality and if not better than this list who currently play in the Premier League:

Stephen Quinn

Matty Fryatt

Alex Bruce

Gareth McAuley

Billy Jones

George Boyd

Paul McShane

Victor Anichebe

Matthew Etherington

Andy Wilkinson

Hugo Rodallega

Matt Taylor

Ricardo Vaz Te

Cameron Jerome

Glenn Murray...

The list goes on...

[Dan LCFC]

Given our track record as a club when spending big I think it's only natural to be a bit concerned.

 

We've always done better when spending less. Just seems to be our way.

 

But I agree, maybe a new era has hit this club.

[ScouseFox]

A team that has romped title with 102 points isn't good enough to survive are you having a laugh! There isn't really a massive gap as their once was.

I think we will do well next season, teams in the past that have won the championship with 100 points plus, have finished in the prem respectively Reading 8th, Newcastle 12th and Fulham 14th.

No reason why we cannot finish somewhere between 11th-15th.

There is no big gap. Of the three teams who went up before us, 2 have comfortably seen off relegation and if it wasn't for some hilariously bad mismanagement and shenanigans behind the scenes the third could've given it a better go. None of those teams were even close to being as good as we are at the moment when they went up either.

edit I'm tired an quoted the wrong post sorry happy fox that was meant to be in response to the post you responded to whoops.

[1972 Fox]

Sven had the right idea. Spend BIG. If he'd have been given more time, he'd have got that squad rocking.

NP needs to get in the game or we'll be down by Easter. Spend, spend, SPEND!!!!!

Ludicrous statement.

NP will be fully aware that we need strengthen but he will do it in his normal calm and measured way. I for one trust his approach and will be happy to let him and his backroom team decide who are the right players to bring in.

[Banks]

Need a new central midfielder (Tom Huddlestone or Jake Livermore) if either Drinkwater or James get injured, we don't really want to be relying on the likes of Hammond or King..