THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

FLYING FOXES

“LEICESTER ARE BECOMING LESS LIKE UNDERDOGS”

What do you do after pulling off one of the most remarkable feats in English football history? Sack the manager, of course. Claudio Ranieri lasted barely nine months at Leicester City after delivering the most impossible of Premier League titles in 2015-16, catapulting the club into a period of rebuilding despite the eyes of the world being thrust upon them. In the time it takes for a human baby to fully develop, Ranieri was out of a job, despite bestowing memories that will last a lifetime for any supporter of Leicester City. And indeed for millions of other football fans across the globe, and not just of clubs considered underdogs like the tenacious Foxes of that campaign. Craig Shakespeare took up the reigns and eventually ensured the champions finished 12th in 2017, but only lasted a couple of months in his first full season in charge. He was replaced by Claude Puel, who guided the Foxes to ninth place, before almost a year to the day after taking over, unimaginable tragedy struck. Leicester’s much-loved owner and chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, died alongside four others in a devastating helicopter crash on October 27, 2018. Shaking the footballing world to its core, the future of the Srivaddhanaprabha family’s involvement in Leicester City inevitably came into question. With Vichai’s son, Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha succeeding his father as chairman, Leicester’s fate would go one of two ways. Top appeared in little doubt his father would want the family’s commitment to continue, and the new Leicester began to rise from the ashes of the tragic crash. Indeed, the man currently taking his place in the dugout at the King Power Stadium, Brendan Rodgers, was appointed just four months after Vichai’s passing. Like his new club, the Northern Irishman was also in a period of rebuilding, following a spell in Scotland with Celtic. Rodgers needed to regroup and restore his reputation after falling agonisingly short of landing a first ever Premier League title for Liverpool in 2014. An excellent coach who built up a strong reputation for his attractive style of play at Swansea City, Rodgers gave up the chance to lead Celtic to a historic treble treble in order to make his Premier League return. So far, you’d have to say he’s been vindicated in that decision. Handed the keys to the castle in many ways, Rodgers oversaw the move to Leicester’s new state-of-the-art training ground, which opened in December. Symbolic of the legacy Vichai left behind, the worldclass facilities provide the Foxes squad with a thoroughly modern base befitting their current status and future aspirations. Rodgers has returned Leicester to the upper echelons of the Premier League, although the Foxes faded during the final weeks of last season to narrowly miss out on a place in this term’s Champions League. Things are looking promising this time round, and if lessons are learned from last season, Leicester should be

ABOVE (MAIN): Leicester's Daniel Amartey (L) celebrates with teammates after scoring the 2-1 lead during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton Hove Albion and Leicester City

ABOVE (SMALL): Brendan Rodgers is looking to take Leicester City back into the Champions League

BOTTOM RIGHT: Jarrod Bowen (2-R) of West Ham United celebrates with teammates after scoring the 3-0 goal during the English Premier League match between West Ham United and Leicester City

HAPPY HAMMERS

Winning the Premier League title is certainly not on the cards for West Ham. But finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season’s Champions League – likely at the expense of big clubs like Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal – would rank almost as highly as Leicester City’s stunning title triumph of 2016. Fourth after 30 games and daring to dream, David Moyes has deftly navigated this strangest of seasons in his second stint at West Ham. His first full campaign of this second spell will surely earn the Scot a renewal on his initial 18-month contract, with the Hammers surprising everyone through their continued charge for European football. Even qualifying for the Europa League would represent a major accomplishment for West Ham, who’ve probably benefited more than most from the lack of fans at their London Stadium home. While undoubtedly passionate, Irons supporters can turn their own ground into a cauldron of negativity when their teams isn’t playing how they want them to. With that pressure and often toxic atmosphere removed, not to mention the issues raised by the London Stadium’s suitability as a football venue in terms of acoustics and sight lines, West Ham have banded together in hugely impressive fashion. Only eight defeats in their opening 30 league games is a marked improvement on last season, when the Hammers had lost 17 matches at the same stage. The positivity is clear to see and has been personified by the form of Jesse Lingard. On loan from Manchester United, the England international has been playing with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. He’s scored a hatful of goals since joining West Ham at the end of January, including a brilliant solo effort against Wolves in early April. Lingard has almost appeared to be the final piece in the puzzle, linking West Ham’s attacking play to brilliant effect and contributing the goals and assists which have made up for the shortfall elsewhere. The Hammers don’t have the toughest of run-ins ahead of them, giving them a wonderful chance to secure European football. Leicester’s title success meant so many things to so many people, but one of the biggest things it did was open up the very real, tangible possibility that anything can happen in football. Even over the course of a 38-game season, pitted against the longest odds and biggest opponents. The greatest underdog story, arguably in sporting history, may well serve as a prelude to more teams finding a way to overcome the odds and deliver moments that last a lifetime.

able to close out the campaign and secure a place in the top four. Given the status of the clubs who would miss out, that would be some achievement. Interestingly, it may even take a points tally approaching their haul of 81 which secured them the title in 2016. That was a full 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal, with the two Manchester powerhouses both 15 points in Leicester’s wake. It’s been said that the title-winning Leicester City side represented something of an embodiment of their supporters. With body-on-the-line men like Robert Huth and underdog stories all over the pitch – not least in the form of Jamie Vardy – Ranieri’s team was packed with modern day cult heroes. Identifying with the underdog is easy for most people. However, becoming an elite footballer is not about being the underdog. It’s about beating the odds, being better than all the other kids in the academy, outperforming your team mates to get a place in the starting line-up. It’s about taking cut-throat decisions on contracts and transfers, bettering your career and maximising your potential. Being successful. Under Rodgers, it appears that Leicester are becoming less like underdogs. This is shown not only by the top-class facilities, but also in the changes we can see in the style of play. Although breaking at pace remains a key weapon, especially against the bigger teams in the league, Rodgers’ trademark passing game has been implemented at the King Power. It didn’t take long for the rest of the division to work out how to play against Leicester’s title winners. Ranieri failed to transition his team to becoming a more dominant, passing side, and we can see that in their results as champions. In 25 Premier League games under the Italian in 2016-17, the Foxes only managed five wins, losing 14 times. Ranieri’s reign ended in five straight defeats, with Leicester failing to score a single goal. In Rodgers’ first full season in charge, Leicester only lost six of their opening 25 league matches, winning 15. This term, their record was identical after their first 25 games. Even so, there has been clear and obvious progression. The challenge is to keep improving and to sustain it over the course of the whole season, a la 2015-16. A big part of Rodgers’ success has been to make Leicester less reliant on Vardy. James Maddison and Harvey Barnes have both had superb seasons, while Kelechi Iheanacho has rediscovered his scoring touch of late. Replacing N’Golo Kante has been nigh-on impossible, but Wilfred Ndidi has made a great fist of it, excelling alongside Youri Tielemans in central midfield. Greater solidity has helped the Foxes improve their results against the big teams, while Rodgers has shown himself capable of making subtle tactical switches within games to outfox Leicester’s opponents. Confidence has soared, and you get the feeling the Foxes feel like they’re capable of beating anyone on their day. Together with exemplary recruitment, noticeable player development and those wonderful training facilities, Leicester have the foundations in place for long-term success. Perhaps that will come under Rodgers, but even if it doesn’t, Leicester City are an attractive proposition for managers and players alike, and they look set to remain a fixture in the Premier League elite.

ABOVE LEFT James Maddisonc celebrating a goal

ABOVE RIGHT: Veteran striker Jamie Vardy has been ably assisted by younger talents James Maddison and Harvey Barnes

LEFT: Claudio Ranieri led Leicester City to the most improbable of Premier League title wins

BELOW: Leicester City’s new state-of-theart training ground makes the club an even more attractive proposition

LEICESTER'S MIRACLE

THE WORLD WAS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE IN 2016 AND IT IS EASY TO FORGET THE SCALE OF LEICESTER’S ACHIEVEMENT THAT YEAR. OLI COATES RECALLS HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE WAS WON…

Will there ever be a more incredible title triumph than Leicester City’s 2015-16 Premier League crown? An afterthought to win the league with odds of 5,000/1 across a host of major British bookmakers, Leicester became only the sixth different club to become champions in the Premier League era, after Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Given their status and budget compared to a host of other clubs in the English top flight, there never seemed to be any chance that Claudio Ranieri could pull off the impossible. Especially when you consider the fact that Leicester had only been back in the Premier League for one season, and finished 14th in 2014-15. The Foxes ended that campaign 46 points behind champions Chelsea. The following year, Leicester gathered 31 more points than the Blues, an astonishing swing of 77 points inconceivable in August 2015. So, just how did Ranieri do it? Firstly, the Italian manager had to win over his squad. Nigel Pearson was a big character to follow, and Ranieri arrived at a club in turmoil. He watched four days of pre-season training in Austria, and with new signings such as Christian Fuchs, Shinji Okazaki and N’Golo Kante to call on, Leicester started the season by going six games unbeaten. When Arsenal thumped them 5-2 at the King Power towards the end of September, you would’ve been laughed out of town if you’d predicted Leicester would be lifting the title in less than eight months. However, the Foxes only lost twice more all season, away to Liverpool and Arsenal, winning 23 of their 38 games to secure the league by a commanding 10 points. Ranieri refused to acknowledge his team as title contenders for the majority of the season, sticking to a philosophy of taking one game at a time. That’s easier said than done, but somehow Leicester’s players refused to buckle even as the pressure grew to unimaginable levels in the final weeks and months of the season. There’s no doubt the Foxes profited from a number of big clubs enduring below-par campaigns. Indeed, Leicester’s tally of 81 points remains the lowest since Manchester United amassed 80 in both 2000-01 and 201011. However, there was nothing fortunate or lucky about Leicester’s triumph. It was fully deserved, and featured standout victories over the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool, as well as a commanding 3-1 win away to Manchester City. Ranieri allowed his players to believe without allowing their dream to stifle performances, and the fast, fluid, counter-attacking football was so often a joy to behold. Impossible is nothing, after all.