A Different Point of View

[Dunc]

I was thinking about this over the weekend, and it made me feel a bit better about our pitiful season.

I'm 99% sure that we won't get relegated, I just can't see all the results going against us and us not picking up another couple of points over the next 5 games. In light of this I'm assuming we'll be in the same division next season.

With that in mind and looking to next season, I don't think Craig Levein will be too pissed off with how the season has turned out. I do think he arrived thinking our team was better than it clearly is, and that he had a chance of the play-offs, but by the New Year I think he'd already decided to build for next season as a Championship side and having finished as we are looking like we are going to(15/16th), there are a few fringe benefits to that IMO.

Now, if he'd brought in the 5/6 players he has done, and the team had improved drastically, almost got in the playoffs and were beating the likes of Wigan/Sunderland & Ipswich then most fans would be expecting us to get automatic promotion next season as a given.

With the team showing an general overall improvement in play if not results, most people I speak to seem to think anywhere near the playoffs next season will be a good return. Obviously the parachutes payments come into it, but the expectations of the fans won't be automatic promotion. This has been proven by Derby - a team of young players with the fans backing but little expectation and some shrewd signings to help them, finishing one point off relegation last season and looking like playoffs this season.

The other bonus for Levein is that for the first time since 1995 we've got a young local player who we can start to mould a team around. O'Neill saw that Heskey was a very good young player that was going to be at Leicester for 4-5 years, and bought players in to bring him along. I think that come next year Stearman will be starting at Centre Half and CL doing the same, buying players to fit in around the likes of Stearman, Hughes, Maybury etc.

I don't think CL thinks much of the standard in this division and with a pre season behind him, lower fans expectations, his players, some decent younger ones pushing through (O'Grady, Dawson, Weslowski, Stearman) he'll be feeling pretty confident next season and the doom & gloom fair weather merchants saying we're going backwards will be proved wrong.

 

[alex]

Brilliant post Dunc.

 

[homer]

Of course, all that changes if we don't beat Cardiff tomorrow night.........


A very different take on things, but I do not think that the (fickle bonehead) fans will be that forgiving

They may be prepared to write off this season and blame it on Adams/La Manga/Bassett/Mace/Henry etc. etc., but they will not let Levein off the hook that easily- the chorus of boos (not forgetting the appalling "you don't know what you're doing") on Saturday was a tragic precursor for next season if we do not get off to a decent start

I am convinced that they will hound him out if we are not in the top six by November/December. The expectations next year will be every bit as demanding as this. They might be worse, given the god-awful season this has been. They won't take it any more

The fans are revolting at the moment (in every way), and no prisoners will be taken if we are this shite again next year - I can guarantee it

 

[Han]

The fans are revolting at the moment (in every way), and no prisoners will be taken if we are this shite again next year - I can guarantee it

thats because most city fans are thick bastards and complete cocks

Fact

 

[Dunc]

Of course, all that changes if we don't beat Cardiff tomorrow night.........


A very different take on things, but I do not think that the (fickle bonehead) fans will be that forgiving

They may be prepared to write off this season and blame it on Adams/La Manga/Bassett/Mace/Henry etc. etc., but they will not let Levein off the hook that easily- the chorus of boos (not forgetting the appalling "you don't know what you're doing") on Saturday was a tragic precursor for next season if we do not get off to a decent start

I am convinced that they will hound him out if we are not in the top six by November/December. The expectations next year will be every bit as demanding as this. They might be worse, given the god-awful season this has been. They won't take it any more

The fans are revolting at the moment (in every way), and no prisoners will be taken if we are this shite again next year - I can guarantee it

I think the majority of fans will be optimistic about how we will do, but not expecting a great deal, and if they are then they are living in cloud cuckoo land.

If they do hound him out by November/December then what do they expect for that season? And if the next manager gets another years go and does similar what happens then?

We've got a bigger budget than Derby but we are in a similar position to them last year, a team of decent youngish players after discarding a load of old tripe. Its a rebuilding process, but I think if the team is a young team trying to play atttractive football, competing 100% and visibly improving I think the majority of Leicester fans will buy into that even if we are 10/11 by November (just as Derby were this season).

Its not imperative (ideal yes) to start blindingly in this league, most teams that make the playoffs over the past 2 years seem to be consistent but gradual build up momentum over the Xmas/New year period.

Fans have short memories but it only takes a look back to MON/Brian Little to see how quickly confidence can grow in a young/new team and how the fans can help them build and improve.

 

[homer]

Most rational people agree with that - but most rational people weren't on their feet screaming "You don't know what you're doing" when Tiatto went off on Saturday, were they ?
Tune in to RL tonight to hear another load of bollocks in a similar fashion

Pack mentality rules right now, and they will not stand for anything other than top six by Christmas (if not before)

 

[Dickovforengland!]

Dunc you are an oasis in the desert of miserable city fans and I really hope Homer is proved wrong. Maybe it is because even some of the strongest, most exotic ales the Swan has to offer could not numb the pain of watching us get outclassed by Wigan on Saturday but I think Homer is more likely to be nearer the mark.

 

[Durham Fox]

Most rational people agree with that - but most rational people weren't on their feet screaming "You don't know what you're doing" when Tiatto went off on Saturday, were they ?
Tune in to RL tonight to hear another load of bollocks in a similar fashion

Pack mentality rules right now, and they will not stand for anything other than top six by Christmas (if not before)

Have to agree with all of this. Until Leciester fans realise that the MON days were a freak and at best we are a yo-yo club we will have this ridiculous mentality that we should be playing in the top 10 of the premiership and anyone who cant deliver this in 12 months shouldnt be manager.

Its fookin crap and it was embarassing to be a Leicester fan on Saturday with the booing and chants. Have a word with yourselfs, this guy is trying to sort things out, hes been left a mess and he has already turned our playing style round in a matter of a few months. By the start of next season we should be a more cohesive unit which I think is our biggest issue at present.

However we may not see the rseults everyone wants until the second half of next season.

 

[highland fox]

Sadly a majority of the fans will want success next season and if CL doesn't get it he will be deemed shite etc.Others,myself included,are willing to wait 2-3 years for CL to build a side that will get us into the Premier and more importantly keep us there,in a Charlton mode maybe.I see what homer is saying,'time' is not a word a lot of City fans like.

 

[fitz]

after seeing what passed for the second best team in the league on saturday i am shocked anyone thinks we couldnt finish in an automatic promotion spot next season. did anyone seriously think that wigan looked better than most of the shi'ite we have seen at the walkers throughout the rest of the season? IMO they just worked harder as they felt they had something to play for

 

[homer]

They weren't particularly good - just well organised and well motivated

They won because we were completely and utterly shite in all departments

i am shocked anyone thinks we couldnt finish in an automatic promotion spot next season

People think that because, as previously stated, we are completely and utterly shite in all departments

 

[fitz]

but seemingly if we brought 2 or 3 players in who could be slightly organised it would elevate us above the rest of the division, like wigan are

 

[highland fox]

They weren't particularly good - just well organised and well motivated

They won because we were completely and utterly shite in all departments

i am shocked anyone thinks we couldnt finish in an automatic promotion spot next season

People think that because, as previously stated, we are completely and utterly shite in all departments

I might be reading this wrong homer but I get this feeling that you were a tad dissapointed with Saturdays performance ?

 

[Dunc]

but seemingly if we brought 2 or 3 players in who could be slightly organised it would elevate us above the rest of the division, like wigan are

The big difference is that they create a number of chances per game, most of which appear to be taken. The combined total of their usual strikeforce is nearly as many as we've scored all season.

 

[fitz]

i seriously didnt see them get many chances, we tried giving them loads but we managed to recover and got lucky, but other than that they didnt seem to carve much out

 

[Naughty Fox]

i seriously didnt see them get many chances, we tried giving them loads but we managed to recover and got lucky, but other than that they didnt seem to carve much out

IMO Wigan were probably the best team we have seen down here this season, organised, commited, pace up front and the biggest difference confidence.
When they got the ball and ran at our defence they ripped us to shreds and many a time we needed to foul to break the move down.
CL has got a hell of a job infront of him, but agree that given a bit more of a clear out, a pre season and new signings he has the right attitude to take us forward. It is a pity that alot of our 'fans' do not have the right attitude.
You will probably find that a majority of the boo boys (and girls) were brought up or first started following city in the MON days and only now have found out what following city is really like.

 

[Joe_Fox]

As they say, patience is a virtue.

Nevertheless, if we don't make the play-offs next year (hopefully in this league) then Levein will be out - simple as that.

 

[Steven]

Things cannot be as bad as some would portray it. After the OS is claiming record sales of season tickets. :roll: ;-) :mrgreen:

City Report Brisk Business

After only two weeks of sales, Leicester City have announced that season-ticket sales for the 2005/06 campaign are 30% ahead of the corresponding period last year.

The Blue Army have wasted little time in taking advantage of the club's innovative 'Early Bird' scheme and snapped up over 2,500 season-tickets for next season.

The scheme, launched on April 2, allows existing season-ticket holders to save up to 15% on the price of their season-ticket if they renew by the end of the month.

There has also been an unprecedented prize freeze for a third consecutive season.

City's Head of Football Administration Chris Tinbergen has been delighted with the early demand.

He said: "It is early days but we are currently way ahead of expectations.

"During the first two weeks of sales last year we sold in the region of 1,900 season-tickets.

"But we have already topped the 2,500 mark for next season and that can only help accelerate funds ahead of a summer of rebuilding for the management team."

 

[homer]

2,500 out of 16,000 is piss poor when you think that you get fifty quid off if you renew early

"During the first two weeks of sales last year we sold in the region of 1,900 season-tickets.

"But we have already topped the 2,500 mark for next season

1,900 renewed last year over the same period when there was no discount, we had just been relegated, had recently suffered the La Manga debacle, and all our best players were f*cking off

If I were TD, I would be very worried about these figures - very worried indeed

 

[Joe_Fox]

Uncle Tim doesn't get worried Homer. Whatever happens, he picks up his over-sized pay cheque (the amount I mean, not one of those massive novelty cheques ala children in need) and spends it all on tarting up his palace, either that or sniffing around Pete Doherty and watching snooker.