In my opinion Ashov there are only a very few footballers who deserve to be Leicester Legends (although the use of the word legend in most cases is incorrect as you only call someone that after they're dead) and those are people like Lineker, Birch (yes, Birch), Heskey, Muzzy... players that actually appear to have given a crap about our club. Dickov isn't one of those, he could be, but he's not yet and if he leaves he'll just join the long list of footballers who left when they decided they were too good for us.
I find most of your points farcical. 'he stayed with us when we went down' where else would he have gone at that point? No-one else wanted him. '[he] helped us come back into the big time' so did Rogers and yet I don't see anyone here praising him. If Dickov is allowed to change his allegiance in moments why aren't we? You say some people two-faced for slagging Dickov off now that he's looking to leave, what about Dickov's hypocrisy? He stands in front of 30 thousand fans and tells them he's staying, then goes talking to other clubs.
Don't use the excuse of his age as a reason for him to leave, if Southend offered him 20k a week he'd go there. At the end of it all its just a job for Dickov, he doesn't care about us, he cares about money. No he shouldn't be demonised by us but lets not call him a legend if he deserts us either.
I could not agree with you more - That's probably the longest message I've even seen you post you mysterious thing.
I know he hasn't left yet, but it's a matter of when he departs, not if IMO. As Leigh said, first of all he tells 30k fans he's staying, then from what I've heard, he's been telling fans on an individual basis that he is staying. So, by talking to these clubs, he is indeed being a hypocrite. At the same time, he's treated us, the supporters, with a total lack of respect by saying he will stay, then talking to other clubs.
Dickov surely knows he will not be a regular wherever he goes, however, it seems an attractive option to go to a Premiership club, where he will be earning a higher wage, for less work. I suppose you can't blame him for that, but then that just shows how shallow he is for doing such a thing. (Although we shouldn't be surprised as it's a common theme for footballers)
If Dickov really loved it at Leicester, and loved playing football, he wouldn't be interested in talking to other clubs. The simple fact is, he is prepared to leave us at a time we need him most. He is loved by the supporters, he's guaranteed first team football, and there is a strong chance he could be playing Premiership football in 2005 if he stays with us. Teams like Everton, Blackburn, Pompey and West Brom are all relegation candidates, and they could well be relegated next season. Then, he could be back in the same position again (in Division 1), but without the guarantee of first team football, and a lack of options in terms of moving elsewhere.
Sadly though, I think it will boil down to money. I wouldn't have been so bothered if he didn't offer any promises of staying, but he has, and he's metaphorically f*cked the supporters over by looking to leave. If I was in a position where I was offered a job of higher wages, then depending on circumstances, I would accept it. But football is no ordinary job, and the comparison to every day jobs are made to easily. We, as supporters, expect a bit of loyalty from players who are contracted to us. We pay their wages, we support them every week, but we always get the rough end of the deal. We're entitled to feel aggrieved over this. I know La Manga has been mentioned in terms of how we supported him. And yes, the counter argument is that Sinclair and Gillespie have been released, but that was based on football/financial reasons, it doesn't mean we're wrong in releasing with regards to not being loyal to them. Dickov is different - He is contracted to us, he is key to our plans, and I suppose he has a moral obligation to stay with us after what he's put this club through. The club has been tarred with the La Manga incident, irrespective of the outcome, and he was partly responsible for this.
By the leaving this club, he's sticking 2 fingers up at us.
