Brauny Blue
Active Member
With our championship life ebbing away, i thought i'd have a look at what might be in store for us.
Life in League 1
Iain Holloway
With Ollie struggling to make any impact since his arrival, the pressure is obviously really on him. If we start next season in league 1, then i rate his chances of being manager for the opening game at probaly less than 50-50. If he is still in charge then the opening few games will be crucial to his future at the club. A mediocre start in the first 5-6 games will surely be the end of him.
Milan Mandaric
Milan will certainly have some very tough decisions to make if we go down . Nobody knows what or if any funds Milan has left. Sacking Ollie will surely mean yet another drain on funds in terms of compensation. Milan also knows that selling season tickets for a league 1 campaign will be much harder than it was for this season.
Will he keep the prices for ST the same? will he increase them to try and make some funds ? will he reduce them to try and keep the punters interested?
The players
Whilst it looks like IH is trying to build a side, its almost certain the club will want to offload a number of players. Some would argue the wage bill is too high for the championship, so the big earners will surely be sent packing for the poverty the club will endure in lge 1.
Of course if we lose our best players, an automatic return will be made much more difficult.
The Walkers stadium
Could be a volatile place next season. The fans will expect to win most games at home against lesser oppostion and that in itself could be a real problem. More than ever the fans will be demanding success, and their patience is sure to be tested against teams who will come here to frustrate us. The ground would imo be the best in lge 1, and that will make it like a cup final for many visiting teams.
Also the attendances are certain to be the poorest since the move to the Walkers. Only Forest Leeds and possibly Northampton and Peterborough? will attract over 20k. I expect the average crowd to drop to 17k-18k and that could depend on MM season ticket policy.
Away games
There is certainly going to be a culture shock for both players and fans on away days. The players wont have the luxuries afforded to them at the Walkers.
Some teams have nice new compact little grounds, but there is plenty out there to make people think they are still in the 1980's. Some might enjoy standing up again, others will curse the terrible views. Toilets and facilities will be a far cry from that of the Walkers. For the away day fanatics its a great opporunity to visit new grounds and different places. Admission prices may also shock a few. A work friend of mine is a cobblers fan, and i was quite surprised how expensive it still is for games at league 1 level.
On the playing front, Leicester will be an attraction in this league.
So once again you can expect both opponents and their fans to be up for it when City are in town.
Big games
This is where it, hits home a bit. Depending on what happens this season only Leeds and Forest provide potentially exciting games.
Northampton will ensure a lively encounter as will Peterborough if they are promoted. As for the rest the fans will find it hard to 'get up' for most other opponents.
Prospects
Most of our fans will want and expect an instant return to the championship, but the Forest story should provide sufficent warnings. This may not be an easy lge to get out of. Both the fans and the players have to come to terms and deal with the apathy at playing at a level where we believe we dont belong. If we go about it with the wrong attitude and just expect things to happen, then the shame of Leicester City will be an ongoing story.
This is of course all hypothetical and i live in hope that it remains that way. But we have to get our heads around these possibilities because in reality its a lot closer than we want to think about.
Life in League 1
Iain Holloway
With Ollie struggling to make any impact since his arrival, the pressure is obviously really on him. If we start next season in league 1, then i rate his chances of being manager for the opening game at probaly less than 50-50. If he is still in charge then the opening few games will be crucial to his future at the club. A mediocre start in the first 5-6 games will surely be the end of him.
Milan Mandaric
Milan will certainly have some very tough decisions to make if we go down . Nobody knows what or if any funds Milan has left. Sacking Ollie will surely mean yet another drain on funds in terms of compensation. Milan also knows that selling season tickets for a league 1 campaign will be much harder than it was for this season.
Will he keep the prices for ST the same? will he increase them to try and make some funds ? will he reduce them to try and keep the punters interested?
The players
Whilst it looks like IH is trying to build a side, its almost certain the club will want to offload a number of players. Some would argue the wage bill is too high for the championship, so the big earners will surely be sent packing for the poverty the club will endure in lge 1.
Of course if we lose our best players, an automatic return will be made much more difficult.
The Walkers stadium
Could be a volatile place next season. The fans will expect to win most games at home against lesser oppostion and that in itself could be a real problem. More than ever the fans will be demanding success, and their patience is sure to be tested against teams who will come here to frustrate us. The ground would imo be the best in lge 1, and that will make it like a cup final for many visiting teams.
Also the attendances are certain to be the poorest since the move to the Walkers. Only Forest Leeds and possibly Northampton and Peterborough? will attract over 20k. I expect the average crowd to drop to 17k-18k and that could depend on MM season ticket policy.
Away games
There is certainly going to be a culture shock for both players and fans on away days. The players wont have the luxuries afforded to them at the Walkers.
Some teams have nice new compact little grounds, but there is plenty out there to make people think they are still in the 1980's. Some might enjoy standing up again, others will curse the terrible views. Toilets and facilities will be a far cry from that of the Walkers. For the away day fanatics its a great opporunity to visit new grounds and different places. Admission prices may also shock a few. A work friend of mine is a cobblers fan, and i was quite surprised how expensive it still is for games at league 1 level.
On the playing front, Leicester will be an attraction in this league.
So once again you can expect both opponents and their fans to be up for it when City are in town.
Big games
This is where it, hits home a bit. Depending on what happens this season only Leeds and Forest provide potentially exciting games.
Northampton will ensure a lively encounter as will Peterborough if they are promoted. As for the rest the fans will find it hard to 'get up' for most other opponents.
Prospects
Most of our fans will want and expect an instant return to the championship, but the Forest story should provide sufficent warnings. This may not be an easy lge to get out of. Both the fans and the players have to come to terms and deal with the apathy at playing at a level where we believe we dont belong. If we go about it with the wrong attitude and just expect things to happen, then the shame of Leicester City will be an ongoing story.
This is of course all hypothetical and i live in hope that it remains that way. But we have to get our heads around these possibilities because in reality its a lot closer than we want to think about.
:icon_lol::icon_lol:
