Good post Highland, I am sick to death of the negativity on this forum, Connolly scored 14 goals last season including a number of penalties, and whilst people are so keen to remind us how his goals kept us up, what I would like to remind them is that maybe if he had pulled his finger out in the first half of the season and scored a few more we wouldnt have been in that sorry situation last season. Like so many of the other players signed last summer by MA he underperformed and as a team they massively underachieved.
How the fans forget this, CL is doing an excellent job, we now have a squad full of young, hungry players, who have a sell on value and we have players on long term contracts, meaning the club now has some stability and long term plans. This complete overhaul of our club comes not only in light of some disappointing recent seasons on the pitch but also the massive mistakes off it as well.
The club failed to see the benefits of developing youngsters, despite reaping the benefits of 11m for Emile Heskey and being famous for discovering the likes of Lineker, Smith and Joachim. They failed to continue picking up hungry, young talented players from lower divisions or top flight reserves like Elliott, Lennon, Sav and Muzzy to name a few.
All the good lessons of the past, were forgotten as for 3 or so years we chased the success today, repent tomorrow route.
Now Levein is ridding us of our journeyman image and replacing it with young, talented players, who want to play for the club and the manager. But this takes time, he has identified that the academy needs a shake up, he has gone back to signing players from the lower divisions or top flight reserves. What we have to do is be paitent and give these seeds time to grow and allow the manager to nuture them. Yes with all young players they will lose concentration, make mistakes on occasions but they will also always give 110% and will produce many fine displays, like Stoke, Crewe and Ipswich. How many times last season did the side get a decent ovation after a 0-0 draw at home, not many that in itself shows progression.
IMO we will be inconsistent over the next 10 or so games, but after that the players will settle and be more relaxed and comfortable with the tactics and roles expected of them, they will also gain tremendous experience and this will help there development. I think we will probably be around the 27 point mark at half way, but then in the 2nd half of the season we will really push on and have a good run and I think we will pick up 35 to 40 points in the second half.
My prediction will be that we achieve around 65 points, and our performances in the second half of the season will make teams sit up and take notice that Leicester are on the way back !
