Should Leicester Buy Raheem Sterling?

[David Gwilliam]

I have spent much of my life criticizing those who go for superficial analysis in a non-football context. However, football is particularly prone to this. It is partly because of the short timescale. Leicester City in 2010 has little in common with Leicester City in 2020; in History a decade is just a blip. Brendan Rodgers played only a limited part in the success of Leicester City in being "the best of the rest" and in the disappointing collapse at the end of the season.

In 2016 Leicester sold arguably its best ever midfielder to Chelsea who came 4th. In 2018 we sold a world class winger to Man City who came 2nd In 2019 we sold an England international centre back to Man U who came 3rd is difficult to imagine Leicester City even trying to buy one of their best players Raheem Sterling or Kevin De Bruyne.

To get into the Champions League it helps to have Champions League quality players like the ones we have sold. Perez, Praet Iheanacho and Gray do not have the quality to even make the bench at Champions League.

This is not to criticize Leicester. Ndidi is good but not as good as Kante how could he be, Soyuncu has done well in place of Maguire. Evans, Ricardo Maddison and Tielemans have shown good recruitment.. However we lack strength in depth.

When we needed battle hardened warriors injuries forced Mr Rodgers to pick kids When Liverpool under Bob Paisley had some bad results Paisley told the press that the only defender who played well was young Alan Hansen. Paisley promptly dropped Hansen who asked the manager why. He was told "in football experience is everything." This inspired Hansen's famous Line "You don't win anything with kids" Gary Neville has said that Alan Hansen was right.. "It was the experienced players - Pallister Bruce Cantona Keane - that got us over the line."

Rodgers was faced with a dreadful injury situation. However, well or badly they played Rodgers would not have wanted Justin or Thomas learning their trade in a match as vital as the one against Man U.

Like most members of the forum my football qualifications are nil I am sure Brendan Rodgers, Jon Rudkin and Andrew Neville are aware of the problem. Being aware of a problem is one thing solving it is another. Having never been in relegation trouble, come above Arsenal and Tottenham and finished 5th in the Premier League Rodgers, Rudkin and Neville the Three Wise Men deserve our support.

 

[Brown Nose]

I'm not entirely sure that I follow you.

However, what I am taking from this is the suggestion that we should recruit experienced players this summer rather than our usual punt on potential?

There is definitely some merit in this. We have enough potential in the squad. What we've been found to be lacking are the sort of players that dig in and get results.

On reflection, Steve Walsh did quite a cute thing in Summer 2013. We'd just lost the play off game with Watford and our side looked shell-shocked on the pitch. We all feared the worst for the following season. So what did he do? He and NP brought in Dean Hammond (30), Gary Taylor-Fletcher (32), Marcin Wasilewski (33) and Kevin Phillips (40).

None of these players set the pulse racing and none broke the bank. However, it clearly worked. They did the old head business and allowed Vardy, Mahrez and co to do the running about and we won the title.

We are in a comparable position this summer. We have little money, plenty of young talent, and a squad pretty humbled by a late season collapse. Maybe this is the right time to forget the 22 year olds and get in a few 32 year olds.

 

[Graz]

I love a good DG post.

And I agree completely on knowing what the problem is being very different to being able to solve it - our search for a centre back and winger over the last few transfer windows is proof of this.

 

[Graz]

I'm not entirely sure that I follow you.

However, what I am taking from this is the suggestion that we should recruit experienced players this summer rather than our usual punt on potential?

There is definitely some merit in this. We have enough potential in the squad. What we've been found to be lacking are the sort of players that dig in and get results.

On reflection, Steve Walsh did quite a cute thing in Summer 2013. We'd just lost the play off game with Watford and our side looked shell-shocked on the pitch. We all feared the worst for the following season. So what did he do? He and NP brought in Dean Hammond (30), Gary Taylor-Fletcher (32), Marcin Wasilewski (33) and Kevin Phillips (40).

None of these players set the pulse racing and none broke the bank. However, it clearly worked. They did the old head business and allowed Vardy, Mahrez and co to do the running about and we won the title.

We are in a comparable position this summer. We have little money, plenty of young talent, and a squad pretty humbled by a late season collapse. Maybe this is the right time to forget the 22 year olds and get in a few 32 year olds.

Not to speak for DG, but I took it to mean that we were lacking both the experience and the top quality at the end of the season to get us over the line.

I think with where we are, I agree with your assessment. We already have plenty of exciting youth. What we need is a bit more experience of "been there, done that" - players to bring an assured, level head that can bring a calmness and perspective to the rest of the team.

But whereas the players you named were more on the fringes, we also need to add some quality to our squad. I think Marcin and Phillips are both great examples of that, Hammond and GTF less so, but maybe that's just me underestimating their influence.

 

[lesterboy]

Some very good points and it will be interesting to see what form the recruitment tactic will be. A view id like to throw into the mix is that we currently have some good young prospects and some older heads but possibly lack a few players in the late 20s age group? Who still have the legs and the ability to bring it all together? Just a thought...

 

[M17TT C]

So we basically need an experienced bastard.

 

[glyn]

Over the years I have often been frustrated that potential signings are written off on here when they are in their late 20s or above. Especially with the examples of KP, Huth etc. We definitely need a better mix.

I remember earlier in the season someone was laughed at for suggesting Danny Ings would be a good signing.

 

[ThaiSweetChilli]

Some very good points and it will be interesting to see what form the recruitment tactic will be. A view id like to throw into the mix is that we currently have some good young prospects and some older heads but possibly lack a few players in the late 20s age group? Who still have the legs and the ability to bring it all together? Just a thought...

This sounds about right. Someone who's been around but can still play 30+ full matches a season. We're missing this sort of player in midfield more than anywhere.

Over the years I have often been frustrated that potential signings are written off on here when they are in their late 20s or above. Especially with the examples of KP, Huth etc. We definitely need a better mix.

I remember earlier in the season someone was laughed at for suggesting Danny Ings would be a good signing.

I mentioned Ings on here i think. These players have lots of experience and we need it. Even in 2015, Cambiasso was our catalyst for staying up and although he was much older, that wisdom gave us so much as did GTF, Was etc in the dressing room etc. If Lallana was fit more than injured i would've loved him here.

So we basically need an experienced bastard.

Two words.Eight Syllables.
Adebayo Akinfenwa.

 

[Blue Maniac]

Two words.Eight Syllables.
Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Jesus Christ

 

[Micky]

You just don't get Robert Huths these days.

 

[Miles Away]

So we basically need an experienced bastard.

We never replaced Bob Huth.