Leicester City – Season Review 2016-17

well….it was never going to be as good as last season, was it?

The summertime was a dream, from the moment the Premier league title was lifted. The celebrations in Victoria Park were still fresh in the memory as we had a break from football by watching….erm Euro 2016. Not long after Team Ronaldo lifted the trophy the now ‘world famous’ Leicester City were indulging their fame with world tours playing against Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain and Celtic, travelling to Glasgow, Los Angeles and Stockholm. Preparation was not ideal for the clubs first ever defence of the League title.

Game Of Thrones

 

King Claudio Ranieri

Quite simply he will always be a legend in mine and all Leicester City fans eyes. But this season was an oddity. He sensibly recognised that to compete on 2 fronts was going to be tricky and started his legendary “tinker man” style in full flow. Musa started the first game against Hull which was a disaster as they went down 2-1 to a team struggling to field a team. The home form wasn’t too bad as wins against Swansea and Burnley should have included a late win against Arsenal after Musa was wiped out for a blatant penalty and subsequently ignored by Mark Clattenberg. The away form continued to be atrocious with a 4-1 defeat against Liverpool matched by the same scoreline at Old Trafford. Yes, thats right, even Jose’s pathetic excuse for a team scored 4 first half goals in some of the worst display of defending i have ever seen from a Leicester City team.

Champions League wise though it worked a dream, a 3-0 win in their first ever game in Bruges(also their last away win in the competition). 1-0 win’s at home to Porto and Copenhagen were direct replicas of last seasons displays. But in the league it continued to be average at best. Champions League was clearly prioritised by Claudio as he rested players in games at Stamford Bridge and he was paying the price. But he also did some odd things like when picking half a decent team to play against Chelsea in the cup and then letting Jamie Vardy run around like a headless chicken in the final 30 minutes of extra time after Wasilewski had left us as 10 men. Also when qualification to the second stage of the Champions League had been secured he took a second string team and still picked Wes Morgan who was desperate for a rest, he also picked him for 120 minutes of the Chelsea cup defeat as well. Occasionally a decent performance would pop up. The 3-1 win at home to Crystal Palace and the 4-2 demolition of Manchester City were particular highlights. But we were also only seconds away from a home defeat to Middlesbrough to add to a pathetic performance at home to West Brom. Signs of life were shown when the team battled back from 2-0 down at Stoke and with 10 men (after Jamie Vardy’s appalling red card decision). Tactically it also beggared belief when a Diamond midfield was utilised to a 3-0 battering by Southampton. Playing at home to Chelsea with 3 at the back was also a bold move that completely backfired. Amartey was left to struggle to fill the void left by Kante. Musa was played as a left winger at home to Manchester United in a 3-0 defeat. Yes thats right Jose Mourinho’s crap Manchester United scored 3 goals against us. 7 goals we conceded against them this season (Shambolic!)

The team were on a horrendous run culminating in a 1-0 loss in the FA cup to 10 man Millwall. An abject 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals Swansea was followed with the relative surprise of an uplifting 2-1 defeat (thats how negative we had become!) in Seville came the news that Claudio had been sacked. Outpourings of love for Claudio and attacks against the players from all over the media rolled in like fly’s to S***. Completely ignoring Leicester’s plight and the minimum aim of trying to remain a Premier League club. Fair enough if Claudio had us comfortably in mid-table and was sacked because we weren’t at the top of the league again. But the owners massive crime was to want to remain a Premier League club. Literally no other manager in Premier League history who had fallen from grace so spectacularly would have been afforded the love that Claudio got. Add to this the random hypocrisy of calling Leicester’s Premier League trophy a “miracle” and then claiming that Ranieri was the sole reason for that act of god. Not the players who had stayed in the league so amazingly 2 years ago or who won the league themselves. Paul Merson insultingly called the team a bunch of “average” footballers who Claudio won the league for. After he was sacked those same players then went back to last seasons tried and tested team and started to blow teams apart just like the previous 18 months. The subtext was that they has stopped playing for Claudio, there was no subtext, he had stopped effectively managing the players and they were struggling to commit to his flawed ideas. Maybe they could have given more to the cause but when you as players can see the problems all around you it is difficult to continue in the same way. A note to the footballing world and idiots on social media who barely watch us play. Stop talking s*** and actually watch some football and you might learn a few things.

Craig Shakespeare

‘Snakespeare’ as some have coined him on social media. Handles the press with ease and honesty without shooting himself in the foot. It may well have been a new manager bounce that suddenly had us playing like world beaters again following Ranieri’s departure. But it was also noticeable how he reverted the players back to their more comfortable 4-4-2 /4-4-1-1. The line up was identical to the title winners except for Ndidi replacing the current player of the year. It may be lazily pointed to how this is a long ball style that allows us to counter attack but the key is where they are lining up without the ball which is what normally makes us hard to penetrate defensively. Frequently we are pushing attacking opposition out wide and forcing them to cross balls into the box so that Huth and Morgan can get on with doing what they do best. The wins came quickly. 3-1 v Liverpool, 3-1 v Hull, and of course the epic 2-0 win against Sevilla. No tie in their history had Leicester been so written off, they came back from 2-0 down in the first leg to win the tie 3-2 with 2 penalty saves, a goal thighed in by Wes Morgan and the adrenaline pumping Albrighton left foot smash The away performances started to follow. 3 away points all season were immediately matched in 1 game by Shakespeare and that was with outcast Benalouane in for Morgan. The tie with Atletico Madrid was a sight to behold. A dodgy penalty was all that separated us after the first leg and when they took an early lead the game was well out of sight. But Shakespeare made a double substitution and the game completely turned. Ben Chilwell attacked down the left to great affect and Leo Ulloa was causing problems for Atletico backline. It was a brave move and it heralded a goal after Chilwells shot was diverted in by Vardy. They huffed and puffed but  couldn’t quite pull kit off. The adventure was over but the victory of everyone’s hearts was once again assured.

Virtually all of the games since Shakespeare took charge. Leicester have looked good and most importantly they’ve looked competitive. Until right at the end of the season when Spurs rolled into town and won a dead rubber with the biggest ever King Power defeat 6-1. So much of a drubbing that the players still looked shaken the first half of the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth. These last few games shouldn’t cost Shakespeare his first full time job. How he makes the transition to full time management with players still calling him “Shakes” and being their pal is his biggest challenge.

But there was a sense that the players and even fans were flat at the end of the season. Is a more high profile manager now what the club needs?

The Owners

I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, these are the best owners in English football. Next season’s season tickets have been frozen for the third consecutive year. Free beer, doughnuts, clappers, flags, a Championship title, a Premier League title, a Champions League campaign, 4 consecutive years of Premier League football to come. They are doing everything that they believe is necessary for the football club to be successful whilst being respectable and ruthless where necessary. What they felt that had to do to Claudio Ranieri looked harsh from the outside, but ultimately it was the right decision. They’re never overly public in good or bad times which is probably for the best considering the absolute tosh that was being spoken about them in the days after Ranieri’s well paid slaughter. They are arguably the greatest thing to ever happen to Leicester City Football Club. Their next chapter with the club needs a full time manager and a fresh perspective as the aftershock of Leicester’s Premier League title has now calmed. The only danger with our owners is if they themselves are tiring of the experience. Lets hope not, their departure would be the worst thing to happen to the club than any manager departure.

Recruitment

The opinions of the actual players are below but the general consensus is that this was an extremely poor last 2 transfer windows. If a team is going to lure top players then winning the league and offering champions league football will go a long way towards that. The transfer policy didn’t seem to take into account the band of players that we could not only afford but also entice. Instead we signed the same players that we had clearly been tracking for a few years. Jon Rudkin has taken his share of the flack after it seems he was shoehorned into his director of football role following a high profile backroom staff departure, which brings us to Steve Walsh the previous Assistant manager/head of recruitment/director of football. His loss has been mourned and rightly so as some of his finds have been absolutely legendary (oh N’golo). But Musa and Slimani were players we had been linked with for a long time well back into his tenure and as such he should take his share of the blame for this seasons recruitment. This summer there will be many ins and unfortunately high profile outs. Where we are at the end of August will be fascinating.

The Players

 

1. Kasper Schmeichel – games 41 / clean sheets – 13 – ‘Player Of The season’

An absolute stalwart of a goalkeeper and he is getting better and better. Outstanding world class performances, last minute goal line saves, penalty saves(at last!!) and much of this in the champions league. One of the few consistent players throughout the season. He is simply an incredible keeper. He has a place at Leicester City for the rest of his career and will be financially rewarded. But all Leicester fans now fear that his days at the King Power could be up, especially if Manchester United pursue the rumours. Player Of The Season and Player’s player of the season. Not entirely sure it can be a good thing for the rest of the team if your goalkeeper is your best player of the season. Just ask Sunderland.

2. Luis Hernandez – games 8 / goals 0 – ‘Good with his hands?’

Able to play as a right back and a centre back he seemed uncomfortable in bedding into a position that Danny Simpson had made his own. Possessing a dangerously long throw he had very little else in his armoury going forward. Almost too calm and relaxed for the aggressive style of the Premier League Champions, frequently caught on his heels chasing back attackers. Managing as many Champions League appearances as he did Premier league appearances. He was promptly sold to Malaga in January 2017 with little interest from the Leicester faithful.

3. Ben Chilwell – games 19 / goals 1 – ‘destined for more success?’

An excellent development season for young Chilwell who has occasionally taken over for Christian Fuchs at left back. Also deployed in left midfield off the bench playing in front of the Austrian. He was the main instigator in the fightback against Atletico Madrid. He showed intelligence, confidence and even a bit of arrogance as he attacked, crossed and shot his way down the left flank. This performance alone will reassure any doubters (if there were any) that we have a first team player waiting for when Fuchs eventually disembarks for the USA to become the Austrian David Letterman. finished the season strongly with some starts and even bagged his first ever goal in that horrible game that we don’t want to mention. Even with the caveat that young players are normally given far too much leeway and over rated, Chilwell looks an excellent prospect and a future England international.

4. Danny Drinkwater – games 43 /  goals 1 – ‘shhhhoooooooot?’

Hmmmmm. There are those that are still worried about Drinkwater’s performances  without Kante. He has at times looked lost and distracted (particularly when gifting West Bromwich Albion a winner at the King Power back in November). The truth is he was trying to work out which midfielder he was whilst helping along Daniel Amartey to become comfortable as his midfield partner. When he was given a retrospective 3 match ban for a flailing elbow on Watford’s Behrami, the midfield of King and Amartey looked even more lost. Once Ndidi arrived in January, Drinkwaters form has picked up and he is growing into a box to box midfielder (albeit one that is more comfortable defending his own). Still has a devilish shot when he wants to unleash it, witness the Liverpool goal with simply outstanding technique. Drinkwater is a very good player but there is still room in his game for development, particularly in front of goal.

5. Wes Morgan – games 40 / goals 3 – ‘Newcastle??’

Captain Morgan was finally pushed too far this season. After a punishing last 2 seasons playing non stop football his body finally gave way to injury in March. Hardly his fault considering the unnecessary games he was forced to play, chiefly because centre back recruitment was poor and that Ranieri – bafflingly refused to use Benalouane for so long. He was played in a league cup game against Chelsea for 120 minutes and the only regular first teamer that started the 5-0 mauling in Porto. Ranieri trusted and could not do without his captain, but in truth he was not serving his captain well and he should have been given far more rest this season. Morgan still struggled on set pieces and had a woeful game at St Mary’s but when Shakespeare returned so did his return to form. A crucial goal against Sevilla at the KP before injury started to take its toll. He’s far from finished yet and still has class, but please lets start looking after him better or he’ll be finished quicker than necessary. Also his agent is either hankering for one more big deal for the Jamaican or Newcastle’s interest is real.

6. Robert Huth – games 44 / goals 2 – ‘Cool as a fridge?’

Even at this stage of his career he is still vastly under rated. Admittedly he too struggled on set pieces in the early part of the season. Also whenever he is caught high up the pitch he tends to resemble a refrigerator on legs. But when partnered with Morgan and playing the style suited to him and Ideally pushing opposition players out wide and dealing with endless crosses, his reading of the game is still arguably the best at the club. His sharp brain making up for his lack of pace. He also still keeps popping up with crucial goals with his head and was on the end of a delightful move at West Ham United. When paired with Benalouane later in the season he looked even more comfortable. As with Morgan, Huth could do with being allowed to be rested more often, particularly with YB29 starting to show his worth.

7. Ahmed Musa – games 32 /  goals 4 – ‘better than Franck Moussa?’

Largely dismissed as useless by large sections of the support, LCFC1884 feels slightly sorry for the Nigerian. The stats above betray his actual pitch time with much of his recent game time being near the end substitute appearances. 2 goals against Barcelona in pre season, outstanding pace and no consistent appearances all season. It is difficult to know where he fits in. He has been played in Vardy’s position but is too lightweight for the rigours of Premier League defender assault. Especially when Mark Clattenberg decides to ignore him being assaulted in the last minute of what would have been a winning penalty against Arsenal. He has been played with Vardy and actually looks comfortable, but unfortunately Vardy doesn’t look comfortable with him buzzing around him in different positions when he is used to Shinji sitting in deep and playing him through. He was oddly used as a left winger against Manchester United in a 3-0 defeat when his defensive capabilities are patchy at best. It does seem likely that he will leave as he doesn’t seem to fit in. But his pace could have(?) served Leicester well. His 2 goal salvo in the cup against Everton was hardly a fluke. He smashed in a cracker against Crystal Palace a week before scrambling an equaliser against Spurs and was subsequently dropped. He has definitely got talent and if he does leave it will be as much down to mismanagement as his own poor form.

8. Matty James games 1 / goals 0 – ‘game over?’

1 late substitute appearance as a token gesture to his hard work and patience since his terrible injury robbed him of taking part in the joys of 2015/2016. He was loaned out to Barnsley where he managed to get 17 appearances and 1 goal under his belt. He impressed the Tykes fans with some believing he is the best midfielder they have ever had and clearly has Premier league class oozing through him. He can definitely do a job at Leicester but given he has lost the best part of 2 years of his career does he really want to wait longer to get his chance behind Ndidi and Drinkwater? I would personally love to see him back in a Leicester shirt. But he may have to leave to restart his career.

9. Jamie Vardy games 48 / goals 17 – ‘the most important player?’

Arguably the most important player. When Leicester play well its normally with Vardy at the helm. Struggled in many games in the early part of the season purely because he wasn’t given the opportunity to open up his body and run at defenders with pace. Quite why Ranieri was keen to nullify this style when it served his star striker so well is a head scratcher. An amazing hat trick against Man City aside he was struggling to justify his place. As soon as a revert to the old style under Shakespeare and Vardy was back on song again scoring some typically outstanding Vardy goals. A niggling concern is that he might still be able to be pried away by an intriguing transfer proposition.

10. Andy King games 32 / goals 2 – ‘sideways or backwards?’

Mr Leicester keeps moving up the list of all time player appearances, but in truth he is moving further and further down the ranking list of central midfielder’s at the club. Unsurprisingly though he seems to be the one immediately put in off the bench or to replace an injured Ndidi or Drinkwater, an experienced reader of the game and a self sacrificer he is deployed as a steady midfielder who holds his position well behind the ball. He did have a great game and scored a cracker at home to Manchester City and he can still turn in decent performances. But he is a long way from the man of the match displays that he displayed so early in his career, chiefly because his goal scoring is such a rarity these days. Not very pacy or physically commanding, games too often pass him by. His time as a Leicester City player should be coming to an end, but i suspect he’ll still be at the club next season.

11. Marc Albrighton games 47 /  goals 4 – ‘Mr consistent?’

A friend of mine regularly argued that he didn’t see the point of Marc Albrighton, he checks, then he crosses onto his right foot. I argued his consistency in this division is invaluable and i’m not going to stop now. Scorer of the first ever Leicester City champions league goal he has started to become undroppable. His crossing abilities are superb (witness his Beckham impression against West Ham teeing up Slimani’s winner, and in the return game for Huth) his energy down the entire flank with Fuchs behind him is becoming synonymous with many of Leicester’s attacks. When he came off the bench against Sunderland and turned the game around it was a perfect example of his worth. He is tenacious and a perfect example of a left sided midfielder. He also frequently switches with Mahrez to great affect. Still one of the best free transfers in Leicester City history. oh and that goal against Sevilla, what a moment!

12. Ben Hamer games 1 / clean sheets 0 – ‘better than Zieler?’

He only played in the champions league this season and had a 5-0 defeat against Porto. not really been given a chance to do anything.

13. Daniel Amartey – games 35 / goals 1 – ‘better in defence than midfield?’

Thrown into the most daunting prospect in football, replacing N’golo Kante. He struggled in the centre and was one of the main problems for Leicesters early season form. Not easy for a young midfielder to follow the Frenchmans act. He would be frequently caught out of position and ball watching, but as the season wore on he became stronger and more dynamic and started to look the better of the 2 when Drinkwater was struggling for his own form. Off he went happily to the African cup where he performed admirably as a centre back to go far with Ghana. When he returned his midfield spot had gone to an even younger player in the guise of Wilfred Ndidi. Since then he has struggled to get many performances, only considered at centre back as a desperate move to revert to a 3 and change a game. A promising full season but surely he would be now best used in the centre back position if not to at least bring the average age of that position down.

14. Bartosz Kapustka – games 3 / goals 0 – ‘£7 million?’

Reportedly a £7 million signing, he has rarely seen any action and has only been deployed in the FA cup. In the few games he has played, he has looked more than able as an attacking midfielder that tends to drift into attacking positions along the width of the pitch. Will either be off or loaned out for a season. Clearly not in anyone’s immediate plans.

15. Jeffrey Schlupp – games 8 / goals 0 – ‘Fare thee well young Jeff’

His most unproductive season in a Leicester shirt and well down the pecking order at his now chosen position of left back. Playing second fiddle to Christian Fuchs was one thing but then being down the pecking order behind Ben Chilwell the writing was probably on the wall for him. Injuries slowed his progress but he still managed to appear in 3 Champions league games. When he pushed for a move away Sam Allardyce was only too keen to give him a home at Selhurst Park. Time will tell who has done better out of the 12 million pounds transfer fee but at only 24 Schlupp needs to be playing regular football and right now that wasn’t going to happen at Leicester City.

17. Danny Simpson – games 45 / goals 0 – ‘worth an England cap?’

The most under rated English right back playing tab the moment. There can’t be many that have won the Premier League and have so often been ignored by their poor international team. Simpson is simply an outstanding defender who protects his side so well, this is in spite of having the rarely tracking back Mahrez playing in front of him. Its the most thankless task in football for which he consistently nails. It doesn’t help when clowns like Jamie Carragher talk trash about him on twitter. If he doesn’t get an England cap it will simply be because of Englands obsession with playing the over rated Kyle Walker who people think is Englands answer to Dani Alves but isn’t even an answer to Kierna Trippier. Simpson is superb.

18. Molla Wague – games 1) goals 0) – ‘who?’

1 FA Cup defeat appearance to League One Millwall is hardly much to right home about. But bizarrely he looked quite good. Will likely never see the light of day again at Leicester as he returns to Udinese. His signing highlighted the shambolic recruitment of a centre back last summer.

19. Islam Slimani – games 29 / goals – 8 – ‘Akinbyi Mk II?’

Given that Jamie Vardy took a year to get going it would be wrong to soundly berate a player less than a year into his Leicester career. Having said that, i really want to read a transcript of the meeting that the recruitment team were having when discussing Islam Slimani. I would then skip to the bit highlighted “strengths” and i would listen as hard as i ever have in my life. The truth is that in the box and with the right delivery, he is devilish with his head. But the rest of his game is nothing short of woeful, constantly giving the ball away and making no problems for centre backs having to deal with long balls. He may yet go to have an unbelievable season nest time but i am struggling to understand where it was felt necessary to spend £28 million on a player who just isn’t good enough for this level.

20. Shinji Okazaki – games 41 / goals – 6 – ‘a striker who rarely shoots?’ 

Never has a striker been so loved despite such a pitiful return in front of goal. Also when he does score goals they rarely ever hit the net. See the Chelsea league cup defeat for further evidence, both of his only brace for the club cleared just as they crept over the line. Of course that doesn’t tell half the story. Shinji was initially shunned in favour of Slimani and Musa at various points this season. His absence was sorely noted. He is a massive part of the glue that holds the structure of the formation together. He makes in roads up front and unwittingly drags centre backs out of position before either winning a free kick or passing it on for the team to expose more space. His work rate is unparalleled and seeing his little face when he eventually scores is a treat. as with most players this season he has thrived since Ranieri has left and become a certain starter. Nobody in the squad does the work that Shinj does. If we continue to play like this next season he’ll need a better back up and a similar type of player. If only we had a young returning striker from the Championship to come into the squad……….

21. Ron-Robert Zieler – games 13 / clean sheets 1 – ‘better than Hamer?’

Perhaps its not his fault but when the defence has this guy behind them they do not look comfortable. His kicking is no worse than Schmeichel and he can be a good shot stopper. But so far his judgement has been woeful, coming for crosses erratically, staying on his line at others, taking too long to get attacks started. He hasn’t looked comfortable and if Schmeichel does leave he does not fill me with confidence that he can be the number 1.

22. Demarai Gray – games 41 / goals 2  – ‘Mahrez replacement?’

Clearly frustrated at his own lack of opportunities, it probably didn’t help that he was vying for Riyad Mahrez place in the team. His patience may yet be rewarded if the Algerian decides to move to pastures new. Gray has been more than just a bit part player this season and has some starts to his name. He was excellent in the victory over Stoke where he could only be hauled down with neanderthal like tackles. His goal against Manchester United gives a frightening indication of what he can do to a football. Likewise his run and finish against Derby in the FA cup. He is certainly a talent for the future and regularly comes out of games with credit. Better times at Leicester await this young man, if he can wait.

23. Leonardo Ulloa – games 23  / goals 1 ‘so long as he scores its alright with me?’

January 2017 – “I feel betrayed by Ranieri and let down by the club, i will not play again for them”. Possibly poorly advised but at the time he had only started 8 league games under Ranieri. Feeling that promises were broken he felt he had no other option and with transfer deadline looming he had to act. The club held firm and Leo never played for Ranieri again due to a mysterious injury that cleared not long after the Italian was sacked. He went on to have some decent sub appearances and even started at Arsenal. The truth is that when Islam Slimani was signed he wasn’t even the first choice for Leicester’s plan B. He’ll always be fondly remembered by the fans but i’ll be stunned if he  is still a foxes player come next season.

24. Nampalys Mendy –  games 9 / goals 0 – ‘sicknote?’

A £13 million signing from France immediately after N’golo Kante left, it was pretty obvious that expectations were set high. In only his second game he ended up with a long term injury that seems to have plagued his form all season, which prematurely ended due to a necessary operation. No Leicester fan can claim that he is useless nor a world beater. He simply hasn’t played enough games. On the few occasions he did play fully fit, he looked like a player who was happy to open up his body and look forward with passes. A commodity rarely found in many central midfielders these days. Has to be given a chance to prove his worth.

26. Riyad Mahrez – games 48 / goals 10 – ‘farewell?’ 

There was no way he was ever going to top the exploits of 2015/16 but he has rarely come close. He is now doubled and tripled on by opponents to such an extent he can do little but go backwards or inside. Danny Simpson doesn’t usually get used in an attacking sense but with more confidence could exploit the gaps that tight marking would leave from Mahrez. But too often Riyad has been waltzing through games trying to recapture the lightning from the previous season. Too often he misses the simple pass and runs into trouble and just simply gives the ball away. But on the few occasions he has been good he has become almost unstoppable. Watford struggled with him as did Manchester City. He didn’t do enough in the champions league games to get his dream move to Barcelona, he may now feel that he needs to keep testing himself on that stage to get closer to that dream and that will mean an inevitable departure from the Midlands.

27. Marcin Wasilewski – games 5 goals 0 – ‘see you soon?’

Look into this man’s eyes. A brute of a man who was possibly brought up on eating trees. Now imagine telling him that he’s not getting a new contract next season because he’s not quite good enough anymore. You can’t do it can you. I assume Shakespeare told him over the phone. We love you Marcin but you need to go and play football somewhere before your career is up. You can definitely do a job for a Championship team or even a lower end Premier League team. Ranieri still went to him over Benalouane which now looks more and more peculiar.

28. Christian Fuchs – games 48 / goals 2 – ‘centre back is his second position?’

Another stalwart that struggled under Ranieri this season and did better under Shakespeare, an excellent footballer who seems to have fallen in love with the club. He has made being a left back an art form. His timing and nonchalant passes are a joy when they come off. His attacking form has proved more fruitful as well this season. Always in on the assists but now starting to hit the net (pay attention Simpson!), his delicious strike against Crystal Palace was followed up later in the season with a Hull goal that was delightful in its use of 1-2’s. Fuchs is now seemingly mentoring Ben Chilwell which can only be a good thing. His family lives in the States so you can only assume that is where his future will lie. But one more season may well be needed and then he’ll be off “No Fuchs Given”.

29. Yohan Benalouane – games 15 / goals 0 – ‘will he stay?’

Seemingly saying his goodbyes under Ranieri in January and then given a few cameos in the FA cup almost apologetically. Fans were feeling he was a waste of money despite him rarely playing. Then Ranieri left and Morgan got injured. This is how quickly things can change in football. Benalouane starred in the win at West Ham and didn’t look back, his professionalism and ethusiasm have been one of the delights of this season, he even produced a man of the match performance against Atletico Madrid. Its fantastic when an underdog performs so well. Benalouane is assured on the ball, positionally aware and solid in their air. Its really puzzling that Ranieri frequently picked Wasilewski ahead of the Tunisian in his tenure. Hopefully he can be persuaded to stay, as he is in serious danger of being a first choice centre back in the 2017/2018 season.

25. Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi- games 23 / goals 3 – ‘left foot or right foot?’

Oh Wilfred. if only you had signed at the start of the season. Since arriving in January this £15 million signing has looked a bargain. Wow, i never thought i’d say a player we’d signed for that amount of money would seem relatively cheap. He is a powerhouse midfielder who is never far from closing down the opposition or winning headers. He has started to sit deep with Drinky to allow the wide players to dominate the attacking areas. But when he wants to unleash his secret weapon it is devastating. On his left foot he almost broke the post and net against Derby. Then against Stoke he opened his body up with a lovely first touch and unleashed a power bomb into the roof of the net this time with his right foot. He is only 20 years old and looks to be as near to a replacement to Kante that is available. This time next year he is going to be an even better player and we may struggle to hold onto him.

 

Harvey Barnes –  games 1 / goals 0 – ‘a future at Leicester?’

Given a run out in the horrific Champions League defeat against Porto and then loaned to MK Dons where he made 21 appearances and scored 6 goals. Another prospect for the future. Either sold outright or on loan for another season beckons.

Tom Lawrence – games 0 / goals 0 – ‘ worth a place in the first team squad?’

On loan at Ipswich Town since the 30th August. 34 appearances 9 goals, 9 assists. A players player of the year award and the hearts of many a tractor boy…erm….i mean Ipswich fan. If chances at your parent club were given out purely on your loan performances, then Lawrence has earned his in spades. Granted this was in the Championship and he was predominantly played out left, but it cannot be ignored his ability to pick up the ball in deep positions and carry the ball at pace and occasionally lashing in shots from distance. He is perfectly suited to Leicester City’s style, its unlikely that he’ll score hat loads of goals in the Premier League but considering the player he should be challenging rarely scores as well, we now have a direct competitor for Shinji Okazaki.

The Fans

We’re still the best in the land of course. Most fans of their own would say the same. What other supporters would sing “we are staying up” as well as “Champione” often in the same game. The Champions League games will live long in my heart, we really turned up the volume across Europe that night and captured the spirit of it. That’s what separates us from the rest. We don’t expect success, we enjoy whatever we can and we hope, maybe just maybe there are some more chapters to this amazing Leicester City story to come.

The Future

As the dust settled on the Champions League campaign, there is a sense of pride and confusion for the future. 2013 had the team go through an up and down play off run that culminated in the biggest heartbreak of all. 2014 was an outstanding Championship league win. 2015 was an unforgettable escape from the jaws of Premier League relegation. 2016 was fairytale stuff. 2017 was almost a fairytale in the Champions League. That makes it roughly 5 years since Leicester City had a mediocre season. Next season will see the team start off in the Premier League with mixed opinions from all quarters. Some will deem survival as the sole aim for a club of Leicester’s size, some will dare to dream higher. But the thing i love most about us Leicester fans is that we will not expect success. It’s what sets us apart from most of the teams in England, particularly the so-called “top teams” (Please see Sky Sports for an explanation on what “top teams” means). The Gary Lineker’s of this world will say how amazing the Premier League title “miracle” was and we should all return to our lives of normal football supporting and scrapping relegation, I’m not going to take my advice from a man who lost a bet culminating in him hosting a TV show in his pants. For me, i’ll simply be focusing on the first game of the season and hope we win that. Just focusing on the next 3 points is a sensible mantra for any football fan. Anything beyond that is surely delusions of grandeur.

The next stage will be which players are happy to stay and who else wants a new challenge. It would be fair to say that Leicester City’s owners will not be aiming for the Premier League title next season, but that doesn’t mean some of the players are not entitled to crave more success. It will be a real test of the club’s ambitions to keep their star talent intact and if they have to sell some players, careful recruitment will be needed. In my opinion its going to be a much changed 11 that starts in August with some high profile outs and ins.

See you next season, keep dreaming!

Follow me on twitter at @LCFC1884VERDICT