Leicester

[ItalAussie]

Can they actually do this?

[Toby]

I'm going with yes. Five point gap and a mostly okay run of fixtures once they pump Arsenal. There's no doubt it's influenced by really wanting them to do it but I'm going to choose to be optimistic for a change.

[Giggles]

Love to see it but no. 5 points is shag all with so many games left. It'll die off towards the end of March.

[QE Harold Flair]

They don't seem to get any major injuries. If Vardy and/or Mahrez went down they might struggle.

[Spoonsky]

I think they will. There's something magical about them. Today solidified it for me but for a long time I've thought it was possible which most people didn't seem to.

[Pepe]

I have not watched a single minute of football this season but I hope they win.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fuck knows. Normal footballing logic seems not to apply.

I think what it reflects is that we're probably now in an era where just spending money won't be enough and to be fair to it I think financial fair play may have been one contributing factor.

[Boydy]

Fuck knows. Normal footballing logic seems not to apply.

I think what it reflects is that we're probably now in an era where just spending money won't be enough and to be fair to it I think financial fair play may have been one contributing factor.

I hope this is true although I still don't really understand Financial Fair Play. I think it was brought in during the period I'd lost interest so I didn't really read much about it.

Can someone give me a quick dummy's guide?


As for Leicester, I really hope so.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It means that clubs can only spend as a proportion of their 'football earnings' or whatever. Obviously there are ways round that but a combination of that, and the 25 man squad limit and the homegrown players has meant that the likes of City and Chelsea have had to be selective in what they spend on.

[Boydy]

What are their 'football earnings'?

[Boydy]

Never mind, found this handy article - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29361839

[Shindig]

Absolutely. They're being chased by a faltering Man Utd in transition, a faltering Man City with half a squad looking to the future and Spurs. On top of that, expectations at the club are all very grounded and 5 points is a reasonable gap to keep them honest.

Sorry, I'll give Arsenal a mention. They're too far back but they could find proper form.

[Smiffy]

I want them to but I don't think they will. I'm almost expecting a point against Arsenal to be followed up by a poor run against the relegation fodder.

[Andy]

Injuries will be key.

Vardy has had quite a few injuries but now seems back to his best, they've missed Schlupp but again he's back soon. They need to keep Mahrez, Huth, Morgan and Kante fit.

Hopefully Ranieri can make use of the extra time to prepare for games.

I would say 50/50.

[Kikó]

Tottenham will end up winning it with Leicester second. I hope Ranieri can do it though, it's a great story.

[Giggles]

Tottenham will get a nosebleed if they're above Arsenal March and finish 5th.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Think Spurs are still a bit too stodgy. If Aguero stays fit then City will surely be close, unless they've given up to wait for Guardiola, in which case they should all be fired anyway.

[Max Power]

Not about 'can' but 'when' lads. Can we string it out long enough so Raneri lifts the trophy at Stamford Bridge on the final day?

Think we'll finish 3rd tbh but who knows? It's definitely ON.

[ScousePig]

Five points is a bit of a cushion, but it's not like five points at the bottom which can be a huge gap. I still think they're going to have a run at some point where the wheels just come off slightly, despite watching them thrash Man City.

I'm still going with no, though I'd love to be wrong.

[GS]

I'm going to say no. It's a fantastic story and I really want them to win it, but I just can't see a scenario where the wheels don't come off at some point.

[Kikó]

When they genuinely start believing in about 5 games den we will c. At this point, the pressure of actually winning the league is still abstract.

[Vim]

Look, I've been saying no all season, but if there was any match in which they should have been brought back down to Earth, it's away against City. They won that match, so I do not know what to believe anymore.

The title as usual will come down to whoever can beat the small teams.

[Lee]

Injuries will be key.

Vardy has had quite a few injuries but now seems back to his best, they've missed Schlupp but again he's back soon. They need to keep Mahrez, Huth, Morgan and Kante fit.

Hopefully Ranieri can make use of the extra time to prepare for games.
I would say 50/50.

Vardy has had one minor injury. And we definitely haven't missed Schlupp. We were conceding goals all over the shop when he and De Laet were our full backs. And he's thick as pigshit; he genuinely gets lost at times. Okay as an impact sub for a bit of pace to stretch the opposition but we are much better without him playing which is why he was dropped long before he got injured.

I don't think we'll win the league. I'll be quite surprised if we aren't in the Champion's League now though. It's all a bit silly.

[Byron]

If they do win, I reckon Lee should show up for work the next day in a full Leicester kit and give us a selfie.

[Lee]

I don't own anything Leicester City related. They get quite enough money out of me for my season ticket.

I'm going to be in Amsterdam for the final round of Premier League games. Flying back on the day, actually. If we go into that match with a chance I'm dodging the flght and finding my way back home on the Monday.

[Andy]

Vardy has had one minor injury. And we definitely haven't missed Schlupp. We were conceding goals all over the shop when he and De Laet were our full backs. And he's thick as pigshit; he genuinely gets lost at times. Okay as an impact sub for a bit of pace to stretch the opposition but we are much better without him playing which is why he was dropped long before he got injured.

I don't think we'll win the league. I'll be quite surprised if we aren't in the Champion's League now though. It's all a bit silly.

I didn't watch much of Leicester at the start of the season, but there was a stretch where Schlupp was playing left wing and as a number ten and looking really dangerous.

Hasn't Vardy been playing with loss of little injuries for the last couple of months. I know he had surgery recently but he's not looked properly fit again until recently.

[Lee]

I didn't watch much of Leicester at the start of the season, but there was a stretch where Schlupp was playing left wing and as a number ten and looking really dangerous.

Hasn't Vardy been playing with loss of little injuries for the last couple of months. I know he had surgery recently but he's not looked properly fit again until recently.

He had a groin problem which is what his surgery was for. We just played him through it. There was probably a bit of tiredness as well, as there was for all our players through Christmas and the first part of January.

Schlupp was playing left back. Unfortunately for him that means being a left winger. He hasn't deliberately been played as a winger. He hasn't played as a 10 this season. Mind you he's too stupid to realise what he's doing to there will no doubt have been times he has taken it upon himself to play somewhere different, completely by accident.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm more convinced by the emotional argument against Leicester winning the league - that things this good don't really happen - than by any cold footballing ones.

[Reg]

Yes, I think they'll win the league. A combination of them being a very good team, wanting it more than anyone else, and each of the usual challengers being far from their best incarnations.

[Andy]

He had a groin problem which is what his surgery was for. We just played him through it. There was probably a bit of tiredness as well, as there was for all our players through Christmas and the first part of January.

Schlupp was playing left back. Unfortunately for him that means being a left winger. He hasn't deliberately been played as a winger. He hasn't played as a 10 this season. Mind you he's too stupid to realise what he's doing to there will no doubt have been times he has taken it upon himself to play somewhere different, completely by accident.

I was watching at St Mary's where Schlupp was playing left wing, Fuchs started at full back and Mahrez was on the bench. Mahrez came on for Schlupp and changed the game. Then I remember watching the Watford game where Fuchs was left back and Schlupp/Mahrez where swapping between left wing and number ten in the first half. I'm sure there where other games as well, Fuchs has been starting left back for ages.

May be wrong but I though Schlupp played left back for the first few games and didn't play there again after the Arsenal game?

Either way just an observation, always looked a decent attacking option to me. Literally can't be worse than Dyer.

[Max Power]

Yeah Schlupp has played left wing a few times since the Arsenal game, often when Mahrez goes central. I like him, he's fucking mad but is a good outlet.

[Lee]

There you go then, shows how much attention I pay to what's going on.

[Browning]

Yea I think they will do it. I've had that feeling for quite a while and then thumping City (while completely out playing them too) has solidified it. Hope they lift it at the bridge though. Anyone else winning it now would be a joke as everyone else has been shit.

[Andy]

There you go then, shows how much attention I pay to what's going on.

I only knew because I had him in one of my fantasy teams. The holy grail of a defender playing in an attacking role.

[Baz]

Haha same here.

The same reason I noticed Fuchs being such a beast, may I add.

People say Kante doesn't get enough praise, because it all falls to Vardy and Mahrez, but Fuchs and Drinkwater seem like the real unsung heroes to me.

That being said, Kante has had an absolute worldy of a season. :hail:

[The Merse]

There's clear quality in that side. I think they're the real deal to sustain it - there are so many variables that my 'yes' is merely a commitment that they have the ability to win it as opposed to a prediction, but I really do think we've reached the point that it's for Lecieater to lose at this stage.

[Pepe]

I'm more convinced by the emotional argument against Leicester winning the league - that things this good don't really happen - than by any cold footballing ones.

:D

[Shindig]

I keep wondering if Pearson would've gotten this far with them. Its a wave he started but I think Ranieri's mentality's a bit more proper.

[The Merse]

I wonder what it's done for his cv in the eyes of potential employers.

Is he the man that built this side and who put them in that position through their great end to last season, or just the guy that kept them up for Ranieri to add to the side and push them onto the next level?

[Shindig]

There's other things to take into account, sure. Like how he definitely looked publicly like someone who felt the pressure. Not good PR if your manager is calling people ostriches. Plus the manner in which he lost his job. On the other hand, he's got a proven track record at Championship level and can keep a Premiership side up.

[The Merse]

Villa next year?

[Raoul Duke]

The question is more 'can they win the Champions League next year?' :sherlock:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm just running this through a predictor (sponsored by Team Spreadsheet) and I've somehow ended up with this going into the final games:

1 Manchester City 37 21 10 6 76 32 44 73
2 Leicester 37 20 13 4 66 39 27 73
3 Tottenham 37 19 14 4 60 28 32 71
4 Arsenal 37 20 11 6 59 29 30 71

And the final fixtures:

Arsenal v Aston Villa
Chelsea v Leicester
Swansea v Man City
Newcastle v Tottenham (Newcastle need to win this and hope that Swansea lose if they are to stay up)

I also managed to get fucking United within 4 points of the lead with 4 to play.

[Giggles]

I didn't see the spelling but there's someone in this Napoli Carpi game that sounds like he's called lasagne.

[phonics]

That'd be Kevin Lasagna.

[Giggles]

That'd be Kevin Lasagna.

Shit, just realised this isn't the weekend thread. I need to make up a transfer rumour that Leicester are after him.

[QE Harold Flair]

He's a bit of a mincer.

[Giggles]

That's cheesy as fuck.

[leedsrevolution]

I lolled

[SvN]

Pasta joke, I reckon.

[Shindig]

What's Maccarone doing these days?

[leedsrevolution]

I would absolutely love to say yes. But 5 Pts is fuck all at the top and I suspect they will lose there mojo. Top 4 is very realistic though.

[Manc]

Trips to OT and The Bridge in there last three games. Won't happen.

[Luke Emia]

I don't think they will. i just fancy Arsenal(fucking hell) to have a bit too much for them. If they come away with a win next week though then I think it's theirs.

I think the likes of Liverpool, Everton and United should be asking big questions of themselves though. Because it shows what a bit of desire and hard work can do for you with a sprinkling of talent.

[Luke Emia]

What's Maccarone doing these days?

I saw him the other week in some nondescript Italian game. Maybe he's back at Empoli?

[Jimmy Floyd]

City have some difficult games coming up. It only swings back away from Leicester, fixtures-wise, in the last 5 or so games.

[Yevrah]

I'm more convinced by the emotional argument against Leicester winning the league - that things this good don't really happen - than by any cold footballing ones.

Indeed.

If it happens it'll be the most remarkable thing I've ever seen in football.

[GS]

Indeed.

If it happens it'll be the most remarkable thing I've ever seen in football.

Agreed.

[Lewis]

Greece was more 'You wot?'

[Lee]

As you'd expect there's a lot of chat about where this might stand historically on Leicester forums. A lot of Leicester fans reckon it would be the biggest ever achievement in English football but I don't share that view. Forest winning promotion in '77, the title in '78 and two European Cups in the seasons after that will remain the benchmark. I think it would also fall short of Ipswich winning the title the season after promotion in '62 and is more comparable to Leeds winning the league in '92 just two seasons after promotion, although may better that achievement on the basis that at least Leeds had some historical pedigree at that level. Blackburn winning in '95 was fantastic but they were the Man City of their time, really. Forest also spent loads when enjoying their success but they won so much from such a low nase that I find it difficult to look past them.

Apparently the last two sides to win their first ever titles were Forest and Derby so there would be something neat about completing the set for the East Midlands. There is also some discussion about who the 'biggest' club never to win the league is. West Ham seems to be the reasonable consensus before you come to a clutch of clubs including the likes of Southampton, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Stoke, Norwich and ourselves. That seems about right to me. There's a good argument for us being the biggest bridesmaids if we make a cock up of it from here. Runners up in 1929, in a good position now, four times losing FA Cup finalists.

I still can't bring myself to believe we'll do it although I do now think we are in with a shout. Whatever happens from here there's an extremely good chance that this will go down as the best City side I'll live to see, which is a bloody good feeling in itself. The whole situation is just remarkable and feels fantastic. We can't lose. Yeah, if we really slide and miss out on the top four (I don't think we will now) I'll be gutted in the immediate aftermatch but it is almost guaranteed now that I'll never be able to look back of this season and think anything of it other than it being brilliant.

[Yevrah]

Can't agree.

It was the Euros and they were, what, 150/1 going in? Leicester's odds must have been longer than that.

[Max Power]

Greece were shorter than 150/1 I'm sure. Leicester were 5000/1 pre season.

[Lee]

I read that Greece were 80/1. We were 5000/1. Greece was pretty mega to be fair. The thing which counts against them is how few games they had to negotiate. A league title is just better.

[Yevrah]

Did anyone back Leicester at those odds? :eek:

[Max Power]

I wonder what the price on a top 4 finish pre season was?

Anyway enough of this. Focus on the next game. One game at a time cliche cliche cliche

[Jimmy Floyd]

Did anyone back Leicester at those odds? :eek:

I backed them at the same odds in 14/15. Thought we were due an underdog story and they had just donned the Championship under Pearson so thought they'd take that momentum in. True story.

[Max Power]

Did anyone back Leicester at those odds? :eek:

A handful of £5, £10 bets apparently. A few more later on in the season at slightly shorter but still very long odds. Bookies will take a massive hit if we do pull it off by all accounts.

[Yevrah]

I've just checked the latest odds on Ladbrokes and Leicester are now 2/1 second favourites, which given Arsenal are favourites (where's my roflcopter?) isn't a bad price.

[Lee]

Someone backed us to be top at Christmas which I think was 1500/1. Dunno about going all the way. Just about all the pundits had us going down on the basis that Ranieri was shit. Which is daft when you look at his record. Okay, he isn't a title winner (yet) but I think you could only point to Greece as an objectively bad job. He played a big part in Atletico's relegation season but they were right in the shit financially at the time. He has always been good.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Arsenal are favourites? Are they off their face?

City could easily win the last ten or something if they decide they can be arsed.

[Yevrah]

A handful of £5, £10 bets apparently. A few more later on in the season at slightly shorter but still very long odds. Bookies will take a massive hit if we do pull it off by all accounts.

Surely that hit is more than mitigated by all the accumulators that Leicester will break and the legions of people who will have put money on clubs with a realistic chance of winning it?

[Max Power]

https://twitter.com/WillHillBet/status/694902314176536577

They offered him £3,200 before the win over Man City.

[Yevrah]

Arsenal are favourites? Are they off their face?


Yeah, 15/8. Seemingly Wenger's pre 2005 reputation/work still counts for a lot.

[Lee]

I do like the idea, now that we're beating the bigger sides, that we're probably going to struggle against smaller sides who won't give us space in behind. Yet before Christmas people were saying we were top because we'd only played (and beaten) the shit but wouldn't pull it off against the bigger sides.

[Lee]

Yeah, 15/8. Seemingly Wenger's pre 2005 reputation/work still counts for a lot.

We were favourites with all the bookies yesterday which goes to show what a win at Bournemouth can do for you.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Someone backed us to be top at Christmas which I think was 1500/1. Dunno about going all the way. Just about all the pundits had us going down on the basis that Ranieri was shit. Which is daft when you look at his record. Okay, he isn't a title winner (yet) but I think you could only point to Greece as an objectively bad job. He played a big part in Atletico's relegation season but they were right in the shit financially at the time. He has always been good.

He is basically a knock off Ancelotti in that whatever he's given, he just pulls it together and makes it work over the course of a full season. This one has been fairly spectacular, but it's the same idea. He then gets sacked every time because owners (occasionally rightly) get greedy and want to know why they aren't winning everything. He's not a top tactician but he is a very, very good 'manager'.

Watch the Thai mugs sack him when you're 8th or something next year.

[Max Power]

I do like the idea, now that we're beating the bigger sides, that we're probably going to struggle against smaller sides who won't give us space in behind. Yet before Christmas people were saying we were top because we'd only played (and beaten) the shit but wouldn't pull it off against the bigger sides.

While it is funny people constantly finding new ways to predict our demise, I do think there is something in it. Having to break down a massed defence isn't something we've really had to do so far, not that I wouldn't back us to find a way.

[Yevrah]

Do any of the smaller sides even have massed/good defences though?

[Max Power]

He is basically a knock off Ancelotti in that whatever he's given, he just pulls it together and makes it work over the course of a full season. This one has been fairly spectacular, but it's the same idea. He then gets sacked every time because owners (occasionally rightly) get greedy and want to know why they aren't winning everything. He's not a top tactician but he is a very, very good 'manager'.

Watch the Thai mugs sack him when you're 8th or something next year.
They kept Pearson when 90% on the fanbase would bin him after we bottled it in 12/13. And (sort of) kept him when we were rooted to the bottom all season. They're not trigger happy and now that we are way ahead of schedule. Claudio will see out his three year deal and then replace Alan Birchenall as Club Ambassador/Half time entertainer/Stadium tour guide.

[Max Power]

Do any of the smaller sides even have massed/good defences though?

I've earmarked West Brom (h) and Sunderland (a) as heartbreaking 1-0 defeats.

[Yevrah]

I've earmarked West Brom (h) and Sunderland (a) as heartbreaking 1-0 defeats.

Good point well made.

That'd be a fucking horrible way to see it all unfold.

[Reg]

I was looking at Ranieri's wiki yesterday. Leicester is his sixteenth team if you count Valencia twice (two different spells).

Anyway I think Leicester winning the title could be the biggest shock in football history. It's a different age. Before this season, for many years, you could pretty much say for certain who would finish top four. It wasn't like that in the sixties and whenever.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sunderland and West Brom probably indulge in bus parking, most of the rest are wide open. Norwich you basically start the game with a 3-0 lead.

[Yevrah]

Norwich are so bad, so so bad.

[Giggles]

I can't even think of anything in another sport (that I'd know anything about) that would match Leicester winning this.

[QE Harold Flair]

What's Maccarone doing these days?

Cheese.

[Yevrah]

I genuinely don't know any others either.

I mean, how often do any 5000/1 bets come off?

[QE Harold Flair]

About the odds, I think there was one place that had them at 5000/1. Most places had them between 500-1000/1.

[Shindig]

I was looking at Ranieri's wiki yesterday. Leicester is his sixteenth team if you count Valencia twice (two different spells).

Anyway I think Leicester winning the title could be the biggest shock in football history. It's a different age. Before this season, for many years, you could pretty much say for certain who would finish top four. It wasn't like that in the sixties and whenever.

I still don't think much can top Greece in 2004. The manner of their victories, as well. Take a corner, score from it and then organise. For six straight matches. At the highest level. You will never see that again.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I genuinely don't know any others either.

I mean, how often do any 5000/1 bets come off?

They come off all the time (four figure odds golfers win several times a year I would guess) but not with something that happens over a 9 month period.

[simon]

This would eclipse Greece in 2004, I think.

What was Blackburn's title win like at the time? Was that not massively unexpected?

[Lee]

This would eclipse Greece in 2004, I think.

What was Blackburn's title win like at the time? Was that not massively unexpected?

No they were loaded. They won promotion in '92 (beating us in the play off final, cunts), 4th in 92/3, 2nd in 93/94 before winning the following year. I said it earlier - they were the Man City of that era.

[Yevrah]

This would eclipse Greece in 2004, I think.

What was Blackburn's title win like at the time? Was that not massively unexpected?

Wasn't unexpected at all.

[Giggles]

This would eclipse Greece in 2004, I think.

What was Blackburn's title win like at the time? Was that not massively unexpected?

They'd spent all round them to win it.

[simon]

I didn't really know that. Why did the capitulate so much after their title win then?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Blackburn's win was like Chelsea's first or City's. Nevertheless, they would have been 15-20 points short but for Shearer and as soon as he left that was it.

[elth]

I voted no because I'll either be right or happy to be wrong.

[Spoonsky]

I'm more convinced by the emotional argument against Leicester winning the league - that things this good don't really happen - than by any cold footballing ones.

It's the opposite with me. Logically I don't see it happening, but then I can't take one look at Shinji Okazaki's smiling mug without feeling somehow certain that it will.

There's just something too perfect about it. They're winning off the back of a posh Algerian and an orphan from Fleetwood (more or less), it's the sort of thing that might happen in those Goal movies but never in real life.

[Davgooner]

People baulking at our position as favourites would do well to remember that Danny Welbeck's return is imminent.

[SvN]

Blackburn came second the season before, too. While United were the favourites, Blackburn winning wasn't a huge shock at all.

[ItalAussie]

Yes, as it turns out.

[Spoonsky]

I'm more convinced by the emotional argument against Leicester winning the league - that things this good don't really happen - than by any cold footballing ones.

:)