First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin, with issues to solve as Premier League life again appaer for Leicester
30/04/2024 23:52
Back in 2013/14, Leicester made their return to the Premier League after 10 years absent, winning The Championship with 102 points, 9 points in front of Burnley. Nigel Pearson guided Leicester to a safe and solid promotion with a team of players of a good blend.
Leicester could have reached 102 points this season without those slip-up’s against lower ranked teams such as Plymouth and QPR. With three more points vs. Blackburn in that last game you will see 100 points gained, but at this time in life, we are just happy to see Leicester returning to Premier League as Champions.
A life in Premier League is so much more, this is the best league on earth, and to be part of the best party is such a fantastic feeling. When you have tasted what Leicester fans have tasted regarding Premier League in the 9 years before relegation happened.
So will it happen again, will it be possible to return to the clouds we have been on in recent seasons, playing in Europe, having that fantastic FA Cup win as well as winning the Premier League title, not to forget reaching the quarter finals of Champions League and the semi’s of Conference League.
As a grand collector of music and often listening to those great lyrics and songs of the past, Leonard Cohen and his “First we take Manhatten, then we take Berlin” becomes one summing around in my head, as a mirror of the past and how Leicester made everything possible.
On previous returns to the top flight, we have never seen major sales done on any of the key players in the team, with that a major talking point this time. The fact that so many of the core players are out of contract are also sides of this that makes it all a bit difficult to predict.
What we did see vs. Preston is the perfect way of Enzoball, playing with loads of possession and scoring three goals with a couple of other 100% chances spoild. Pushing Wout Faes out left, gives this team another dimention and it also makes the partnership between Conor Coady and Jannik Vestergaard one concrete unit with to defenders with massive international and top flight experience. They are so similar in age and solidity that the Robert Huth and Wes Morgan partnership comes to mind.
TFC is in no way looking for a change in management at Leicester, and hopefully Enzo Maresca will be able to stay on and not jump off this project, hopefully being a practicle man and understanding how he must use the strengths of the players in every aspect to be able to pull of great results next season.
Burnley returned to Premier League last season as Championship champions, but has struggled heavily this season to adjust their play with a great number of changes done, so a lot of the player in the team that won promotion are no longer part of the current set up.
Leicester fans might have to have a bit of realism to their demands for next season, but TCF certainly believe that taking the step back to become a top 10 side must be the ultimate challenge, and hopefully Enzo Maresca can adjust and find it possible to fight for points in the way we have seen previous Leicester teams have done after a promotion and managed to stay up.
Leicester won the 2nd tier title of the 8th time, passing Man City as the highest tally of league championships from this level and hopefully the 1971/72, 1983/84, 1996/97 and 2014/15 seasons will be repeated and not those in 1980/81, 1994/95 and 2003/04 as they ended in relegation.
The crucial point for Enzo Maresca is to be able to tie down Jamie Vardy, Jannik Vestergaard and Wilfred Ndidi. Jamie Vardy looks to be eager to continue, would probably also be the case for Jannik Vestergaard, with more uncertainty regarding Wilfred Ndidi. Those three players will be of high importance.
The fact that Leicester need to sell players to balance the books and getting funds to buy a few new, we certainly hope it will be fringe men going out, and not players part of the core. Then the unavoidable question will be, could the club decide to sell Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall?
At this point we have no clear indication for that to happen with none of the top 6 among the top chasers, seeing Brentford, Brighton and Fulham as clubs following his progress and being triggered of that potential fee, said to be down to £30million for acceptance.
CHECK YOUR FOOTBALL RESULTS
