Leicester

Exiled_Addick

sinking feesh said:

Exiled_Addick said:

IA said:

Exiled_Addick said:

killerandflash said:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26300042

What I like about Leicester is that they haven't gone up to the PL and just bought a new team.

This is the team that beat us in April 2014 and it's very recognisable, despite the fact that we're now 2 seasons on. Leicester have kept the nucleus of that team, and the team spirit and just topped it up.

I posted this on the other thread, but one of the things I like about Leicester is that they kept the core of the promotion team, even after 2 summers of recruitment and a new manager. This has really helped the team spirit. It's amazing to think that both Vardy and Mahrez both played against us!

Goes to show as well that things can be done a more sensible budget, if your player recruitment is right (although is easier said than done to get it working so well).

Leicester paid less than 1.5 million for Vardy and Mahrez - they could probably get upwards of 30, maybe even 40 m if they were to sell them in January.

We supposedly paid more for Izale Mcleod, Andy Gray, and Naby Sarr individually

Leicester ran up debts of around £100m in the five or so seasons before they were promoted to the Premier League and were the big spenders almost every season (occasionally joined by Cardiff or QPR)

Of all the praise heaped on them, saying they were financially prudent in the Championship is not one I agree with.

I'm aware they had to spend to get out of the division, but Vardy and Mahrez are great examples of the kind of value for money that is out there.

Vardy cost about a million from non league. Can't remember many saying he looked like good value at the time

What's the perception of the deal at the time got to do with anything?

1 million quid for a player who would go on top be the Premier League top scorer is crazy cheap in anyone's language. Doesn't matter if they bought him off a tramp who found him a bin round the back of Aldi.

The point is, you don't necessarily have to pay huge amounts of money to get quality. What you have to be able to do, is scout well, identify players who have the ability you need, be willing to pay, within reason, what it costs to get them, even if people raise an eyebrow at the time, and then have a cohesive structure in place at your club that coaches them and allows them to develop and thrive. None of it comes 'cheap' but then neither has a lot of the dross we have signed since Roland started trying to balance the books (sic). You don't necessarily have to be able spunk 8 figure sums from your parachute payments on players like Rhodes or McCormack to do very well in the Championship.

Players like Vardy and Mahrez (pre Leicester anyway) would be within the reach of Charlton even now, but the tricky bit (and the bit we are getting more wrong than anything else right now) is identifying them and doing the deal that will get them to your club ahead of others.

Chris_from_Sidcup

Another win today, 5 points clear now and will be top of the table at xmas, exactly a year after they went into the xmas break, bottom of the table.

Vardy or Mahrez (and often both) have scored in every single game and the pair of them now have more goals than 15 other Premier league teams.

Hope they keep it up.

cafctom

My housemate is a Leicester fan. Last week he put £20 on a three match accumulator:

- Bournemouth to beat United
- Charlton and Leeds to draw
- Leciester to beat Chelsea

So his team went back to the top of the Premier League and won him £700 in the process. He is still on cloud nine, and so he should be!

i_b_b_o_r_g

cafctom said:

My housemate is a Leicester fan. Last week he put £20 on a three match accumulator:

- Bournemouth to beat United
- Charlton and Leeds to draw
- Leciester to beat Chelsea

So his team went back to the top of the Premier League and won him £700 in the process. He is still on cloud nine, and so he should be!

Hope you've kicked him in the bollocks to bring him back down to earth, Our Tom

i_b_b_o_r_g

......made up for the Leicester btw

happyvalley

I would love them to stay top till the end of the season. I can remember back to the seasons when literally any team could win the title.

NomadicAddick

Did anyone hear the Leicester fan on 5live? Brilliant!

Six-a-bag-of-nuts

Could we really end up with Leicester and Palace in the Champions League?

smiffyboy

There's 1 very happy punter out there tonight £5k better off

ricky_otto

Six-a-bag-of-nuts said:

Could we really end up with Leicester and Palace in the Champions League?

Hopefully Leicester yes. Always nice to see the so called lesser clubs sticking 2 fingers up at the 'big' teams.

Hopefully the other team you mention self implode. But I still can't help feel a bit envious.

Uboat

This is the one year when it's all set up for Arsenal to finally win the league again, so it would be hilarious if they lost out to Leicester.

ForeverAddickted

smiffyboy said:

There's 1 very happy punter out there tonight £5k better off

God imagine had they lost yesterday and Arsenal or Man City won on Monday...

Chris_from_Sidcup

21 games gone, kept off the top only by goal difference.

Champions league qualification hopes looking better and better by the week.

cafc_harry

3 points clear at the top, 15 games to go. None of the other teams seem to want to win it. Why not?

Mackle

Makes me remember when we were forth until we sold Scott Parker

North Lower Neil

I'd love them to do it.

palarsehater

Read on racing post that there's a punter in Guildford that has £75.00 at 5000/1 on Leicester to win the league anti post at start of season, would love them to do it, Arsenal are notorious for being bottle jobs and man city are too unpredictable

Halix

It would certainly shake the big teams up if they steal one of their Champions league places, hope Ranieri does it as he seems decent enough and took a lot if stick re the tinkerman. I guess his critics will say that Leicesters smaller squad means he has less chance to cock things up.

palarsehater

Leicesters remaining fixtures;

would love to see them win it at stamford bridge, and then to show john terrys face he might even go up and try and get a medal;

Leicester v Liverpool Tue 2 Feb
Man City v Leicester Sat 6 Feb
Arsenal v Leicester Sun 14 Feb
Leicester v Norwich Sat 27 Feb
Leicester v West Brom Tue 1 Mar
Watford v Leicester Sat 5 Mar
Leicester v Newcastle Mon 14 Mar
Crystal Palace v Leicester Sat 19 Mar
Leicester v Southampton Sat 2 Apr
Sunderland v Leicester Sat 9 Apr
Leicester v West Ham Sat 16 Apr
Leicester v Swansea Sat 23 Apr
Man Utd v Leicester Sat 30 Apr
Leicester v Everton Sat 7 May
Chelsea v Leicester Sun 15 May

North Lower Neil

Halix said:

It would certainly shake the big teams up if they steal one of their Champions league places, hope Ranieri does it as he seems decent enough and took a lot if stick re the tinkerman. I guess his critics will say that Leicesters smaller squad means he has less chance to cock things up.

Thing is they are now ten points clear of United in 5th who aremt playing anywhere near well enough to catch them.

I can't see them not making the top 4 now.

cs1986

palarsehater said:

Read on racing post that there's a punter in Guildford that has £75.00 at 5000/1 on Leicester to win the league anti post at start of season, would love them to do it, Arsenal are notorious for being bottle jobs and man city are too unpredictable

He needs to lay that bet off.. Well at least some of it!

ForeverAddickted

palarsehater said:

Leicesters remaining fixtures;

would love to see them win it at stamford bridge, and then to show john terrys face he might even go up and try and get a medal;

Leicester v Liverpool Tue 2 Feb
Man City v Leicester Sat 6 Feb
Arsenal v Leicester Sun 14 Feb

OUCH!!... If they get anything from those three games, then surely they'll win the Premier League

The last three games could be huge too though

killerandflash

North Lower Neil said:

Halix said:

It would certainly shake the big teams up if they steal one of their Champions league places, hope Ranieri does it as he seems decent enough and took a lot if stick re the tinkerman. I guess his critics will say that Leicesters smaller squad means he has less chance to cock things up.

Thing is they are now ten points clear of United in 5th who aremt playing anywhere near well enough to catch them.

I can't see them not making the top 4 now.

Chelsea AND Man U not making the Top 4 would be staggering, but entirely possible now!

Blucher

3 points clear with 15 games to go. It would be an amazing if Leicester could win the title, although there's obviously a long way to go. If they could, I think it would be an achievement on a par with provincial clubs like Derby and Forest winning the league in the 1970s shortly after being promoted. I never thought I'd see that again.

LouisMend

https://twitter.com/breathesport/status/692255789424087040

ForeverAddickted

People are going to hate me for saying this but Charlton have been top of the Premier League for 17-days

North Lower Neil

killerandflash said:

North Lower Neil said:

Halix said:

It would certainly shake the big teams up if they steal one of their Champions league places, hope Ranieri does it as he seems decent enough and took a lot if stick re the tinkerman. I guess his critics will say that Leicesters smaller squad means he has less chance to cock things up.

Thing is they are now ten points clear of United in 5th who aremt playing anywhere near well enough to catch them.

I can't see them not making the top 4 now.

Chelsea AND Man U not making the Top 4 would be staggering, but entirely possible now!

Probable I'd say, I think it'll be Arsenal, Leicester, Man City and Spurs in the top four spots, which order they come in will be interesting.

iaitch

I don't mind what order as long as Palace don't sneak in there. Now they've got Adebayor they can only go one way.

daveaddick

Nothing but admiration for Leicester good luck to them. They play at a high tempo and hurt teams on the break, their performance against Stoke on the weekend was outstanding. I think they will make the top 4 unless they have a mega meltdown and good for them.

kentaddick

if they make it to the top four we may see a flurry of teams in the championship get bought by ambitious owners. They've proven you can come from the championship and compete at the highest level. Next season and the money they'll make in the champions league i bet they'd have made back the amount of money the owners have invested in them.