Leicester - What A Team This Year

[Donaldo87]

Leicester. Easy.

[sbcmfc]

3 hours ago, Donaldo87 said:

Leicester. Easy.

Really?

 

i think Aberdeen.

 

more people would care about Leicester, and it would be world wide news.

 

i think the EPL has reached a saturation point where more money can't really make you better. Can give you strength in depth, so with a bit of luck with injuries and suspensions and a good manager there's nowhere near as big a gulf between Leicester and "the big 4" as there is between Celtic and Aberdeen.

[PASTA Mick]

Without doubt Leicester.

Aberdeen were favourites to finish 2nd. They finished 2nd last year. It only needs Celtic to underperform and they have a good chance.

Leicester have Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Man City, Spurs and Liverpool that are all very good teams. But don't forgot, Leicester would have taken 7th behind all them as a great season. Finishing above them would be one of the most unbelievable stories in football.  It would be like Hamilton or Ross County winning the Scottish league. 

[fishcumnock]

Regards injuries, Leicester have fewer games left than others in top 5

no euro or cup games, so could play strongest team every game.

[phart]

Doping allegations breaking.

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Leicester-City-statement/story-29042815-detail/story.html

It's been talked about for months in anti-doping circles, This just coming out today with secret filming etc.

[iainmac1]

It also says he claims to have supplied Chelsea players with performance enhancing drugs. 

They should ask for their money back.

[Jaggy Jim]

Oh dear!

https://twitter.com/FootballFunnys/status/716597742592765952

[phart]

That link isn't working now. What the case really highlights is how ineffective/impotent UKAD (United Kingdom Anti-doping) is in law, if the doctor is just a normal Doctor and not sports affiliated, at best, or at worst collusion to cover up doping.

[Jaggy Jim]

52 minutes ago, Jaggy Jim said:

Oh dear!

https://twitter.com/FootballFunnys/status/716597742592765952

This was a link to a picture of someone selling 2016 champions scarves in Leicester. No idea why it's disappeared.

[Pool Q]

Not long finished reading David Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins about Lance Armstrong, and it did occur to me at the time that in many other sports a team that had turned things around as quickly as Leicester have would be getting some questioning looks from the relevant authorities. Granted a lot of players may have changed at the club in the past year or so - I don't know to be honest, not that interested in the EPL - but I suspect may of the current squad will have been there a while. One of the things the anti-doping guys look for is a rapid improvement in performance, well beyond anything that would normally be expected - like with Armstrong or Michelle Smith. Leicester may well be totally innocent though, in many ways I hope it turns out that they are.

[wembley67lisbon]

Another win.

 

7 clear with 6 to go

[phart]

1 hour ago, Pool Q said:

Not long finished reading David Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins about Lance Armstrong, and it did occur to me at the time that in many other sports a team that had turned things around as quickly as Leicester have would be getting some questioning looks from the relevant authorities. Granted a lot of players may have changed at the club in the past year or so - I don't know to be honest, not that interested in the EPL - but I suspect may of the current squad will have been there a while. One of the things the anti-doping guys look for is a rapid improvement in performance, well beyond anything that would normally be expected - like with Armstrong or Michelle Smith. Leicester may well be totally innocent though, in many ways I hope it turns out that they are.

As soon as Ranieri took over they started working with the Mapei centre, Which has been named inPED issues, with Lampre cycling team.

 

[dandydunn]

2 hours ago, wembley67lisbon said:

Another win.

 

7 clear with 6 to go

And they play again before Spurs do,could stretch it to 10. 

[aaid]

3 hours ago, phart said:

As soon as Ranieri took over they started working with the Mapei centre, Which has been named inPED issues, with Lampre cycling team.

 

Leicester's "winning" run goes back to the tail end of last season where they won 7 out of the last 9 to stay up when Pearson was still manager. 

[phart]

6 minutes ago, aaid said:

Leicester's "winning" run goes back to the tail end of last season where they won 7 out of the last 9 to stay up when Pearson was still manager. 

Aye this time last year they were bottom on 22 points. Regardless of the aforementioned they started working with Mapei as I said.

[aaid]

12 minutes ago, phart said:

Aye this time last year they were bottom on 22 points. Regardless of the aforementioned they started working with Mapei as I said.

I think there are simpler reasons for Leicester's success - so far - this season. 

On one side the opposition - with the exception of Spurs - have all been varying shades of rank.  

They are full of confidence, having picked up this season from where they left off at the end of last season.

They've only had the league to concentrate on, no distractions from Europe and they went out both cups early on, giving more time to recover between games.  Craig Shakespeare, the assistant manager, was on 5 Live last week saying that they only do two days prep for games, something they did before that Ranieri has retained.  Clearly they will be training on other days but it will be less intense.  They are getting plenty of time to recover between games.

The amount of money kicking around the EPL meant that they didn't need to "cash-in" and sell Vardy and Mahrez in the transfer window.

Most importantly though, they are basically playing the same starting eleven every week.  Their best players are playing every game.  Schmeichel, Vardy and Morgan have started every game, Huth, Mahrez and Albrighton have only missed one and Drinkwater has only missed two. 

[Blootoon87]

BetFred have paid out on them winning the league.

[aaid]

16 minutes ago, Blootoon87 said:

BetFred have paid out on them winning the league.

BetFred do that all the time. It's a publicity stunt, no more.  

[phart]

30 minutes ago, aaid said:

I think there are simpler reasons for Leicester's success - so far - this season. 

On one side the opposition - with the exception of Spurs - have all been varying shades of rank.  

They are full of confidence, having picked up this season from where they left off at the end of last season.

They've only had the league to concentrate on, no distractions from Europe and they went out both cups early on, giving more time to recover between games.  Craig Shakespeare, the assistant manager, was on 5 Live last week saying that they only do two days prep for games, something they did before that Ranieri has retained.  Clearly they will be training on other days but it will be less intense.  They are getting plenty of time to recover between games.

The amount of money kicking around the EPL meant that they didn't need to "cash-in" and sell Vardy and Mahrez in the transfer window.

Most importantly though, they are basically playing the same starting eleven every week.  Their best players are playing every game.  Schmeichel, Vardy and Morgan have started every game, Huth, Mahrez and Albrighton have only missed one and Drinkwater has only missed two. 

I've known about Mapei since start of season, never brought it up before cause i also don't think doping is the reason (I imagine if it's done it'll be universal anyway). However a story broke today implicating widespread doping so it became relevant in a small window.

Personally fielding the same players week in week out,for me, is the biggest advantage. But also having as good medicine as everyone else for recovery might also help (speculation I know, but hardly idle).

[Rossy]

30 minutes ago, aaid said:

I think there are simpler reasons for Leicester's success - so far - this season. 

On one side the opposition - with the exception of Spurs - have all been varying shades of rank.  

They are full of confidence, having picked up this season from where they left off at the end of last season.

They've only had the league to concentrate on, no distractions from Europe and they went out both cups early on, giving more time to recover between games.  Craig Shakespeare, the assistant manager, was on 5 Live last week saying that they only do two days prep for games, something they did before that Ranieri has retained.  Clearly they will be training on other days but it will be less intense.  They are getting plenty of time to recover between games.

The amount of money kicking around the EPL meant that they didn't need to "cash-in" and sell Vardy and Mahrez in the transfer window.

Most importantly though, they are basically playing the same starting eleven every week.  Their best players are playing every game.  Schmeichel, Vardy and Morgan have started every game, Huth, Mahrez and Albrighton have only missed one and Drinkwater has only missed two. 

I think you're right there with all of that.

They play the same way with the same team every single week, and they've been doing it for a year now. The luck they've had with injuries and suspensions (lack of) has been astonishing....almost unique, I'd suggest. 

Combine that, as you say, with the fact that they have no cups to distract them and the poor quality of the 'big'clubs, and you have the perfect storm.

That's not to diminish Leicester's season. They're incredibly well organised, they trust each other implicitly, and they have the ideal combination of experienced Premiership players and a couple of real talents. 

They deserve to be where they are. 

[Stapes]

Saw a stat that said if you add their points from the last few games of last season to their points from this season they've got a total that would have won them six Premiership titles. That shows they're maybe not competing in the finest of years, but at the same time it's certainly not the worst of years. They're grinding out results, which is what champions do. Given their run-in they really should win it from here. Fingers crossed.

[Dalgety Bay TA]

Another, possibly nerdy, interesting point about Leicester this season is they are mainly playing 4-4-2 every week, a system that many thought was defunct. It does help that one of the two in midfield, Kante, gets through the work of about 3 men. Drinkwater beside him is no slouch either. Doubtful you could play just a 2 in centre mid against many sides unless they had the work levels of those 2.

[Parklife]

On 11/02/2016 at 4:06 PM, Donaldo87 said:

Leicester. Easy.

 

On 11/02/2016 at 8:29 PM, PASTA Mick said:

Without doubt Leicester.

Aberdeen were favourites to finish 2nd. They finished 2nd last year. It only needs Celtic to underperform and they have a good chance.

Leicester have Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Man City, Spurs and Liverpool that are all very good teams. But don't forgot, Leicester would have taken 7th behind all them as a great season. Finishing above them would be one of the most unbelievable stories in football.  It would be like Hamilton or Ross County winning the Scottish league. 

Leicester have a budget that is 25% of the biggest spending teams in their league. They have a wage bill of £50 million and spent £30 million on players last summer. 

Aberdeen have a budget that is about 15% that of Celtic's and have spent £200k on players in the last 5 years. 

I appreciate that folk want to buy in to the "Leicester fairytale" myth but they're a massively rich team, not some wee club who's triumphed through nothing but hard work and smart tactical play. 

[Dalgety Bay TA]

13 minutes ago, Parklife said:

 

Leicester have a budget that is 25% of the biggest spending teams in their league. They have a wage bill of £50 million and spent £30 million on players last summer. 

Aberdeen have a budget that is about 15% that of Celtic's and have spent £200k on players in the last 5 years. 

I appreciate that folk want to buy in to the "Leicester fairytale" myth but they're a massively rich team, not some wee club who's triumphed through nothing but hard work and smart tactical play. 

Who did they spend £30m on in the summer?

Leicester are massively rich in comparison to anyone in Scotland. They aren't massively rich in comparison to a lot of teams in the EPL.

I don't often say this but PASTA Mick is right in his comments. Aberdeen winning the SPL would no doubt be an achievement in relation to them and Celtic financially. However they were second favourites to win the league. If its not Celtic then the team you would expect to win the league this season is Aberdeen. In the EPL you would easily name 10 teams who were more likely to win the league than Leicester at the start of this season. 

[Parklife]

6 minutes ago, Dalgety Bay TA said:

Who did they spend £30m on in the summer?

Leicester are massively rich in comparison to anyone in Scotland. They aren't massively rich in comparison to a lot of teams in the EPL.

Okazaki, Kante, Inler, Demarai Gray, Daniel Amratey. Admittedly the last 2 were just in January. Soccerbase has that totalling £26.1 million. They also spent £9 million on Kramaric last january. So, let's not pretend that they're not a big spending team, chock full of highly paid international footballers. 

They've bridged a big gap to the top teams and done exceptionally well but the disparity in resources between themselves and those top teams is far smaller than the one Aberdeen have to bridge to beat Celtic.