A word of warning - written by (@Watson_Journo)
I want avoid using to many clichés when talking about Leicester’s prospects for the upcoming season, but as all you fans will know, it never has been and never will be simple.
Every season, bar our return to the Championship under Pearson, we have had a reasonable belief that this season could see us secure our return to the Premier League though circumstance has always got in the way.
The appointment of former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson last season was met with huge expectation from the Blue Army but his appointment in October and not pre-season ultimately meant it was always going to be too much for promotion. Loan players came in their numbers, some were successful whilst other weren’t and in hindsight many would have preferred we had kept playing the likes of Hobbs, Berner and Waghorn instead of ultimately becoming forced out of the club by temporary players. But (first cliché of the post) ultimately there is no room for sentiment in football and we must accept that these players are unlikely to have a future at Leicester.
A summer of transfer activity is expected as Sven plans to put together his OWN side and I urge fans to be patient during this period as it is still very early, few teams have signed players for next season and we must chose these signings wisely.
The expectation ahead of this season is probably bigger than it ever has been and we believe promotion will be achieved next season though I have a few reservations I would like to share as somewhat of a reality check.
As I have said earlier things are never straight forward with Leicester City and I fully expect this season to be no different from the last 127 years.
The concern that I have and that is clearly shown by many supporters is not the lack of signings but more importantly the lack of players currently in the first team squad. So many loan players were brought in last season and all have once again left, leaving us with a small squad and a number of them actively looking for a way out, so up to 10 signings will be necessary if we are to have a competitive squad next season. The copious amount of players being linked with the club is at its most ridiculous and the signings we make I think will surprise many. One signing I would expect would be the signing of Fulham’s John Panstil who will be available for free in the summer and is likely to join once Sven has exhausted the chance of bringing Kyle Naughton back to the club.
A concern that I do not believe has been aired before is the length of Sven’s current contract as his current deal only takes him to the end of next season. This is a dangerous scenario as if we get to Christmas and we are not front runners there will be speculation whether we should continue with him or cut our losses and bring someone else in, as one thing that can be certain is that if we are not promoted next season Sven will not be here. This scenario hampered Roy Keane during his time at Ipswich as the speculation on his long term future is distracting to the players which saw him sacked with 6months left on his contract, stability is so key to gaining promotion from the Championship.
Stability is definitely the key word in the Championship, I struggle to think of a successful Championship side in my recent memory who have not has a settled side, this league cannot be bought. Cardiff, Forest and Middlesbrough have all spent relatively big in Championship terms and have continued to fail to gain promotion whilst teams like Norwich, Swansea and Blackpool have gained promotion through not spending and having a fantastic team ethic. The main difference separating Leicester from these clubs is that if we were to gain promotion we would have the necessary tools to sustain a position in the Premier League though the transfer policy needed to get us out of the Championship is very different to the one used by Sven last season.
The Pearson and O’Neill era’s of Foxes never quitting appears to have been left behind for a mentality of flair and class which is something we all enjoy watching but is something that West Brom apart has struggled to be successful. A season ahead of speculation and drama can be assured and one that really cannot be predicted though the aim is clear, promotion must be achieved.
Jake Watson - Sport Journalist working for Goal.com
