(Not hypothetical anymore) Leicester win the league!

The Talking Bread

Vardy looked very uncomfortable at the end there in the interview. Think he picked up something there. Fingers crossed for him. Last minute or so as well.

Agent Coulson

Owners with a 5 year plan that actually backed it up fulfilled it.

DrumSteve

Drinkwater pulling a Terry here

BoJack Horseman

So, the owners are doing a lap of honour, hogging the trophy, bearing Thai flags & one guy behind them holding up a large golden framed portrait of the Thai King.

A bit bizarre....?

keith16

Anyone find it a bit weird the owners and family doing a lap with the trophy? A bit out of place imo.

Fr Tod Umptious

keith16 wrote: »

Anyone find it a bit weird the owners and family doing a lap with the trophy? A bit out of place imo.

It different but they are dead right to do it.

Owners don't get enough credit when things go well but often get more abuse than necessary when they don't.

In US sports owners have a far higher profile than this side of the world

Billy86

keith16 wrote: »

Anyone find it a bit weird the owners and family doing a lap with the trophy? A bit out of place imo.

A bit, but to be fair just a few months before they bought the club, Leicester had lost Pearson and his replacement (Paolo Sousa, also brought in before the club) was doing poorly. Eventually they got Pearson back, then Ranieri, and they won the ****ing league in the biggest upset maybe in the history of any sport ever. Basically, I doubt any Leicester players or fans will give much of a f***.


Gotta love Wes Morgan there though, one of the mostly genuinely happy interviews ever, loved his line about "Champions League football? I don't even know what that feels like but I can't wait, WWOOOOO!!!!" Genuine kid-at-Christmas feeling to it.

Not weird at all. Fair play to them. They deserve to be enjoying the celebrations too

The Talking Bread

Leicester owners invested so much in that club. Apparently they will never get paid back what they put into the club, not even with this achievment, monetarily speaking.
Bottom of the championship when they took over, now look at them.
Cant be a coincidence.
They were pretty ****ty to Pearson but it seems to have been the correct decision, no matter how scrupolous it was at the time.

They arent taking anything away from the occasion at all. The more people at Leicester who get to enjoy the moment the better. They have every right to be out there!

But, yeah, the framed photo/portrait of the Supreme Leader was bizarre!! But whatever floats their boat!!

retalivity

anyone that's ever been to thailand would recognise the reverance they have for the king there. people get jailed for bad mouthing the royal family. Not that its right, but the fact that the owners also had buddhist monks flown over from thailand to bless the stadium should mean that noone is suprised theyre walking around with a photo of the king

The Talking Bread

Nah, it was a portrait of The Original Supreme Leader of Leicester, King Martin!!

bucketybuck

Better to have owners on the pitch enjoying the celebrations than sitting at home not giving a **** about their business asset.

Corholio

The funniest bit was when the players were holding up the trophy one by one and they were looking to see who hadn't done it, then they saw little Kante in the middle and he came walking out like a small player mascot to lift the trophy in between the taller guys.

Also when the Leicester assistant about how many they play in midfield and how it works, he answered: "3, we play Drinkwater who sits, and we play Kante either side" :pac:

helimachoptor

such a great achievement, at christmas i expected them to fall away but fair play to them, a real rags to riches story, hopefully they do well again next year and dont end up fighting relegation!

Lovely Bloke

I just watched the Andrea Bocelli thing.

That was one of the best things that ever happened.

L'prof

Love me a bit of Bocelli, that was amazing. Just being there for that, never mind the game and the presentations, would have been unbelievable!

Ben Gadot

I'm an admitted bitter oul bollox and was silently raging about poxy Leicester making a mockery of the league, while my own expensively assembled team flattered to deceive.

But seeing those lads lift that trophy yesterday was a joy to behold. Well done to them.

I think a part of my indifference towards them was over Vardy who, to put it mildly, comes across as a bloke with a major chip on his shoulder. Case in point his gesturing to the keeper yesterday when he scored the peno (thankfully the keeper got his opportunity to give a bit back).

I will be interested to see where he goes from here as a bloke approaching 30.

garra

Extraordinary achievements call for extraordinary celebrations. Well done Leicester for defying conventional wisdom, for playing their way and winning in style, and for celebrating outrageously.. This reminds of what sporting endeavour should be about and I'm thrilled for football as much as the Foxes.

Richard Hillman

bucketybuck wrote: »

Better to have owners on the pitch enjoying the celebrations than sitting at home not giving a **** about their business asset.

I have always found the Sheikh Mansoor thing a bit strange. I think he has been to something like 2 games.

K-9

Similar thing when Liverpool was up for sale in 07, the Arabs involved didn't seem that bothered and Hicks and Gilette got in basically due to that.

Mars Bar

I flew home from Luton today. An awful lot of Italian Leicester fans there.

Brendan Filone

This is a bit a long read but pretty funny. a Leicester fan on a fans forum asking if they could win the league after the first game of the season, with predictable responses.

http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/topic/101999-can-we-win-the-league/page-1

The thread just epitomises how much of a shock this season has been.

The Talking Bread

Brendan Filone wrote: »

This is a bit a long read but pretty funny. a Leicester fan on a fans forum asking if they could win the league after the first game of the season, with predictable responses.

http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/topic/101999-can-we-win-the-league/page-1

The thread just epitomises how much of a shock this season has been.

The Foxes Forum has been such a heavenly place the last few months! I have been delving in and out sensing the mood and optimism!! Such a joy to see fans really appreciate (and not just expect) such feats of glory!

I read a lot of fan forums throughout seasons, get a more inside view of aspects of the club/mood of fans/players/transfers etc but I have never enjoyed reading a forum as much as I did this!

magma69

Leicester winning the league.

Athletico to do the double! City to lose out on 4th. What an amazing 2 fingers that would be to the money bollox ruining the game.

KERSPLAT!

magma69 wrote: »

Leicester winning the league.

Athletico to do the double! City to lose out on 4th. What an amazing 2 fingers that would be to the money bollox ruining the game.

Well Atletico can't win La Liga anymore so that's gone...

Liam McPoyle

Ben Gadot wrote: »

I'm an admitted bitter oul bollox and was silently raging about poxy Leicester making a mockery of the league, while my own expensively assembled team flattered to deceive.

But seeing those lads lift that trophy yesterday was a joy to behold. Well done to them.

I think a part of my indifference towards them was over Vardy who, to put it mildly, comes across as a bloke with a major chip on his shoulder. Case in point his gesturing to the keeper yesterday when he scored the peno (thankfully the keeper got his opportunity to give a bit back).

I will be interested to see where he goes from here as a bloke approaching 30.

He'll get a new bumper contract at Leicester and eventually retire as a club legend.

None of the "big teams" will be in for him IMO so there is no point leaving the precipice of his career for anyone else.

He is not a likeable character though. He is a bit pikey and I'd compare him to that one lairy mate that everyone has, you will tolerate him because he is your best friends cousin but if he wasn't you wouldn't want to be associated with him.

His is a great story though.

NIMAN

The fact that Leicester are currently 10pts clear of the pack is embarrassing for the rest of the so-called big boys in the best league in the world.

They need to take a long hard look at themselves!

garra

Saul T Nutzz wrote: »

He'll get a new bumper contract at Leicester and eventually retire as a club legend.

None of the "big teams" will be in for him IMO so there is no point leaving the precipice of his career for anyone else.

He is not a likeable character though. He is a bit pikey and I'd compare him to that one lairy mate that everyone has, you will tolerate him because he is your best friends cousin but if he wasn't you wouldn't want to be associated with him.

His is a great story though.

Football's Conor McGregor

The_Kew_Tour

5000/1 to win the league, wonder what price would have been for them to win it with 2 games to spare or win it by least 7 points also?

A_Sober_Paddy

You'd wonder is Southampton could be the next Leicester, seem to have a great youth acamedy and a bit of money

A_Sober_Paddy

garra wrote: »

Football's Conor McGregor

McGregor off camara is supposed to be very approachable and nice, his carry on in the UFC is just a persona

Shanotheslayer

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

You'd wonder is Southampton could be the next Leicester, seem to have a great youth acamedy and a bit of money

This is what Leicester have started. Everybody on a decent run now etc will be '' the next Leicester'' :pac:

A_Sober_Paddy

Shanotheslayer wrote: »

This is what Leicester have started. Everybody on a decent run now etc will be '' the next Leicester'' :pac:

Well Southampton also had their time in the lower leagues after a few years in the premier, new stadiums seemed to coincide with decline which is odd

The Talking Bread

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

You'd wonder is Southampton could be the next Leicester, seem to have a great youth acamedy and a bit of money

Southampton's evolution to winners next season, providing they keep their best players, would be much less shocking than that of Leicesters. They have been knocking around the top 6 last two years and could be in for european football next season (guaranteed if Liverpool win the Europa, I think?)

They have incrementally moved up the table now, literally, 8th, 7th 6th in last 3 seasons and have seen some excellent players come and go. I think this summer is huge for Southampton's future. The money is there now and the club foundation is very solid and with the attraction of European football, and the clubs ambitious league performance, as well as a(nother) excellent manager ant the attraction of European football, this could be the first season in a while The Saints can keep their best players and invest in a few top players also.

The crux of their squad next season could be Sadio mane, Pelle, Long, Wanyama (still unbelievably only 24), Tadic, Jordy Clasie, Rodriguez, Van Dijk, Bertrand, Davis, Ward-Prowse, Romeo, few young players coming through like Juanmi, Gallagher, Reed and Saegar.

One loss in their last nine league games is brilliant form to finish a season and it was that sort of conclusion last year that Leicester built up momentum and confidence (albeit different circumstances)

Next year clubs like Southampton, West Ham and even Watford will be the most likely to put it up to the big clubs. It sounds like a cliche but the amount of confidence, awareness, ambitiousness and eagerness the so called middle clubs will start the next season with after seeing what happened with Leicester is going to be huge.

Overall though Next season will be very unpredictable and so so different to this one, in fact so different to any season over last decade if you ask me.

So many changes .
Liverpool will be up there (but I cant envisage they will finish higher than third or fourth at best)

Chelsea can only improve but again a top 4 will be their target and barring a complete turnaround they wont challenge again next season, even with Conte.

Arsenal will be contenders again and this Summer will define the clubs next five years. The Wenger issue is huge and he is the one all the failure is being directed at. Its a catch 22 with Wenger. His resignation (as it will only be) needs to happen, and I think now is the best time. You have to feel sorry for him. In one way it seems he was has ambitions to finish his Arsenal carreer on a high with the Premier League and for a lot of Arsenal fans it appears that is the only definition of success.
Fans often forget that their are 5/6/7 other teams challenging every season realistically for the top positions and although Wenger hasnt got them over the winning line in years, defining finishing where he has every season as failure is silly talk.
But on the other hand, probability wise, if you take all the last ten seasons collectively, a team like Arsenal would be 1/3 shots or less to pick up a title at least in that period so in that respect you could consider his last decade as a failure.
A centre back, (Stones) a a midfielder like Wanyama/Pogba and a centre forward in the crux of Lewandowski (who they are increasingly being linked with as he wants to move to England), a bit more battle and a solution to their injury issues is what they need. Wenger could easily oversee that.

United, like Arsenal, have a lot of issues to look at this Summer and again a lot depends on Van Gaal issue. Van Gaal is definitely leaving next Summer anyway and, unlike Wenger, there is not much emotional ties nor built up consistency attached to him, it would seem so getting rid of him is not a hard decision.
Its probably clear at this stage Mourinho is taking over and that will most likely mean players like Mata and Fellaini will be shown the door. Its completely impossible to know what will happen with them but I dont agree that they have been that bad this season at all. They have had some bad injuries, been unlucky in some games, invested in their future for the first time in years by playing young players like Martial, Fosu Mensah, Rashford and lingaard regularly, have shaw to come back, will have Schneiderlen playing more regularly hopefully, Schweinsteiger might f off hopefully, Mourinho may play Rooney as part of a front 4 (4 from Rashford, Martial, Griezmann, Memphis, Lingaard, Rooney, Renato Sanches ) (schneiderlin (A.N. Other) , darmian and Shaw (Fosu Mensah) on the wings and Smalling and Blind (back up with A.N. Other) at the back.
With best keeper arguably atm in the world and, arguably, the brightest young player in Martial, with a few more alterations in the squad, they should be challengers.

City, likewise, especially with the likely probability of no Champ League and a new coach and without the burden of YaYa, if they make a few more as well as Aguero and De Bruyne having an injury. I dont rate Pep as highly as many have I am going to say, Brilliant manager but out of the three positions he has had this is by far the hardest so I genuinely dont think his appointment automatically will mean great improvement for City.

Spurs season will be less successful next year, probability wise. Fantastic first 11 but like Leicester they have had a freak low injury-wise season and with the other top clubs surely to improve, balancing champions league football may impact on them. Not guaranteed but I feel, although they may be in top 3 favourites, they may not necessarily improve. Last three games has shown players for the future like Dier, Delle Alli, and Walker and even kane can let their emotions get the better of them. Whilst this is great when you are on a role and brilliant performances are building your confidence, a bit of pressure clearly didnt have a positive effect on them last few games.
I backed them at 16/1 in January to win the league and it was a great bet I feel and they were the unluckiest losers in years for the League in a freak season but I think next season may be a bit of an anti climax for those who are confident they will be the top team next year. They may also have a despondency about them after coming so near whilst at the start and even in the midst of this season their wasnt as much expectancy on them, relatively speaking so they went about their games in the shadow of others like the fairytale of Leicester, the disappointment of City, the strangeness of Uniteds bipolar season, the carcrash of Chelsea and the once again anti climax of Arsenal. More expectancy and more pressure on them next year may have a yielding effect.

Too much said about Leicester so I wont bother but we all know deep down they will be doing superb to merely get into the top 3 or even 4 next season.



Long and short although this season was a fairytale, it lacked a lot also and next season will be moreso an epic war film in the manner that it genuinely, on the face of it will be a lot closer.

God, that was a long post!!!!

A prize (and apology!!)for anyone who gets down this far!!!!!!

josip

The Talking Bread wrote: »

...
God, that was a long post!!!!

A prize (and apology!!)for anyone who gets down this far!!!!!!

Ok, what do I get!?

The Talking Bread

josip wrote: »

Ok, what do I get!?

VIP access to read my next long post! 😄

K-9

NIMAN wrote: »

The fact that Leicester are currently 10pts clear of the pack is embarrassing for the rest of the so-called big boys in the best league in the world.

They need to take a long hard look at themselves!

Guardian Football Weekly was saying they could get the second biggest winning points margin in PL history!

loyatemu

One issue for Southampton might be holding onto Koeman. He's done a brilliant job there, bigger clubs may start sniffing around.

Fr Tod Umptious

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Well Southampton also had their time in the lower leagues after a few years in the premier, new stadiums seemed to coincide with decline which is odd

When you say a few you mean 27 consecutive years right ?

Seve OB

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

When you say a few you mean 27 consecutive years right ?

ehhh.... where did you pull that out of?

The Talking Bread

Seve OB wrote: »

ehhh.... where did you pull that out of?

I think he was referring to their previous consistency in the top division from the late seventies until 2005

which has nothing to do with what you said of course!

Fr Tod Umptious

Seve OB wrote: »

ehhh.... where did you pull that out of?

Southampton spent 27 consecutive years in the top flight, from lat 70s to mid 00s.

Seve OB

ah fair enough so..... I thought you meant that was their current run

The Talking Bread

Just seen Bayern signed Sanches. FFS. Ed Woodward really is a bloody mug.

The Talking Bread

My Prediction Next Year (which will 100% be wrong no doubt!!)

Arsenal
United
City
Spurs
Liverpool
Chelsea
Leicester/Southampton
Southampton/Leicester
West Ham
Watfor/Everton
Everton/Watford
Boro/Stoke
Stoke/Boro
Palace
West Brom
Sunderland/Newcastle
Swansea
Bournemouth
Burnley
Brighton

GreNoLi

GreNoLi wrote: »

Hope leicester bring out a blu ray of a season review, would buy it in a heartbeat.

Hard luck to spurs, hope they get second now.

http://store.hmv.com/film-tv/blu-ray/leicester-city-fc-season-review-2015-2016

fyfe79

Their entire merchandising department would need sacking if they DIDN'T bring out a season review release!

The Talking Bread

fyfe79 wrote: »

Their entire merchandising department would need sacking if they DIDN'T bring out a season review release!

The fact your even suggesting that this is in any way not to happen is odd!! There will be dozens of books, reviews etc on this over next year!

K-9

There's a book out already I believe.

The Talking Bread

There will be a dozen documentaries and no doubt a film also ��