Wullie Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I think it's unfair to focus on the low points total. If you're in a league, once you get to the business end, you focus on the teams around you and the points they have, you don't race to get yourself to an arbitrary points total that you don't actually need. If Leicester really needed more points, they may have upped their game and beaten WBA/West Ham/Man United during the run in. But they didn't need them. Personally I think Leicester have got no chance whatsoever of mounting another title challenge next year, or even a European one. But they've just won the title and made everyone who has ever commented on football look bloody stupid, so what the fuck do I know? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole_Toonfan Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 They don't have a chance because of the increase in managerial quality coming in and the fact the bigger clubs will go absolutely mental ( a lot more so than usual) to make sure it doesn't happen again. But none of that really matters, they won it this year and that can't be taken away from them. Also I'm absolutely convinced the likes of Mahrez will leave, although that's a personal opinion more than anything else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobody Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Do we reckon this is a Blackburn-style one off, or will they be challenging again next season? They've got an opportunity to win the Champions League now Fair warning for all these new fans of their across the globe, we were class when the Premier League started getting big on Scandinavian TV and it's locked a load of Scandinavians into decades of misery supporting this bunch. English football has been on Scandinavian TV since the 70s or something like that and has been very popular ever since then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timeEd32 Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I'm still laughing at the notion that the BBC included the 2004 Boston Red Sox as a possible comparison. The level of ignorance to put that in writing is astounding. This is the most shocking achievement I can think of across any major sport. Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson was absolutely stunning at the time. Tyson was an unstoppable force, but it was one match, one strange night in Tokyo. If they fought 9 more times Tyson almost certainly knocks him out 9 times. The structure of American sports prevents there from being anything that even comes close to this. In English football it's probably Forest's achievements that are closest, but such a different era. The gulf in resources was nowhere near as dramatic. Bravo Leicester. Maybe it'll be our turn someday... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty66 Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 So I presume from now when the Sky Sports "experts" talk about "City" they will mean Leicester? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomson Mouse Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Where do you all think they'll finish next season? I think if they finish 10th or higher that would be a good season for them. Can't see any way they'll fail on that, probably significantly higher. Can see them adding 2-3 genuine class players to the first team and strengthening the squad. Don't see Vardy and Mahrez being in a rush to leave really. It's not all about that though is it? Depends on which players develop big egos and how who they sign fit in. This season has been about good players believing in themselves as a team, if they pull off a decent result next season it will be impressive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Crooks Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Japan beating South Africa in the rugger was a real shock. One off of course. Certainly up there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Do we reckon this is a Blackburn-style one off, or will they be challenging again next season? They've got an opportunity to win the Champions League now[emoji38] Speaking of that, how does Leicester's achievement compare to Forest winning the league and the EC? Being Spanish and too young for being around when it happened, I know little of how that went down. I was at the game that confirmed Forest as Champions. Clough was a genius. Straight from promotion to Champions and he did it by buying renowned quality players that had issues, like Kenny Burns, Larry Lloyd and Shilts. Together with the young lads he had in promoting them like Tony Woodcock and Viv Anderson. He also brought in Peter Withe as a focal point of the attack, but he left them for us before their European Cup winning campaign, and was replaced by Mr Happy Garry Birtles. I'd say the Leicester story is more astounding but that shouldn't at all decry Clough and his team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Howaythetoon Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Its the biggest achievement in English football history. They won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, survived against all odds and then only went and won the damn thing playing great football, smashing teams, and staying defensively strong all with a side of mixed journey men, lower league players, some foreign talent and Claudio Ranieri as their manager. Its amazing and gives me as a football fan hope that our game isn't just about the big clubs, the money, the egos and the status quo basically. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomson Mouse Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Is it reasonable to suggest that FFP combined with greater TV income could be levelling things out a bit? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Some blatant band wagon jumpers on the news like. Just because you live in Leicester doesn't mean you get to share in the club's success. Some proper dinner nannies wearing all blue, while the old boy who has supported them for 80 years is sitting at home toasting himself with a drink. Get them on the TV for crying out loud. Of course it fucking does. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 in my lifetime i can think of this, denmark winning the euros and greece winning the euros as underdog achievements that stand out in football for me denmark less so i suppose but then they didn't even qualify for the tournament, beyond these i can't think of anything that comes close tbh... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Is it reasonable to suggest that FFP combined with greater TV income could be levelling things out a bit? It is and it isn’t. It’s definitely reasonable to suggest that the playing field has been levelled somewhat, and that the money that the clubs owned by oligarchs/sheikhs have access to is becoming subject to diminishing returns – most PL clubs could now afford almost any player in Europe, bar a select few, many of whom are either already quite happy at Real/Barca/Bayern, or would prefer to go there given the choice anyway. That doesn’t explain Leicester though, whose starting XI cost, in modern PL terms, an absolute pittance. My view is that the money the richest clubs have splurged over the last few years has become a bit of a hindrance. Building a balanced team probably seems like a bit too much effort when you can just buy an expensive superstar to replace whichever expensive superstar isn’t performing, and that’ll usually work 95% of the time, at least domestically. ‘High transfer fees/wage bills = success’ is the formula that top level English football has been hanging its hat on for a while now, and even when better, cheaper teams spring up around Europe, closing the gap tactically instead of financially (Atleti, Dortmund), the rich PL clubs have shut their eyes and said “no problem, we’ll just spend more again”. Eventually though, you just end up with several groups of really good individuals, incredibly inconsistent as collectives, and they’ve all been sucker punched this year by a ragtag group of players who have stuck together for several years, with a few gradually introduced additions, and just become a bloody good team. I think the Leicester players would be well-advised to stay where they are and see what happens next season – I don’t see any of them going elsewhere and bettering themselves individually, as a group they’re the greatest example of “more than the sum of their parts” that I’ve ever seen in football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottishMagpie Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 So I presume from now when the Sky Sports "experts" talk about "City" they will mean Leicester? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shearergol Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 The achievement is certainly up there with Scunthorpe 2 -1 Newcastle ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I hope the likes of Kante & Mahrez at least give it until January. I'd love to see how that XI would fare as it stands in the Champions League. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomson Mouse Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Is it reasonable to suggest that FFP combined with greater TV income could be levelling things out a bit? It is and it isn’t. It’s definitely reasonable to suggest that the playing field has been levelled somewhat, and that the money that the clubs owned by oligarchs/sheikhs have access to is becoming subject to diminishing returns – most PL clubs could now afford almost any player in Europe, bar a select few, many of whom are either already quite happy at Real/Barca/Bayern, or would prefer to go there given the choice anyway. That doesn’t explain Leicester though, whose starting XI cost, in modern PL terms, an absolute pittance. My view is that the money the richest clubs have splurged over the last few years has become a bit of a hindrance. Building a balanced team probably seems like a bit too much effort when you can just buy an expensive superstar to replace whichever expensive superstar isn’t performing, and that’ll usually work 95% of the time, at least domestically. ‘High transfer fees/wage bills = success’ is the formula that top level English football has been hanging its hat on for a while now, and even when better, cheaper teams spring up around Europe, closing the gap tactically instead of financially (Atleti, Dortmund), the rich PL clubs have shut their eyes and said “no problem, we’ll just spend more again”. Eventually though, you just end up with several groups of really good individuals, incredibly inconsistent as collectives, and they’ve all been sucker punched this year by a ragtag group of players who have stuck together for several years, with a few gradually introduced additions, and just become a bloody good team. I think the Leicester players would be well-advised to stay where they are and see what happens next season – I don’t see any of them going elsewhere and bettering themselves individually, as a group they’re the greatest example of “more than the sum of their parts” that I’ve ever seen in football. Very well summed up Completely agree and that's what I was trying to get at with my post earlier about egos. It will be interesting to see how Ranieri handles next season, but I've no doubt there will be divisions within the team. 'Team of individuals' would very well describe the likes of Man U, Chelsea and Man City. The complete opposite of Leicester. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeloEmre Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Probably Giggs, but anyway: Any news regarding bans for any of the Spurs players after yesterdays game? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
triggs Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I hope the likes of Kante & Mahrez at least give it until January. I'd love to see how that XI would fare as it stands in the Champions League. They'll be top seeds so could get through the group depending on the draw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I hope the likes of Kante & Mahrez at least give it until January. I'd love to see how that XI would fare as it stands in the Champions League. They'll be top seeds so could get through the group depending on the draw Unfortunately for them the likes of Dortmund, Roma, Real and Atletico won't be top seeds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The College Dropout Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Agree with the money being a hindrance in line with the top clubs not having the best players in the world anyway. Lads deemed not good enough for the best 3 teams in the world end up as star players for our top clubs. I guess what I'm trying to say is the EPL is too focussed on individuals and stars but those stars aren't the best in the world. The 2 best teams are first and second, not individuals. It's a bit of a shame how Spurs ended up choking out of the challenge. They threw away the game against us and the last two results they wilted under pressure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I thought the seeding went by the club's ranking rather than the country's, which is why Man City always had Bayern Munich in their group when they started playing in the CL? Have I made that up? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 I thought the seeding went by the club's ranking rather than the country's, which is why Man City always had Bayern Munich in their group when they started playing in the CL? Have I made that up? There's a small component derived from the league ranking, but yeah I'm surprised that Leicester would be top seed right off the bat. Are we sure that's the case? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugazi Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 Changed this season, apparently. Prior to the 2015/16 season, the top eight seeds were ordered by the coefficients of the competing clubs, but as of the current campaign, league champions from Europe's top seven associations will be placed directly into Pot One. http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11096/10267810/leicester-to-be-placed-in-top-pot-for-champions-league-draw-if-they-win-premier-league Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stifler Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 So they can still end up with the likes of Dortmund, Real Madrid, Atheltico Madrid etc (assuming Barcelona win La Liga). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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