……. And it’s not for me- thank you.
We have visited the heights of football excitement and achievement with my club. A season of extraordinary achievement culminated with my team –Leicester City – winning the English Premier League- a feat which resounded around the world and brought fame and recognition not only to our club , but put our city and region on a global platform.
Claudio Ranieri had harnessed the talents within our squad and produced an defensive back four structure and especially alignment which was straight from Serie A and with the calculated added abilities of Kante –allowing players like Drinkwater and Mahrez to express their talents more freely and release Vardy to become a record breaking and sought after striker. Workhorses like Albrighton and Okazaki completed a team which was confident enough in its defensive capability to cede possession but then strike with speed and precison .
Deceptively simple –well drilled and understood by the players- because it was based around their capabilities.
Simple in one way – but only Arsenal really came to terms with it and against all odds and pundits –Leicester City and Ranieri confounded them all –and did the impossible.
Just a year ago – remember the scenes –remember the parades – remember the great feeling around the City and club.
What was also memorable was the soaring of reputation and publicity which the club enjoyed with Ranieri showing that achievement could also be established whilst courtesy and humour were extended to press, opponents and the public.
It was a season never to forget or undervalue.
However it was…. A not unexpected reaction to the previous season and the extra pressures of what was a fantastically successful European Champions League competition resulted in lowly league position and pressures within the club caused by poor recruitment and internal strife and factions.
In this Ranieri found himself increasingly isolated as lesser talents determined to protect their own interests and agendas within the club.
This resulted in a calculated and concerted program to undermine and denigrate the manager who had led the club to unbelievable success which resulted in the ultimate in disgraceful conduct with Ranieri receiving his dismissal together with his luggage at the airport following yet another successful European game in Seville.
The full background of this episode will eventually eke out and explain the reason for the continuing toxic criticisms from pundits within the game who are aware.
As a result Shakespeare – a long time no 2- was appointed caretaker manager aided by a goalkeeper coach now elevated to first team coach….. after the Lord Mayors Show..
A combination of managerial talent guaranteed to establish us as as an ambitious Premier League club?
Guaranteed to offer an opportunity to aspiring Premier League stars from abroad the chance to advance their careers?
The answer is a resounding –no – in my opinion. Good players of real European quality will not come
In addition existing talented players who need development and systems of play not overly reliant on effort over skill and ability- like Gray, Mahrez even Chilwell will be looking at move possibilities – and Danny Drinkwater –having blossomed so effectively under Ranieri and winning England caps will surely also be looking at alternatives.
We are positioned amongst the Stoke ,Burnley, Crystal Palace West Ham Brighton etc level of club with a manager who would not be appointed or even shortlisted by any other Premier Team ….
Which reflects our level of ambition and the limited capabilities of the board members advising the owners.
Grimsby not Guardiola
Not for me …. I will exit at the top –as Premier League winners and European Champions Cup quarter finalists and also not feel tainted by continuing support for a club which behaved with disrepute in treating the man who had brought such success and dignity to our team and city and was not afforded the chance to say goodbye.
There will be three nice seats released and available after many years of patronage
The Future..more Grimsby than Guardiola
posted on 24/5/17
"Leicester 'til I die"........and I suspect most on here will feel the same, even though we don't always agree with the club's actions. UTF
posted on 24/5/17
"He (Pearson) has no bearing on decisions taken at King Power and therefore did not even enter my thinking."
Having had an anti-Pearson agenda all this time then, frankly, I don't believe you. The only thing that, in my view, would have given any credence or logic to your position would have been if you were objecting to Shakespeare given his past associations with Pearson - given your well documented stance. Shakespeare might ultimately be a bad call, but there is always an element of risk when appointing any manager.
"I have serious doubts about the ability of the Board Directors with specific football related responsibilities to bridge the gap between their relative parochial Belvoir Drive existence and experience and the drive and international knowhow which is necessary to succeed as a substantial player in the English Premier League and therefore on the European / International stage."
They won the Premier League and got to the QF's of the Champions League when only being promoted from the Championship in 2013/14. You could argue that they were ahead of schedule.
"However he (Ranieri) knew that to continue long term success changes in players, recruitment , player development and structures were necessary."
You could also argue that the Board of Directors also knew that relegation could have put us back years and curtailed any momentum built from the 2015/16 almost instantly.
"So we have a situation that we expect our ambitions and future to lie with an untried and inexperienced manager with no status and credibility coupled with an ex goalie coach /assistant manager."
Untried and inexperienced? Maybe. He certainly has more Premier League experience than the likes of Dyche, Howe and Clement when they first found themselves managers of PL teams - albeit, not as manager. He does remain something of an unknown, but I very much doubt that many people in the game would say that he has no "status or credibility".
We need to think about what sort of manager we want. We are still a million miles away from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea and you could argue that we need a manager to help us build for the future. A future when we might be able to attract the likes of Conte, Guardiola and Mourinho.
There is a good argument to be had for questioning the appointment of Shakey against our longer term aspirations - I get that. But throwing away your support based on a decision to appoint him is nonsensical.
posted on 24/5/17
People are entitled to stop doing anything at any point.
What I'm wondering is why this was created as a thread for debate (particularly considering the follow up comment basically saying 'I'll do what I want to do' )- at best, it's a blog: expressing a rather mudane/5 month too late (notibly when our form has dipped slightly as oppose to when we were on a near unbeatable run since Shakespeare's appointment) opinion that has been expressed via an unsuitable medium...at worst, it's simply narcissistic ramblings. Like most things in life, I'm guessing it falls somewhere in between.
I wasn't aware supporting Leicester was an option, but maybe this gives some credence to the debate of a difference between a fan of something and a supporter.
I do hope you completely avoid watching/following Leicester at all to at least give your opinion some depth rather than just having a tantrum.
One question (and it is rhetorical; I don't need a 1000 word drivel filled response) - why didn't you post this immediately after Ranieri's sacking and at that point, announce (or just do!) your imminent MIA status from the King Power?
posted on 24/5/17
'People are entitled to stop doing anything at any point'
Apart from breathing... Don't do that. It's silly.
posted on 24/5/17
Slightly surprised and disappointed. I rarely agreed with you JG but this forum will be the lesser for your absence. It would be a pretty boring place if everybody agreed with each other all the time.
It's a pity that you've given up on your season tickets too, a move that may prove to be an overreaction and one you may regret in due course. I can understand your decision better if there is now an element of difficulty in getting to games. It's obviously down to individual choice anyway.
Just curious, we're you born an LCFC supporter or did you come to it later?
posted on 24/5/17
Seem to remember the same thing being said when Pearson got re appointed!
Nothing like a Liar to stir the natives up.
posted on 25/5/17
Incidentally, did anyone else struggle with this article due to the mixed metaphors in the title?
Surely either of these would have been better:
1. The future - more Bury than Barcelona
2. The future – more Megson than Mourinho
Hmmm … perhaps it was just me.
posted on 25/5/17
Whereas the title should be
The Future - more Chelsea than JG
Our club is stabilising in the PL and ready to push on. JG can take his moral high ground and comfort himself with that as he sits in his armchair....
UTF
posted on 25/5/17
Joby, do you not know Mike Grimsby, famous small time manager of many Sunday league teams including Nuneaton and Wealdstone?
posted on 27/5/17
Should fortunes take a tumble then, I look forward to reading about the 'trials and tribulations' of johngrimsby.