Nev recently asked the question about the atmosphere at City which really is concerned about the current health of the club overall.
It is early days of course – but it seems in excellent condition – the best many believe since the current owners took over. This evaluation views the club relationships in its entirety. Owners- board- management – all tiers of football activity and importantly interaction with community both local and through media channels.
One thing is very evident – the siege mentality which pervaded Belvoir Drive has gone –with its fractious “us and them" strategy which may have been introduced as part of a procedure to establish a sort of team togetherness but in fact encouraged factions and a breakdown of contact.
Today –whilst training and coaching is concentrated and committed there is a relaxed and open approach evident.
The main constituent of the changes overall is I believe Jon Rudkin – now Director of Football. I was concerned about his ability to operate in a more global and intense environment of agents and players at Premiership level but he has embraced the challenges with relish and… success.
Nobody would doubt his attitude to hard work- over the years he has literally put in a huge number of weekly hours- at his desk in the morning and still being available for Academy training (and parents!) late into the evening. Weekends would often see him with the under 16/ 18 groups on Saturdays and attending matches with the younger groups on Sundays.
He is absolutely committed to Leicester City as a club and as part of the area and people. He is passionate about its relationships with local football clubs and sport in general. He has been at the club since he was released as a youth player and then re-joined as an Academy coach and progressing until he became Academy Manager – then Director.
He has not always enjoyed good relationships with first team managers – some of which treated the Academy with almost contempt and a nuisance in terms of sharing facilities and resource. His lack of professional football experience was also sometimes a target – Hey only a bit of banter Jon eh!
In the current change of approach at the club two relationships are key.
Firstly, Rudkin has a very close relationship with the owners. A consummate politician- he realised very early the significance of the Thai business ethos and importance of close partnerships and developed very early close links between Academy, owners and Thailand with scholars being introduced from there and Jon also coordination the development of facilities in Thailand .
In all this he worked very closely with the owners and today there is not only trust but business friendship – they get on well.
Now we have a new manager – an appointment that surprised many of us – certainly me. What is already clear is that Rudkin and Ranieri not only work well together professionally –but they also have a high personal regard and get on well. Ranieri has displayed already a very close interest and contact with the Academy and Development groups and there are excellent signs of a seamless progression which has been lacking.
Ranieri living within the city means that he is often available at the ground even at Academy sessions and has met parents and already turned up at Ground like Loughborough Athletic to watch games.
He is also an intelligent man who is aware of the club as a whole – as an institution- and its role locally. Something second nature in Italy where this relationship is highly developed.
His cultured approach does not prevent him being very effective with the squad – where he often has long one to one discussions regarding strategy and performance and recognises that there is room for different temperaments and attitudes. In my opinion Drinkwater and Mahrez have benefited where he has recognised they have special skills he wants to develop and they are still young. This sometimes means the team adapts to them rather than the other way round.
The club is now in my view in very safe hands and its standing and reputation will I believe be enhanced. We stand a good chance of matching the integrity of the owners and their overall ambition with appropriate management. We could build long term success and a Premier League team with global interface.
We will for sure have a poor spell during this season – it’s the nature of Premier League and the fact we are still building- but I hope the support remains constant and tolerant. My concern is that fans who had some regard for the previous manager – are waiting for opportunity to express their nursed grievances.
Our progress ... as a club
posted on 22/9/15
...........but having re-read them -maybe my over- reaction.... so my last sentence maybe premature..
posted on 22/9/15
comment by johngee (U5021)
posted 2 minutes ago
...........but having re-read them -maybe my over- reaction.... so my last sentence maybe premature..
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Haha almost an apology while leaving the insinuation there.
posted on 22/9/15
JG - there will always be fans that swing from joy to despair, just like there will be those that remain calm, the voice of reason and on the fence (mentioning no names Dunge).
That's why, even when I can't make a game, I tend not to post during if as you can often end up with egg in your face, whichever way you went (especially recent games!!!).
But that's what makes us different. It doesn't mean fans are more or less supportive or critical, it just makes them more emotional.
You raise some very good points in your post. But your reference and criticism to Pearson within it was always going to incite most reaction.
My question for you, seemingly much closer to individuals within our set up than me, is whether you think Rudkin has what it takes to push our club to this next level, or whether you still see limitations (like you did with Pearson) and would prefer to see him replaced?
As for Ranieri. As a doubter initially, I'm also very pleased by his start. A solid 8/10 for me. Great tactical awareness, media friendly, maintenance of the team spirit and stability score him points.
He drops 2 for his defensive flaws he's not yet corrected, failing to play Kante (my new player crush) over Inler in the middle and some suspect starting line ups.
Big what a start. I hope he can keep it going.
posted on 22/9/15
Listen Ferry boy if you had payed all that cash you would of wanted to play inler asap and i don't think you can compare the two they do different jobs. He would of fairly had to drop drinkwater and we would of been more upset about that. Inler will get there i hope he starts tonight.
Dung Pearson going home to his family and pub are good if they are in Leicestershire not up north. He had no desire to move here interact with media or fans not that could work or not managers tell players you cant stay in london you have to move here the same could be said for managers for £3m a year i'm sure he could find something suitable.
<devilL
posted on 22/9/15
I agree Nev, I would want to play Inler, but that there in lies Ranieri's "potential" first mistake.
Kante looks box fresh premiership ready and class. Inler looks slow, cumbersome and in need of a slight polish before being ready.
If Ranieri persists with Inler because he's "his" signing, then he'll lose points. If he eases him in over time and isn't stubborn with it, he'll earn points.
He's said exactly the same of Inler in his interviews as we have, so the latter looks more likely. Credit to him if he does that.
posted on 22/9/15
There are areas Mersey where on a personal view- I see need for change in future
. First of all I have to say that I was really disappointed at Phillips leaving us and going to Derby. I understand his motives and I think we could have better assessed the coaching set-up.
I believe that should the previous manager obtain a new position - Shakespeare and Stowell will join him- that's just an opinion.
I even think that it was a mistake to keep Shakespeare in his First team coach role although I can understand that it was felt necessary to keep change to minimum and Ranieri did not come with available alternatives.
In a sense they are as removed as their previous boss in modern techniques and demands and I would have liked to see Phillips step up. Sorry that's my opinion
I believe Rudkin will be there for the long haul and rightly so and a board member. I hope that he and Ranieri work in harness for the next two seasons as today whilst the club fully develops the internal structures which provides a modern coaching and progression from Academy to first team with common goals and methods.
Also the development of the first team to include the best available talent from global markets as well as internal promotions.
During this two years - Ranieri and Rudkin could identify his successor but in the modern Chief coach role- maybe even Mr Clement from Derby could be a contender - and he might even bring Phillips as his first team coach............ what a dream
Ranieri will I hope if successful be offered a board advisory role as I know he already has a real feeling for our club
posted on 22/9/15
To be fair there is a point here that may have been clouded by JG’s pathological dislike of the previous manager. That’s how much time some people will give CR when he ultimately has a tough patch.
Pearson was supported by many through what, by any measure, was a pretty disastrous run in the middle of last season. Even when he made some bizarre team selections and tactical changes he was given the benefit of the doubt because he’d built up some credit from past achievements. The Villa away cup match was the point of my lowest ebb when, even as a Pearson supporter, I couldn’t see what he’d learnt from previous matches by his team selection and tactics.
Ranieri does not have those credits in the bank. He’s not guided us through two promotions and we only have his record elsewhere to judge his credibility. He has to create his own safety net. That’s why it’s really important that he’s started well because, although some of us might question the formation and personnel in his starting line up, he can’t do much better than top four and unbeaten.
Sadly there will be those who will immediately call for his head if we lose three in a row. You’ll find that once this happens his personality will be called into question. He’ll go from jovial Ranieri to clueless Ranieri. Just as Pearson went from thoughtful and intelligent - to grumpy and miserable; and Holloway went from great, funny bloke to idiotic clown.
It IS right to call for some degree of patience.
posted on 22/9/15
Interesting JG.
I understand your desire for us to adopt a modern approach to our coaching set up, but without intimate knowledge of the current set up, I'm not sure what that means.
I like that we've retained the services of Shakespeare, and I personally believe that has helped us make the start we have. The players have not had to adjust to z new culture, ethos or training routine. It's basically more of the same with tweaks.
I think this has worked well, but as you suggest, it's a risk that they'll leave when Pearson takes a new role and I really hope Ranieri is working hard with the club to create a succession plan should that happen.
Whatever that is, I'm still confused as to how our training methods are seen as dated when, from the outside at least, we look to have a world class sport science team, one of the fittest teams I've ever seen and few injuries, coupled with a set up that has been willing to adopt multiple different formations over the last season (albeit some out of desperation).
We do need to remain progressive, bug like everything at the club, this needs to be an evolution not revolution. That way we won't break what is clearly working.
posted on 22/9/15
Sorry Mersey off to match - difference between training- fitness no problem and coaching -technique+ system+ personal involvement.
Ranieri naturally has his ideas and is very good at one to one player discussions. New man Benetti (?) understands his demands and is maybe struggling to find a way of operating with a structure and personnel left over with different methods
posted on 22/9/15
Enjoy John. Sadly I'll be stuck on a flight for the duration. Fingers crossed our reserves can put on a good show...