No football fan will ever forget the stunning Eden Hazard strike for Chelsea that beat Tottenham Hotspur, therefore crowning Leicester City champions of England. Videos of the Leicester squad celebrating went viral on social media almost instantly. They must’ve thought that it was the club’s greatest achievement and nothing in the future could match it. Perhaps nothing can. But they can get continental again. The Leicester City fans could be excited for European Football under Brendan Rodgers.
Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City
The Appointment of Brendan Rodgers
Leicester City is building towards something big under Brendan Rodgers, or so it seems. Eyebrows were raised when Claude Puel was sacked, despite being mid-table. But the appointment of Brendan Rodgers appealed to the squad as well as the fans. His record at Liverpool and Celtic is impressive. He took Liverpool to the cusp of their maiden Premier League title and laid the foundation for another domestic treble in Scotland. Swansea City fans also cherish his time in the Welsh City. A serious, workmanlike character, Rodgers always seems like a man on a mission.
His football philosophy is clear- simple, effective and attacking. His teams like having the ball but are not obsessed with it. He works hard on developing attacking partnerships as can be seen with the attacking trident of Suarez, Sturridge, and Sterling at Liverpool. His attacking mindset has acted as a catalyst towards Leicester players upping their game. Jamie Vardy, Demarai Gray, James Maddison, and Harvey Barnes look like different players under Rodgers. Their pace, power, and energy worked wonders towards the end of the Premier League season in 2018-19.
The squad
Leicester City has made some of the most sensible transfers in recent seasons. Youri Tielemans‘ permanent transfer and Ayoze Perez‘s arrival at the King Power are the latest of a lot of value-driven signings in recent windows. Jonny Evans, Gray, Ricardo Pereira, and Harry Maguire were all bought from clubs looking to sell while also fitting into the system at Leicester. Maguire is the most prized asset right now, with both Manchester clubs interested in securing his services. If either of them were to buy him, they would be paying a world-record fee for a defender.
Regardless of whether that valuation is correct, it shows how far the English defender has come in the past year with Leicester. In the worst case of him being sold (despite LCFC being under no obligation to sell), Leicester will likely find a suitable replacement for him. According to reports, the foxes have agreed to a club-record deal with Brighton and Hove Albion to sign Lewis Dunk as a potential replacement for the England international. Dunk was one of the few bright lights in a disappointing last season for Brighton. The club is also competing with Arsenal for midfielder Dennis Praet of Sampdoria. With the forward line being packed and injections of players in defence and midfield, Leicester has a comfortable squad size considering they aren’t in Europe either.
The Leicester Mentality
As a club, Leicester has gone through a lot since it came back to the Premier League in 2014. The club narrowly escaped relegation in their first season back. However, even the great escape couldn’t help Nigel Pearson save his job. The club released a statement saying, “the relationship between the club and coach was ‘no longer viable’. The appointment of Claudio Ranieri also raised questions with his recent projects not glittering with success. But all of that was forgotten with the final whistle at Stamford Bridge confirming the unthinkable- the foxes became English Champions.
Despite his status as a club legend, Ranieri got no grace time. Following a poor league start, he was unceremoniously sacked after an apparent meeting between senior players and then club chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. It resulted in an upturn in form and Leicester finished comfortably in mid-table under Craig Shakespeare.
Shakespeare got the sack. Claude Puel replaced him after a poor start to the 2017-18 season. The club still recovered to finish mid-table. Last season, Leicester wept as Club Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha died in a helicopter crash outside the King Power Stadium. However, it came back with typical gusto as Gray scored the winner on an emotional night against Cardiff. Puel got the sack after four straight home losses. They recovered under Rodgers and finished strongly, ending 9th on the table.
Context
It’s this passion, dedication, and commitment that builds the character of a team. ‘Big teams’ like Arsenal and Manchester United are desperately looking for these qualities in their players.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all seem in shambles right now. Lacklustre transfer activity or the lack thereof has made them vulnerable. Wolves have a European season to look forward to. West Ham could be realistic challengers. But, with the core of the team remaining the same and having a steel-like mentality, Leicester City is poised to break the big six with Brendan Rodgers at the helm of it all.
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