When do we worry about Leicester?

[Moonchesteri]

"Who were the last champions who didn't deserve to win the Premier League? Answer me that. "

Us in 2012 and 2014. We didn't deserve them titles we only won them because others who deserved them threw them away.

We also barely scraped to those titles, even though we spent loadsamoney, disgraceful!

We are ruining football.

Foreverinbluedreams, under what circumstances we would actually deserve the titles?
I thought that the team that accumulates most points during 38 games (you know, all games are equally worth 3/1/0 points not some silly ice hockey league where you can lose 70% of your matches but fluke it into playoffs and then start to win) deserves to be crowned as the champions because they got more points than others. but I guess I'm mistaken and we didn't deserve the titles. Who should we give them to?

[Foreverinbluedreams]

"Who were the last champions who didn't deserve to win the Premier League? Answer me that. "

Us in 2012 and 2014. We didn't deserve them titles we only won them because others who deserved them threw them away.

We also barely scraped to those titles, even though we spent loadsamoney, disgraceful!

We are ruining football.

Foreverinbluedreams, under what circumstances we would actually deserve the titles?
I thought that the team that accumulates most points during 38 games (you know, all games are equally worth 3/1/0 points not some silly ice hockey league where you can lose 70% of your matches but fluke it into playoffs and then start to win) deserves to be crowned as the champions because they got more points than others. but I guess I'm mistaken and we didn't deserve the titles. Who should we give them to?

My tongue was firmly in my cheek mate.

[Cocacolajojo1]

My tongue was firmly in my cheek mate.

But there are some on this site, and by extension I guess in the real world, who truly believe we didn't deserve to win or that we were lucky to win. They, in turn, are lucky to have the rest of us so that we may point out how silly they are.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

My tongue was firmly in my cheek mate.

But there are some on this site, and by extension I guess in the real world, who truly believe we didn't deserve to win or that we were lucky to win. They, in turn, are lucky to have the rest of us so that we may point out how silly they are.

Exactly, they're almost as silly as those who say we won despite Mancini or despite Pellegrini.

[nottsblue]

Let's not forget the Sky 4 is rags, dippers, chavs and arse. Three of those cannot win the league. That leaves the arse as the only contenders from the powerbrokers. I would imagine Sky will want the arse to win, but if they don't or look like they won't after the usual March meltdown, then Leicester will be the horse they back. It sure as shit won't be us. They know that if Leicester do win it then it will be highly likely to be a one off, whereas if we win with Pep coming then we could dominate for the next few years. Something the money men at the Sky 4 won't be happy about one little bit.

The next PL contract is somewhere north of £5 billion. There is no way with that kind of money floating around the people in power won't try to do what they to get the results they want. It will fail of course but they will still try.

The notion of a 'Sky 4' is coming up to being a decade out of date. Kids who were 4 years old when we were taken over will be 12 at the start of our next campaign. In their football-aware lifetimes (taken here as being from the age of 7), trophies will have been won by:
Birmingham LC
Us FAC, PLx2, LC
Rags PLx2
Liverpool LC
Chelsea FAC, PL, LC, CL
Wigan FAC
Swansea LC
Arsenal FACx2

Plus whoever wins trophies this season.

That's eight teams winning domestic trophies, with us being the most successful domestically, behind only Chelsea (who are equal in number of trophies won, but ahead on merit due to one of those being the Champions League), in a far more diverse field than ever over the past two decades. Over the past five seasons, we have only won one trophy less than the Rags, Arsenal and Liverpool combined. Add to that the fact that Swansea and Bournemouth (two teams from areas with traditionally high Rag/Liverpool support) have joined the Premiership, drawing tens of thousands of kids (and their accompanying money) away from the big clubs.

Do you really think 'the people in power' would have let this pattern go on for so long, were there some kind of conspiracy? Probably 2 million or so fewer people support the 'Sky 4' now than would have been the case had 'the people in power' stuck to any gameplan they had. The idea that there could be some conspiracy to get Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and the Rags back to the head of the table is well and truly dead in the water.

Surely the Sky 4 still exists to some degree? Most of the presenters and pundits are from those clubs. The spin that is generated by Sky for these clubs can be sickening at times. Only last night, barely after full time, they announced the rags brilliant win meant they were back and was the perfect reply to us getting Pep. They have had pundits on talking about who will stay and who will go once Pep arrives.

The demographic of who the young kids support will be changing, there is no question of that. In Nottingham I see more City tops than Notts County tops. Very sad to see IMO but that's the way it's always been. Kids will support the best sides and those who have the most recognisable players, not necessarily their local sides. But the people who pay the bills and who do most of the online clicks are still the generation who grew up with the Sky 4 being those successful and dominant sides. This in time will evolve and change but it will take time, possibly a decade or even a generation. Worldwide, there are still more dipper fans than probably close to Chelsea and City combined yet they haven't won the PL in getting on for 30 years.

[Moonchesteri]

My tongue was firmly in my cheek mate.

But there are some on this site, and by extension I guess in the real world, who truly believe we didn't deserve to win or that we were lucky to win. They, in turn, are lucky to have the rest of us so that we may point out how silly they are.

Exactly, they're almost as silly as those who say we won despite Mancini or despite Pellegrini.

Phew! Thought you're one of the lunatics

[Socrates]

Agree with both Soccs & Branny in that they won't choke

I haven't said anything yet? I think squeaky bum time will be difficult for them. I always thought they'd probably make top 4 and now think maybe even can challenge for second I just don't see them getting over the line. People assume that title contenders should be winning every game at the end of the season and it rarely happens, we are used to making very strong finishes though winning 6.7.8 on the bounce and I fully expect our usual strong finish to be enough,

[Fesan]

The sad thing will be next year when they struggle to stay in the top half because of the strain CL matches put on a squad.

Enjoyed their ride this season, hope they end up 2nd behind us:-)

[Vhero]

The thing they got now though is the first half of the season suited them playing all big teams at home. This half they got us all away and that's gonna make it hard for them. They are doing good nobody can deny it but the fact is the fixture list for them has been amazing too. They got a horrible few games coming up.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/tea ... y/fixtures

[getdressedmctavish]

I rather suspect that if Pellers thinks a mf 2 of Ya Ya and Fern 1 will do on Saturday we will be finding out their challenge is very real. Without protection our two cbs will get new ones ripped courtesy of Mr Vardy. imo

[Dameerto]

Let's not forget the Sky 4 is rags, dippers, chavs and arse. Three of those cannot win the league. That leaves the arse as the only contenders from the powerbrokers. I would imagine Sky will want the arse to win, but if they don't or look like they won't after the usual March meltdown, then Leicester will be the horse they back. It sure as shit won't be us. They know that if Leicester do win it then it will be highly likely to be a one off, whereas if we win with Pep coming then we could dominate for the next few years. Something the money men at the Sky 4 won't be happy about one little bit.

The next PL contract is somewhere north of £5 billion. There is no way with that kind of money floating around the people in power won't try to do what they to get the results they want. It will fail of course but they will still try.

The notion of a 'Sky 4' is coming up to being a decade out of date. Kids who were 4 years old when we were taken over will be 12 at the start of our next campaign. In their football-aware lifetimes (taken here as being from the age of 7), trophies will have been won by:
Birmingham LC
Us FAC, PLx2, LC
Rags PLx2
Liverpool LC
Chelsea FAC, PL, LC, CL
Wigan FAC
Swansea LC
Arsenal FACx2

Plus whoever wins trophies this season.

That's eight teams winning domestic trophies, with us being the most successful domestically, behind only Chelsea (who are equal in number of trophies won, but ahead on merit due to one of those being the Champions League), in a far more diverse field than ever over the past two decades. Over the past five seasons, we have only won one trophy less than the Rags, Arsenal and Liverpool combined. Add to that the fact that Swansea and Bournemouth (two teams from areas with traditionally high Rag/Liverpool support) have joined the Premiership, drawing tens of thousands of kids (and their accompanying money) away from the big clubs.

Do you really think 'the people in power' would have let this pattern go on for so long, were there some kind of conspiracy? Probably 2 million or so fewer people support the 'Sky 4' now than would have been the case had 'the people in power' stuck to any gameplan they had. The idea that there could be some conspiracy to get Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and the Rags back to the head of the table is well and truly dead in the water.

Surely the Sky 4 still exists to some degree? Most of the presenters and pundits are from those clubs. The spin that is generated by Sky for these clubs can be sickening at times. Only last night, barely after full time, they announced the rags brilliant win meant they were back and was the perfect reply to us getting Pep. They have had pundits on talking about who will stay and who will go once Pep arrives.

The demographic of who the young kids support will be changing, there is no question of that. In Nottingham I see more City tops than Notts County tops. Very sad to see IMO but that's the way it's always been. Kids will support the best sides and those who have the most recognisable players, not necessarily their local sides. But the people who pay the bills and who do most of the online clicks are still the generation who grew up with the Sky 4 being those successful and dominant sides. This in time will evolve and change but it will take time, possibly a decade or even a generation. Worldwide, there are still more dipper fans than probably close to Chelsea and City combined yet they haven't won the PL in getting on for 30 years.

It's a 'conspiracy' by default rather than design - all the usual suspects in the media and on TV are still strongly associated with the old Sky four so their opinions are likely to reflect it - when those current twelve year olds take up careers in journalism and when some current successful City players retire and take up pundit/presenter jobs (and the current old fossils in the media die off or get put out to pasture) we should start to see a more balanced coverage in the UK.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

I rather suspect that if Pellers thinks a mf 2 of Ya Ya and Fern 1 will do on Saturday we will be finding out their challenge is very real. Without protection our two cbs will get new ones ripped courtesy of Mr Vardy. imo

Who is going to be this fabled protection?

[Foreverinbluedreams]

I rather suspect that if Pellers thinks a mf 2 of Ya Ya and Fern 1 will do on Saturday we will be finding out their challenge is very real. Without protection our two cbs will get new ones ripped courtesy of Mr Vardy. imo

Possibly, however we played Yaya in a midfield two at their place a few weeks back and the only real chance they created was from an individual error from Fernandinho.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

I rather suspect that if Pellers thinks a mf 2 of Ya Ya and Fern 1 will do on Saturday we will be finding out their challenge is very real. Without protection our two cbs will get new ones ripped courtesy of Mr Vardy. imo

Possibly, however we played Yaya in a midfield two at their place a few weeks back and the only real chance they created was from an individual error from Fernandinho.

Leicester have played on the counter all season. They had just 36% possession at home to Liverpool this week. Who do you think is more likely to have moves break down around them, Yaya or Fernando? Who would you rather have to retain possession and open them up, Yaya or Fernando? So who do you think actually makes us MORE vulnerable to the counter attack, Yaya or Fernando?
Playing The two Ferns would be a shocking idea that plays into their hands.

[gmercer1]

Does anyone know what's actually wrong with Delph and how long he's out for?

[gillie]

Does anyone know what's actually wrong with Delph and how long he's out for?

Reported as a calf injury but the severity was not reported mate.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Does anyone know what's actually wrong with Delph and how long he's out for?

Pellers said he didn't want to risk him against Sunderland which suggested he should be back on Saturday,

[nottsblue]

Six points will take some doing. I dare say Spuds must be included in the mix now. The game in a few weeks v them is critical now. Lose that and the PL becomes much much harder

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Six points will take some doing. I dare say Spuds must be included in the mix now. The game in a few weeks v them is critical now. Lose that and the PL becomes much much harder

Spurs game is next week, isn't it?

[nottsblue]

Six points will take some doing. I dare say Spuds must be included in the mix now. The game in a few weeks v them is critical now. Lose that and the PL becomes much much harder

Spurs game is next week, isn't it?

Could be. Lose track to be honest. If it is then we have to win I think otherwise we are clapping