Come show your support as the Leicester City Women bring the curtain down on their season.

Come & show your support as the Leicester City Women bring the curtain down on their season.

LEICESTER CITY WOMENS FC VS CHARLTON ATHLETIC WOMENS FC

Sunday May 22nd - Kick Off 1PM

City welcome the champions of the Womens Southern Premier League who are now promoted to the National League for this special prestige game. The Foxes finished 3rd in the Northern Premier and just missed out on promotion.

Adults £2.00 // Concessions and Under 16's FREE - Admission is at players entrance ONLY

Venue:
Walkers Stadium
Filbert Way
Leicester
LE2 7FL

KICK OFF 1PM

SILLY SEASON

SILLY SEASON - THE NEW BOARD GAME

Ok so its not yet a proper board game, but it might as well be. 

Its that time of year football fans hate, the long wait between the end of one season & the start of another.
In years gone by this was normally a subdued period for foxes fans. A time to think what might have been& sometimes what nearly was. 

There would be a few bright lights in the dark years. 

For those of us old enough to remember the Bloomfield era there was the excitement of which new exciting player would be arriving at Filbert Street. The party was well & truly pissed on by a certain Frank McClintock.

We then endured some dark close seasons with only the odd glimmer of a bright summer singing in the guise of Mark Draper the £1m midfielder signed by Brian Little.

But this was to prove a 'Candle In The Wind' which was soon blown out until the arrival of  the God like figure of Martin O'Neill. 
Close seasons during the O'Neill reign became very predictable. At the end of the season you could pack your bags and go off on your summer holiday in the safe knowledge that you wouldn't miss any transfer dealings as long as you were back about 10 days before the new season kicked off.
The you would look at your PC or TV screen in total disbelief. OK Martin had made some signings but who the hell were they? 
Even when he signed a 'name' it was some guy called 'Cottee' who had been plying his trade in the exciting world of Malaysian football. 

Oh but how we were always wrong. Yes we were paying upwards of £1m for the likes of a guy called Elliott from Oxford United but that was the going rate for a lower league player when you were in the premiership yourself. 
As history has shown, in O'Neil we learnt to trust & he rarely let us down.

 The same could not be said of the next incumbent of the managers chair. A certain Mr Peter Taylor. 
In fairness a great coach when he had someone else's team & players but a shite manager when it came to buying players. 
This is one close season that should be closed and never reopened. 
If spotting talent from lower leagues is a managerial requirement then Taylor should have gone to specsavers. 

It all went a bot dull and boring after that. Most managers didn't even last long enough to enjoy a close season and the Levein buys are something else best consigned to the memory waste bin.

Ah butt hen Milan Mandaric came a riding into town in his Group 4 security van full of money. Ah oh did Martin Allen go and spend it. He was like the proverbial cat dazzled in the car headlights. 
During that particular close season  we were on Sky Sports News more than some adverts. 
Hardly a day when by when I didn't come home from work to find us being linked with another player or with actually buying another player. 

But thats where it all went wrong.  
Firstly players prices went up by at least a 1/3rd when Milan knocked on their door & secondly all the so called 'big' names who's Premiership playing days were drawing to an end saw Leicester City as their one last big payday. 

As i said at the time we became the retirement home for ex Premiership players. 
Players who liked i said, were after one last pay day, had no pride for the club they were actually playing for and felt they had nothing to prove. 

Sound familiar?

 We now have MORE money behind us with the Thai's & the fact that we have a manager of Eriksson's standing I feel the price & players we get may take us back to the Allen era. 

But wait.....

Here is not the place to go into individual signings. Leicester & Sven are being linked with just about every available player & some that are supposedly not available.  I would be hear all day discussing the merits of individual buys.
We have been linked on more than one occasion with Michael Owen, but this could be a bit like the David Beckham story of mid season. Heskey is another ex England player linked. But again here we go being linked with ex this & ex them...

But wait again....

Sven has stated he would like to buy or re loan most of the loanees he ended the season with. 
These were young players who might not get a chance with their parent club (ala a certain Muzzy Izzet) & he has also been linked with Paul Bignot from err... Newport County!!

So yes it appears Sven has almost an open chequebook, and whatever we think Sven is he is certainly no Martin Allen.

I met Martin Allen & he was a truly nice guy to me & especially to my young son, but he was way out of his depth when it came to his one close season with City & Milan's cheque book. Despite his standing his ground re the reported  Milan backed signing of 
Hasselbank, he did sign virtually a whole new team of players in a mad few months spending spree. 

Sven is used to handling big signings & having money to spend, so I honestly believe he WILL spend it wisely. 
He may not get it 100% right but then even a certain Sir Alex has got it wrong on 1 or 2 occasions, but he will NOT go mad a al SPEND SPEND SPEND pools winner Viv Nicholson (ask your dad) & will spend carefully & shrewdly. 

Now the players that may leave.... well thats a whole different blog....

IN SVEN WE TRUST


FOZZA1 / LTID EDITOR

Should they stay or should they go? (Part 2)

The second part of this article focuses on Leicester players who have been at the club this season, but who are also out of favour or, for whatever reason, are facing an uncertain future at the Walkers Stadium. The list could be longer than fans may have expected.

Chris Weale

Age: 29

31 caps this season

Verdict

Chris Weale enjoyed a fantastic season in goal under Nigel Pearson during the 2009/10 season. However, since the arrival of Sven-Goran Eriksson, he has not been a consistent starter and was dropped to the bench in January and replaced with former Portuguese international Ricardo. Weale has since reclaimed the number one spot but his performances have been inconsistent - possibly due to a lack of confidence - and he has made a number of glaring, uncharacteristic errors.

Sven looks set to splash out on a goalkeeper in the summer; the Foxes were strongly linked with Manchester City’s Shay Given during the January transfer window. This was a statement of intent and although not out of contract, it is likely that Weale would be no more than a backup next season.

Stay or Go?

Go. Weale is good enough to start for another team and should be allowed to do so.

Ricardo

Age: 35

8 caps this season

Verdict

Much to the dismay of a large proportion of Foxes fans, Ricardo replaced Chris Weale in the Leicester City goal back in January. Without falling into the age old debate of who actually performed better during the final stretch of last season, Ricardo’s performances often left little to be desired and did not install a great deal of confidence.

Like with Weale, with it being highly likely that a Premier League goalkeeper will be signed over the summer, it is hard to imagine Ricardo being at the Walkers Stadium in August – especially as he was signed as a free agent and only until the end of this season. 

Stay or Go?

Go. Despite seeming to be Sven’s preferred choice at times, he will look to permanently sign a goalkeeper.

Michael Lamey

Age: 31

4 caps this season

Verdict

Lamey joined the Foxes at the beginning of August after impressing Paolo Sousa during a two-week trial. Even after that, he played sparingly in the Championship and after Sousa’s departure, Lamey struggled to even make the substitutes bench.

With age not on his side as a full-back, he is highly unlikely to feature in the Foxes promotion hunt next season.

Stay or Go?

Go. Sven’s overhaul of his defensive line means that Lamey will probably leave the club over the summer.

Joao Teixeira (Moreno)

Age: 29

3 caps this season

Verdict

Moreno is another Paolo Sousa signing who failed to break into the first team even when Sousa was in charge. Although he made the substitutes bench during the latter part of this season, this was primarily due to a shortage of replacement centre backs, with Sol Bamba and Ben Mee both picking up injuries. The final nail in the coffin was during the final game of last season when Eriksson opted to replace his Portuguese counterpart Miguel Vitor (through injury) with Alexsandar Tunchev – who had been sidelined for eighteen months – rather than Moreno.

Although a versatile player, it seems quite likely that Moreno will not feature next season either. 

Stay or Go?

Go. Moreno has only ever made the substitutes bench since Sven’s arrival and will struggle to break into the starting line up.

Steve Howard

Age: 35

16 caps, 5 goals this season

Verdict

Steve Howard was a regular in the squad under Nigel Pearson in both League One and the Championship and forged a formidable partnership with Matty Fryatt in the process and scoring some truly memorable goals. But with the arrival of Yakubu and Darius Vassell, competition has been tough this season and Howard has found himself struggling for playing time – although still physically able to play well.

Although Sven has stated that he has no desire to sell Howard, it is rumoured that Sheffield Wednesday have expressed interest in the big man and, with him entering the autumn years of his playing career, he will struggle to break into the starting line-up at Leicester next season. A bit of a heartbreaker, but it is a likely scenario.

Stay or Go?

Go. Howard deserves to play football week in week out at a decent level, but he will struggle to replace potential signings.

Aleksandar Tunchev

Age: 29

2 caps this season (as substitute)

Verdict

Although a fan favourite during the League One campaign, Tunchev has been sidelined for eighteen months and has only played five games in the last two seasons after suffering serious knee injuries. He came on as a substitute against Ipswich Town on the last game of the season and performed well. But on paper, this one is an easy one to figure out, surely?

Well, no. Tunchev still has a burning desire to play football for Leicester City. He has worked extremely hard to bring himself back, not only to a level of fitness to be able to appear again this season, but to stop his career from being over. Although 30 in July, he is not too old for this level and he is an absolutely superb centre back. Foxes fans still love him and, although it might be a head-versus-heart decision for Sven, it could be detrimental to the development of Leicester’s younger defenders (see part one) if Tunchev was not offered at least a one year contract.

Stay or Go?

Stay. Tunchev deserves the chance to prove that he can still perform at this level. 

Martyn Waghorn

Age: 21

11 caps, 4 goals this season

Verdict

Martyn Waghorn established himself as a firm fan favourite during his season-long loan from Sunderland in 2009, scoring 12 goals in 28 games – including one on his debut for the Foxes against Swansea City. Paolo Sousa signed Waghorn at the end of the summer transfer window for a massive £3 million - but since Sven’s arrival, the majority of the youngster’s playing time has been as a substitute. However, he scored some important goals this season - including his stoppage time winner against Bristol City.

The concern with Martyn Waghorn is that he struggles to hugely change the game as a substitute. Given a consistent run of games, he is likely to yield a return of goals and solid performances. But his chances will be few and far between, and is unlikely to be given the chance to replicate his debut season. A number of other clubs are rumoured to be interested in the 21-year old; it may be wise to allow him to move on and further his career.

Stay or Go?

Go. Waghorn needs the opportunity to progress as a player – something he may not get at Leicester.

Bruno Berner

Age: 33

19 caps, 1 goal this season

Verdict

Bruno Berner has become an established favourite with the fans after joining the club during the Nigel Pearson era. He played under Paolo Sousa and has played sparingly under Sven, but the arrival of Greg Cunningham followed by Patrick Van Aanholt severely limited the amount of games the Swiss international appeared in – even though the Leicester City backline conceded more goals when Berner was absent. After considering leaving the Walkers Stadium in January, he was offered a one year contract and temporarily regained his place at left back when Greg Cunningham suffered a broken leg – although he subsequently lost his place to Patrick Van Aanholt.

At 33, Berner still has a good level of energy and stamina and in terms of defending he is the best full back at the club. However, if a replacement does come in, Berner may feel the need to move on as well. Sven will have a difficult decision to make if he does decide on that.

Stay or Go?

Stay. Berner is still good enough to challenge for his position, and a youthful backline will benefit from his experience.

Lloyd Dyer

Age: 28

22 caps, 5 goals this season

Verdict

Dyer can be a very one dimensional player at times. He has blistering pace even for a winger, and therefore would fit into Leicester’s adopted style of football. On the other hand, his first touch often lets him down and can be quite erratic with his shooting. He has not featured as much since the arrival of Darius Vassell and Diomansy Kamara but can still run full backs ragged on his day.

After signing a contract which would keep him at the club until 2014, Dyer is a very useful squad player to have around. Even though he may not start a huge amount of games next season, he will do everything he can to break into the starting line up.

Stay or Go?

Stay. Another fan favourite who deserves the opportunity to fight for his spot.

The third and final part of this article will look at the Leicester City players who have been loaned out to other sides this season and whether or not they feature in Sven’s long term plans at the Walkers Stadium.

Simon Poole for Leicester till I Die
http://simonpoole84.blogspot.com/

THE LEICESTER TILL I DIE 2011/12 SEASON AWARDS

VOTE NOW!!!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Welcome to the 2011/12 Season awards from Leicester till I Die.

Sponsored by CULT ZEROS T-Shirts with a difference. 

You choose the colour & size & also the image of your favourite Leicester City Player past or present.

The categories are :

• PLAYER OF THE SEASON
• YOUNG PLAYER OF THE SEASON
• BEST LOANEE
• MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
• PLAYER MISSED MOST
• GOAL OF THE SEASON
• GAME OF THE SEASON
• TURKEY OF THE SEASON

Should they stay or should they go? (Part 1)

The 2010/11 Championship campaign has seen Leicester use over 35 different players over the course of the season. But which players would Sven-Goran Eriksson do well to keep at the Walkers Stadium next year? Who would bring that extra something to a team with Premier League ambition? Fans may be expecting a busy summer, but will there be fresh faces all around?

This is the first part of a look at a certain set of players who Sven will be considering whether or not to bring back for next season’s promotion push – the loan players.

Kyle Naughton

Parent club: Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 22 years

33 caps, 5 goals this season

Verdict

The Tottenham loanee has enjoyed a fantastic season at Leicester City, scoring five times from the full-back position (although pushing forward with such energy in attack he appears confident enough at times to be a winger) and winning the Young Player of the Season award for the Foxes. His defending is solid and he makes very few mistakes. He extended his initial loan spell from January until the end of the season, which is an indication of him being happy at Leicester. Most fans would be delighted to see Naughton back at the club next season and, as Spurs have strength in depth in the right back position, there is a real possibility.

However, the pull of the Premier League may be too tempting for such a young talent. Recently promoted Queens Park Rangers are rumoured to be interested, while a recent call up to the provisional England U21 squad will have a number of other managers turning their heads. Eriksson is likely to put in a bid for Naughton during the summer, but he could be heading to the top flight.

Stay or Go?

Stay. Sven-Goran Eriksson should certainly be considering bringing Naughton in on a permanent deal.

Ben Mee

Parent club: Manchester City
Age: 21 years 

10 caps this season

Verdict

The Manchester City youngster had a terrible start to his loan spell at the Walkers Stadium. In his first game, he gave away two penalties (one after less than a minute) and on another day may have been issued a red card. Since then, Mee has worked tirelessly to prove his critics wrong and done so with real gusto. You will never see him duck out of a challenge and is great in the air for a comparatively short centre-half.

Aged 21, he has a good future ahead of him. But with the financial situation as strong as it is at Manchester City and their ability to attract world class players (this ability will only grow with Champions League football being on the cards next season), his future may well be away from Eastlands. Leicester are thin on central defenders (especially with Alexsandar Tunchev’s future at the club uncertain) and Ben Mee is a raw talent who can adapt to play left-back if required.

Stay or Go?

Stay. Mee could quite easily develop into a starting centre back at Leicester. Sven may consider a season long loan for the Sale born defender which would allow him to develop.

Miguel Vitor

Parent club: Benfica
Age: 21

15 caps, 3 goals this season

Verdict

Although Vitor was one of Paulo Sousa’s signings, the Portuguese defender played sparingly in the opening stages of the season. After scoring his first goal for the club in 2010 against Barnsley, Vitor’s season was marred by a hamstring injury that saw him sidelined for months. Since returning, he has been used in rotation and generally impressed as a solid centre-half.

It seems strange that Sven announced that he was interested in signing Vitor as he dropped the 21 year old one game after he scored a brace. It is difficult to understand how highly he is rated because of this. But, as mentioned earlier, Leicester are thin on centre-backs and Vitor would fit into the Foxes’ style of football nicely. He is always a threat from set pieces too; his three goals have come from either free kicks or corners.

Stay or Go?

Stay. Sven should consider making Vitor a permanent Leicester player this summer – if his current injury is not too serious.

Patrick Van Aanholt

Parent club: Chelsea
Age: 20

11 caps, 1 goal this season

Verdict

Van Aanholt has had an inconsistent loan spell due to injury – he missed six weeks with a torn thigh muscle in February. Since joining Chelsea in 2009, he has played only twice for them and has undergone loan spells at Coventry, Newcastle and now Leicester. Dubbed as ‘the next Ashley Cole’, the Dutchman is a real talent pushing forward although at times his defending has left little to be desired.

Van Aanholt has certainly improved on that side of the ball and his attacking play is a genuine threat to other sides. But Sven has been critical of his defence this season for letting in too many goals, and whether he has done enough to impress Eriksson to bring him back next season is unclear. Chelsea will probably make the decision for him anyway, and there is little chance of a permanent move in that respect.

Stay or Go?

Go. Van Aanholt would get games regularly at Leicester if he were brought back on loan next season, but Sven may look for a more experienced head at left-back.

Diomansy Kamara

Parent Club: Fulham
Age: 30

7 caps, 2 goals this season

Verdict

After moving to Craven Cottage in 2007, the Senegalese striker has played just 59 games for Fulham and found himself out of favour this season, falling down the pecking order dramatically. However, his three seasons at West Bromwich Albion make it clear that he is an experienced player at this level but does still have Premier League ability – which has been demonstrated in his brief spell at the Walkers Stadium.

Kamara can tear sides apart when he has a good day. Has a slight tendency to go missing when he has a bad day. But he has indicated that he wishes to return next season, and his performance in the end of season clash with Ipswich Town was indicative of that. He has blistering pace despite being the wrong side of 30 and oozes confidence with his close control. He would be a fantastic addition to the squad and have the burning desire to make it to the Premier League with a new club.

Stay or Go?

Stay. Sven should be looking at making Kamara a permanent signing.

Yakubu

Parent club: Everton
Age: 28

20 caps, 11 goals this season

This is the interesting one of the bunch. Yakubu has spent a lot of time in the Premier League and his goal scoring record in that division has always been impressive. Since joining the Foxes in January this year, the Yak has scored 11 goals in 20 games. Most fans would be pleased with that, but many are frustrated with his reluctance to chase down every lost cause. That simply is not the type of player he is. 

Yakubu believes his future does not lie at Goodison Park, and has stated that he would cherish a permanent move to Leicester. David Moyes is rumoured to want to cut his losses with the Nigerian so that Everton can restructure their wage bill for next season. Money is likely not to come into the equation at Leicester, and Yakubu could well be the 25 goal-a-season striker Leicester have yearned for during the last two seasons.

Stay or Go?

Stay. It is possible that Yakubu could be one of Leicester’s big summer deals.

Jeffrey Bruma

Parent club: Chelsea
Age: 19

10 caps, 2 goals this season

Verdict

Bruma has steadily improved during his loan spell and scored two wonder goals in the game against Burnley. Chelsea clearly rate him highly and he has made his full international debut for Holland at the age of 19. Sven also clearly rates the youngster, at times bravely starting him instead of a preferred option by the fans.

His naivety and immaturity has been shown at times, but he would be a strong squad player who can also play in midfield – arguably his better position. But with current depth in that position, it is more likely he would feature as a centre-back. Like Van Aanholt, a permanent transfer away from Stamford Bridge is unlikely. But a season long loan would allow Bruma to develop so much more – and he has expressed his interest to stay.

Verdict

Stay if possible - Sven clearly likes what he sees in this young prospect and he will only get better – if Chelsea are willing to loan him out again.

Part two will focus on a number of current Leicester City players whose future at the club remains uncertain and what their role may be next season.


Simon Poole for Leicester till I Die
http://simonpoole84.blogspot.com/