Leicester City FC — A Dream that was never dreamt
Languishing at the bottom of the table with 8 games to go who would’ve thought that Leicester City would be safe and sound, playing in the premier league for another season, when all stats were against them, for example “The team sitting at the bottom of the table at Christmas was definitely going to get relegated”. The only other team to do that was Sunderland, a year before that. Another stat for fun “A team that was bottom at the end of January was definitely relegated”. Well, come the May of 2015 where Chelsea were celebrating their League victory, Leicester City were rejoiced, elated but nowhere near to famished. Little did we all know that there was something else entirely brewing down at Leicester, something everyone was going to witness, experience and breathe in.
The Greatest Escape
They managed to do “The Great Escape”, Sunderland did it the year before, but Sunderland never had a run of games like Leicester. 7 wins out of 9, by a team that was bottom, all but done. I would want to use the word Calamity but Leicester’s season was nowhere near to that. It wasn’t. What it was, was a Roller-Fucking-Coaster.
The first half of the season was a misery except for one bright spot Leicester 5–3 Manchester United. Man! That scoreline is now etched in their history. But it’s only after they reached the precipice, that things started to unfold. We saw Vardy. We saw Drinkwater. We saw Schmeichel. We saw Mahrez. We saw a team fighting together, fighting for each other to keep themselves in the Premier League. And they did! Nigel Pearson must’ve wired the team with Self Belief higher than anything. Play for the fans, play for each other. Play fearless.
And it is with that belief, that motto, that wiring is what they started their season of 2015–2016. Although there was a major, major hiccup when the news came out that Nigel Pearson was sacked and The Tinker man “Claudio Ranieri” was to be his replacement. Ranieri was last seen in the EPL while managing Chelsea, when Chelsea was just trying to find their foot in EPL. Ranieri’s Chelsea was flamboyant and played with swagger but was the culprit of tinkering with the team too much which ultimately led to his sacking and then started the Roman Empire.
A little rewind
What happened during Ranieri’s reign at Chelsea (2000–2004) was that he bought some key players during his time who would go on to be the foundation of Chelsea’s resurgence to the top of the summit for the next decade. Some notable players like, Frank Lampard, Claude Makélélé, Hernan Crespo and William Gallas were the ones he bought and gave a chance to the likes of John Terry and Robert Huth. These players went on to win the next 2 titles after Ranieri was sacked, and only Jose Mourinho reaped the rewards of this spending. And Chelsea would go on to challenge for the Title every season, sans 2015–16.
Ranieri spent 4 years at Chelsea. In Ranieri’s four seasons, he was accused of over-rotating his squad, picking up the nickname of “The Tinkerman” from the British media. Although, Chelsea improved their points total season on season. Finishing runners up in his last season at Chelsea and reaching the Semi-Finals of the Champions league only losing out AS Monaco, who were in turn triumphed by eventual winners, Jose Mourinho led FC Porto. Sadly a non-fruitful season led to his dismissal and his place was taken over by Jose Mourinho “The Special One”. The core of the Chelsea team who won two Premier League titles under Mourinho, including John Terry, William Gallas, Wayne Bridge, Claude Makélélé and Frank Lampard were all brought to or nurtured by Ranieri at Chelsea.
The Return of the Tinker Man
Nigel Pearson was sacked in June, with still no clarity on why was he sacked. Some say that he had differences with the board and some blame his son’s actions while on the pre-season tour. Well, we’ll never know what really went down. He was sacked. Claudio Ranieri was named his replacement a few days later.
The news of Nigel Pearson being sacked wasn’t taken well by anyone. He saved his team from being relegated. They were staying up and still he got sacked. Never mind. These things happen in football. Well, came in Claudio (I’ve said this for the 3rd freaking time). It was felt with mixed response, some said it was genius transfer by Leicester City. Some said it was bad and that Leicester was DEFINITELY getting relegated this season. Well, one thing everyone knew was that only time could tell where Ranieri would take Leicester this season.
Robert Huth, Christian Fuchs and Shinji Okazaki were already brought to the club before Ranieri coming in. Ranieri made a couple of signings after coming in, notably-not Daniel Amartey & N’Golo Kanté. One from Ghana and the other from France. Ranieri is known for his diverse nationality team and he wasn’t going to let us down this time around.
Ranieri didn’t tinker much with the squad, and I mean not overhauling the squad, the idiosyncrasy of an incoming manager. The core of last season’s team was still there. The Vardys, The Ulloa, The Drinkwaters, The Morgans, The Schmeichels, The Schlupps and The Mahrez’. And so started the season of 2015–16. Gameweek 1. Leicester 4–2 Sunderland.
That Start Though
Leicester’s first 5 games read something like this
W — W — D — D — W
It was a dream start. Scoring 11 goals in their first 5 games. Nigel Pearson’s sacking was forgotten, well almost. They continued their form from last season. They played fearless. They played for each other. They looked as if nothing had changed. Well even for us it looked like nothing had changed. Well, most of us thought that this was the effervescence of last season’s surge of The Great Escape. It was too early to tell anything, the league had not taken its unpredictability curve, yet. And Leicester still wanted to dream on. And they did.
Leicester’s next 5 games read something like this
D — L — W — D -W
Well, they were brought back to earth after the demolition by Arsenal. Arsenal scored 5 goals with a Sanchez hat-trick (He wasn’t in my fantasy team, damn). But that did not benumb the mood around the King Power Stadium or within the team. The next gameweek, Leicester won their game and by the time 10 games were over, Leicester were sitting 5th in the league table. And to look at it now, it was just 1 defeat in 10 games. 2 defeats in their last 18. Champions usually carry around that kinda stat. Only time could tell.
Fifth in the table. Similar to where Southampton were the previous season. But they faded away. But were Leicester on a similar path? Only time could tell.
Did they fade away?
Leicester created a knack of coming back at you, even when they were a goal down. Leicester developed a knack of scoring counter attacking goals, similar to Fergie’s United over the years. Even against Arsenal, they did lose 5–2, but were still always in the game and always looked for a chance to score a goal. The drive to win was tremendous. What was Ranieri doing in the dressing room? What was he drilling them in at training? They just seemed to enjoy every moment that they were playing. Vardy was on his purple patch scoring for 5 games in a row and a new hero was emerging through the ranks in the name of Riyad Mahrez.
After drawing against Southampton, Leicester went on to win the next 4 games. And by the time they were about to play Manchester United, it was a top of the table clash. The match ended 1–1 but a record was broken that night. Jamie Vardy became the first person to score in 11 consecutive top flight games, beating United’s Ruud Van Nistelrooy record of 10. As if it were scripted. Messi has the record for most consecutive league goals. 24. He’s an alien I think.
Anyway, coming to the point of Leicester City fading away. They were far from fading. After played United, they won 3 games in row before losing their second game for the season. But the one game that will always stand out in the first half, it has to be Leicester vs Chelsea. Chelsea were languishing in 14th place and having a turmoil season. No title winning team had experienced such a turn around the next season. Not even David Moyes’ United. Leicester won that game. Mahrez scoring a peach of a goal. Mourinho was sacked. Ranieri was the man to do it. Had to be scripted. 11 years ago, Ranieri was sacked by Chelsea and Mourinho was brought into his place. Mourinho went on to win 2 titles in his first spell and 1 more in his second spell.
Mourinho reaped the rewards with a team Ranieri help build. Was it time for Ranieri to receive the same rewards. Only time could tell.
They did not fade away. At Christmas Leicester City were top of the league.The only other time they were top of the league was in 1999–00. They ended the league 8th that season. The highest up until then. As the stats goes by, any team that is at the top at Christmas, wins the league.
Leicester ended the year with 39 points tied with Arsenal only being 2nd by goal difference.They also etched a record by being the first team to be bottom and top of the table at Christmas. An uncanny record, but still something to be proud of.
Another fact, a guy actually pocketed £72,000 by betting that Leicester would win the premier league with 5000–1 the odds. Fancy that.
When it became a reality to them, to us and to everyone
The teams surging for the title were Leicester, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs.There was a gap of only 4 points between Leicester and Spurs. Still a tight race. Anybody’s to win. Leicester fans even joked by putting up a banner “We’re staying up” after they accumulated 40 points, which was exactly the number of points they had all last season.
Everyone still thought that Leicester are going to drop and the title will be between Arsenal and City. But they didn’t drop points. In fact, they would go on to win 4 of their next 6 matches, while drawing the remaining 2. But more importantly they beat Spurs at White Hart Line. That was when I started believing that Leicester can do it this season. But others will still not convinced. I feel so.
Maybe, because there was showdown left with Manchester City and Arsenal. Back to Back games with their rivals. Well, now they were rivals.
All this while, Ranieri and his team only downplayed any chance of winning the title. Never did he speak about Leicester having a chance to win the title. All he said was, “We’re dreaming”
Leicester went to Manchester and beat them 1–3 with Mahrez scoring another peach of a goal. 1 check box ticked. Leicester went to Arsenal, dominated the game, only to lose 2–1 with the last kick of the game. They weren’t heart broken. They were just unlucky. Leicester still were 2 points ahead in the table.
So far, Leicester had scored 48 goals in the league, with Mahrez and Vardy contributing to 70% of those goals. Vardy was definitely their hero, but it was Mahrez who came off age this season. Probably he’s going to win the PFA player of the season award for scoring goals and having an almost equal number of assists.
It has been a season for Leicester that way. Whenever they lost a game, the next game they’d stand right back, in your face. That attitude never died. I hope it does not. All season, everyone was waiting Leicester to drop off the summit, but they didn’t. Ranieri still does not admit to be in the title challenge, but everyone knew that the belief that they could win the title was already sparked a long time ago within that dressing room. Nobody showed it. Not even the fans. But only time could tell.
A Dream that was never dreamt
By the end of February, Leicester were 4 points ahead of Spurs and 5 points off Arsenal.City were 9. And by the end of March they were 6 points ahead of Spurs, 11 off Arsenal and 15 off City. The same time last year, they were bottom of the table, almost relegated. With 8 games in hand and only 19 points, they managed to stay up and now they’re here. Kinda goes with Drake’s song “Started from the bottom, now we’re here. Started from the bottom, now the whole team fucking here”
Who would’ve thought a team like Leicester no stars, no big money buys, a new manager, loves to tinker would be at the summit of the league with 8 games to go. I didn’t, and I’m sure as hell no one did. Everybody expected them to go, but they didn’t.
Leicester currently sit at the top of the table with a 7 point healthy gap with 5 games to go. Heck, Leicester City fans finally came out singing that they’re winning the league after winning the game. 20 mins after winning the game, they were still there singing. Ranieri still wants to dream though. And maybe he is right, this is probably a dream that was never dreamt.
Leicester’s season this year somehow showed the beauty in football. Where all other teams ended up spending more than 800 million in buying new players over the summer, Leicester’s team was wired with determination and has definitely shown us something damn near heart. That’s what football is all about it, ain’t it?
I hope they do win the league this year. And I hope their fairy tale continues. The mere fact that next year the likes of Dortmund or Real Madrid could come to the King Power Stadium, playing champions league football is massive, at so many levels.
The story of Leicester’s rise to the top of English Football is beautiful. Rags to Riches some may say. I’ve been lucky enough to experience Leicester’s journey. I may not be a part of it but as a neutral, it’s fascinating, even for me.
Will Ranieri finally have a league title medal in his closet. Will this be a one off season for Leicester. Will Leicester go the merry way the same way Nottingham Forest did in the 70’s. Will another blue team from England rise to the top just like how Chelsea did a decade ago or will Leicester make their own path in the English Football history. Only time could tell.
P.S — I’ve been a Manchester United fan since 2003 and I love the Leicester story.
