Month: April 2020

A new focus for Brendan Rodgers and Leicester City, will they win big money transfer races competing Everton, West Ham and Arsenal?

The names of possible new signings are many and with all the uncertainty in the current situation, moves and transfers over bordets might not happen for a while.

Carvalho and Coutinho are both seen as possible new players, both will add depth and quality, with other names also popping up.

Rangers forward Morelos, Lille defender Gabriel, Slavia Sofia midfielder Krastev and Lille star man Osimhen among those latest transfer object names.

What we who support Leicester City might have to consider is the competition from other clubs. West Ham and Arsenal are often seen as contenders, Everton is a club showing interest for Coutinho, so all that interest must not be faulted.

TCF believe Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers will be in line with his squad policy and not bring more players than needed and additions will certainly ser departures.

 

 

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A unique signing, the first of it’s kind if it happens

Leicester City looks as the front runner in the chase of Philippe Coutinho, and if Brendan Rodgers will be lucky in his chase then this will be a very unique signing by The Foxes.

Coutinho is as we all know a Brazilian and strangely no player from that nation have ever played in the Leicester City first team.

Brazilians have since Mirandinha made his debut for Newcastle United back in the 80’s played a major part of the English top flight, and the major top teams over the last decade have fielded a great number of Brazilians.

Brendan Rodgers knows Coutinho well and did sign him while at Liverpool, and with a possible chance for Champions League fotball at King Power next season, don’t be surprised if a couple of top names will find their way to Leicester City.

 

 

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Foxes A to Z, Steve Walsh, Leicester City through and through!

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Steve Walsh are among the most legendary players ever to have appeared in blue and white. His presence was colossal and he made impact from the start, playing for the club in three different decades.

As far back as 1995 he was the longest serving player at the club and he continued for another five years before calling it a day in the start of the 00/01 season just a few weeks after Peter Taylor had taken charge.

When Martin O’Neill left the club, Steve Walsh and Tony Cottee were seen as a duo to take over, but the board turned it down and instead went for the Gillingham boss, and it might have been the start to the end for Walshy when Peter Taylor knew he had a player in his squad that wanted his job.

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An enigmatic player across his 14 years at Filbert Street., to the extent it is difficult to decide precisely which Steve Walsh to attempt to describe. The rugged stopper or the swash buckling striker? The coolly commanding captain captain or the reckless recipient of the red carded. The red rag to Steve Bull, or the man who led the Rams to slaughter…?

Steve followed Bryan Hamilton from Wigan Athletic as the new managers initial City purchase, justifying his £100.000 fee as a strapping central defender by deposing the unsettled John O’Neill in the First Division line-up. But even in his first term he was alternating the promise of becoming an aerially dominant influence with moments of naive impetuosity which cost his relegation bound side dearly.

Steve’s first 2nd division game for City ended with his (second) dismissal for a vicious assault on Shrewsbury’s David Geddis, which eventually earned him an eleven game ban, but he returnend with a apparently much more mature outlook, developing his defensive timing and positioning and began to show himself additionally as a useful goalscorer. Indeed.

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Steve took the Player of the Year award in 1988 to index his rehabilitation, but ill luck with injuries hampered his progress the following term. He remained at the heart of the defensive formation of each of David Pleat, Gordon Lee and Brian Little (skippering the side under the latter boss despite three dimissals in 1990/91 and two more early in 1992/93), until Little then gambled on shifting him forward into a muscular target man role, to which he adapted with enthusiasm and no little effectiveness. Steve became the 15 goal top marksman of 1993 (at one point scoirng in five successive victories) as a second play-off final came into view, and he contributed an additional Wembley goal to the exciting fightback against Swindon, to help earn memories of the penalty he’d unluckily conceded against Blackburn’s David Speedie the year before.

It was a further year on at Wembley, though, that Steve’s true glory would come, with the two goals against Derby County that finally lifted Leicester City into the Premier League coming after he’d missed the bulk of the season following a horrendous knee ligament injury injury at Middlebrough. Further knee trouble completely ruined Steve’s top-flight campaign, but with fitness regained there are now further question marks for Steve and Mark McGhee to juggle with, not least attaching to the genuine dilemma of whether he is of most use to the side as a rugged defensive cornerstone or an inspirational attacking totem. The season ended in a relegation, but Steve became a key player in the next seasons to come.

Firstly he had great impact during the fight back to regain a place in the Premier League, but had to see McGhee and a certain Martin O’Neill arrive. MON kept Walsh in the team and he captained the side in the first years under the new man.

His presence was clear and MON kept him as captain as he leaded the team on to EFL Cup glory in 1996/97 and helping Leicester City establish themselves as a top tier outfit for the next five years. He captained the team out also in his 2nd EFL Cup final, but had to see a defeat, losing that final to Tottenham Hotspur in 1999.

FACTFILE:

  • Full Name: Steven Walsh
  • Position: Defender / Forward
  • Date of Birth: 03.11.1964
  • Birthplace: Preston
  • Nation: England
  • Caps / Goals: –
  • Major League Career:
    • 1982-86, Wigan Athletic (126/4)
    • 1986-00, Leicester City (369/53)
  • Links
  • Category
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Expert say, long wait for a return of football, cannot see it happening in 2020!

The Corona situation is one not under control, and both in the UK and over here in Scandinavia we are waiting for the football to start up again. The situation is treated differently from country to country, but all in all, to believe league games will be played in the near future looks totally unlikely.

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A top expert in Norway, Bjorn Guldvog, said he couldn’t see games 11 v 11 being played during the year of 2020, meaning they have to overrule the distance of 2 meters. He is a leader of health in Norway and a former athlete himself, he knows his business. That is a grim prediction but we believe the leader of health is close to the truth and that his talk is based on facts of knowledge, and not just trying to “stop the fun”.

In Norway you have a type of lock down, but we have not seen a curfew, but of course restriction on travelling, a number of trades such as hairdressers and physiotherapists among those have been shut down and in the capitol they have not been allowed to serve alcohol. The situation in Norway is among the best, but with schools and kindergartens again opening next week, you might see a new top again as people are afraid this will see a new virus spread. A key factor in Norway is the distance between people, how we live and a more non bacterial flora than in several other countries in Europe.  This might affect the reason why so few have died of the virus so far. Another key reason could be that the digital life over here. All ages have basic knowledge and access to it.

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Sweden who have another approach have not stopped players from training and the distance between players is not a topic. Though they have stopped practicing matches, which was allowed just a week ago.

After reading Leicester Mercury today and seeing their story about how football again  could start up, with the virus still in circulation, looks like a very risky project and one not to follow. What we need to know more exactly is when you have a vaccine, when you have medicines who will break down the viruses 100% and when playing football again is seen as “safe”, then a date will be set. Players are back in training in Norway, at least those who have not been given a lay off by their club can train as long as they are following the health authorities guide lines, which says no contact, keep your distance and so on. Footballs must be sprayed and cleaned during sessions and it’s working in a way, but of course far from ideal and also far from a football practice as we all know and are used to.

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If you look to China, who had the first breakout of the virus, they are still not back, no date for a startup is set and they might be a couple of months in front. Former Manchester United and Everton midfielder Mauroane Fellaini , a player in the Chinese league, is currently in quarantine after contracting the virus. This might be a warning to everyone that if players start to feel symptoms and are getting ill, such dates of a startup will have to be pushed forward.

The health authorities in Norway are a group of careful people and they are probably more close to the answer than any footballing experts just wishing everything would vanish and that we all could go back to normal ways, but that looks impossible and a far distant thought.

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In Both Camps, Coventry City

The exchange of players between Coventry City and Leicester City are an ongoing affair, and of course today James Maddison and George Thomas are the two to talk about. Both players are Sky Blue and coming through the youth system at Coventry City, before a move to Leicester City happened.

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George Thomas, currently on loan at ADO Den Haag, joined Leicester City directly from Coventry City with James Maddison coming in from Norwich City after moving there from Coventry City.

The number of players who have been in both camps are many, and players such as Julian Joachim, Dion Dublin and Marc Edworthy are just a few of relatively recent players to mention.

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Going back a few years the signings of Jeff Blockley and Brian Alderson are two to talk about, they both had great spells at both clubs, and again both nursed forward through the youth system at Coventry City. Blockley, who was born in Leicester, joined Coventry from school and later signed from Arsenal to Leicester by Jimmy Bloomfield.

Brian Alderson came straight to Leicester from Coventry and had an instant impact as the Leicester City team flourished in those seasons Alderson was present. 1975/76 and 1976/77 were two very successful campaigns and Brian did play on a regular basis.

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Jimmy Holmes og Gerry Daly are other names to mention. Both at Leicester City in the 80’s, but with brief spells and leaving early. Jim Melrose and Tom English are two players that switched places and did get a career at both clubs.

Gordon Milne and Micky Adams are two to mention, none of them played for Leicester City but had manager jobs at both clubs, and Adams did both at Coventry, seen as lively full back and later a manager.

Nicky Platnauer made his move to Leicester City at a time when he was a proven professional but in his early days referred to as a mailman after coming into the professional game in his early 20’s from non-league. Platnauer enjoyed a spell at Coventry City in the top flight and played for Leicester City mostly in the 2nd tier a few years later.

Trevor Benjamin had a nomadic life in football, and during his days at Leicester City going a number of times out on loan. Despite his travelling around he added up 81 league games and scored 11 goals during his five years at the club. His spell at Coventry was brief, playing 12 league games and scoring 1 single goal.

Not really much remembered but Tim Flowers did move on loan to Coventry City while at Leicester City, playing 5 league games. He was a first choice at Leicester City for his first two season but lost his gloves to Ian Walker and spent the last two seasons as his understudy experiencing a rollecoaster ride with an EFL Cup win, relegation and promotion.

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Kevin MacDonald, Pegguy Arphexad and Gary McAllister are three special guys, all of them representing Leicester City, Liverpool and Leicester City. They had different roles and different lives at the three clubs. Arphexad didn’t appear as much as the two others and was seen as a understudy at all clubs.

Peter Shilton never appeared in the Coventry City first team but from 1995 to 1996 listed and registered as a first team player at the club. He was a legend at Leicester City in his early days, and after his days as a Sky Blue he appeared in the league for Leyton Orient and reached his tally of more than 1000 league games, appearing nine times for the Londoners.

Another player with a short brief at Leicester City, David Speedie, spent some of his best seasons at Coventry City, he can also be added up among those former Leicester City, Liverpool and Coventry City players.

A list of players in both camps,

  • Goalkeepers
    • Tim Flowers
    • Peter Shilton
    • Pegguy Arphexad
  •  Defenders
    • Jeff Blockley
    • Marc Edworthy
    • Jimmy Holmes
    • David Langan
    • Steve Walsh
  • Midfield
    • Gerry Daly
    • Brian Alderson
    • Nicky Platnauer
    • James Maddison
    • Gary McAllister
    • Kevin MacDonald
  • Forwards
    • Dion Dublin
    • Jim Melrose
    • Julian Joachim
    • Tom English
    • David Speedie
    • George Thomas
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Guys in Disguise, Andrej Kramaric, from Leicester City misfit to World Cup finalist

When Leicester City made a decision to sign Andrei Kramaric, they had Leo Ulloa, Jamie Vardy and David Nugent as front men alternatives, but Nigel Pearson didn’t see the full potential of that trio.

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David Nugent might have been a bit on the way out of the picture, but Leo Ulloa and Jamie Vardy both played to their full potential in the next months to come with Andrei Kramaric not getting a chance to prove himself, firstly under Nigel and later under Claudio Ranieri who had seen enough and first send him on loan and later sold him.

So why was it that Kramaric never really reached his peak at Leicester City and could they have kept him instead of splashing the cash on Musa and Slimani, and later Iheanacho, without getting the reward we all believed would happen.

Some said that Kramaric was more suited for life in Bundesliga, probably not as quick as you have to be up front in a Premier League side, but then against the top players of the World he managed to get himself all the way to the final and play in it as well.

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The problem at Leicester City might not have been Kramaric himself, but just the fact that Jamie Vardy decided to grab his chance and the style of play Leicester City decided to play, but in a way wouldn’t the Croatian have filled the Okazaki role in a splended way and been the perfect alternative from the bench, a role Leo Ulloa filled so well during that 15/16 season.

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After leaving Leicester City, Kramaric became an instant hit at Hoffenheim, scoring goals on delivery and also doing the same in the national team, being part of a unit that makes it possible for a nation of only four million people to reach the World Cup final.

So far it’s been a great life for Andrej after leaving Leicester City, scoring 56 goals in 154 league games for Hoffenheim. In total he has netted 13 in his 46 games for Croatia. Never the less and with 100% certainty he never fulfilled his potential at Leicester City, was never really given a chance and must be seen as a real “Guys in Disguise” as his time at Leicester City cannot be described as a “highlight” in his career.

A lot has been said and written about Claudio Ranieri, but he never managed to get the best out of this fellow, who we all know and for always will be seen as a player in the World Cup final, and did at after leaving Leicester City.

 

 

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