Official Leicester City FC Thread

[HIF]

So far

In:
Ricardo Pereira
Johnny Evans
James Maddison

Out:
Ben Hamer
Robert Huth

I'm happy with the incomings, we'll need more outgoings as all the on loan players are back.

Ahmed Musa we should sell whilst his price is high following his impressive world cup. Mahrez will eventually go. Ulloa, Benalouane and King need to be sold or loaned out to a championship team.

Kapûstka, Elder, and some of our younger players should be loaned out for the first half of the season.

Mendy, Slimani should be kept as squad players unless we bring in more when the Mahrez money is freed up.

I've a feeling we'll see at least another 2 or 3 decent signings coming in and a lot of activity to offload players.

[Cactus Jack]

Read on Twitter

[DrKnick]

Leicester City has a thread on RealGM? Weird.

[HIF]

Read on Twitter

Seems a lot of cash for a 2nd string keeper. Would love him to be good enough to compete with Kasper though. He made 2 good saves in his first 45 mins pre-season game.

[HIF]

Leicester City has a thread on RealGM? Weird.

You mean Prem league champions and one of the best English CL performances of recent years Leicester City?

Weird would be supporting OM

[DrKnick]

Leicester City has a thread on RealGM? Weird.

You mean Prem league champions and one of the best English CL performances of recent years Leicester City?

Weird would be supporting OM

Well, not knocking on Leicester City's recent shine, it's just that there's nothing "hip" about Leicester City. Maybe I grew up seeing the Foxes as a yo-yo club. Similar to GSW and LA Clippers of the 1990's and 2000's.

[Neal25]

Read on Twitter

Seems a lot of cash for a 2nd string keeper. Would love him to be good enough to compete with Kasper though. He made 2 good saves in his first 45 mins pre-season game.

It seems a signing in case Schmeichel leaves which it´s probable.

[HIF]

Read on Twitter

Seems a lot of cash for a 2nd string keeper. Would love him to be good enough to compete with Kasper though. He made 2 good saves in his first 45 mins pre-season game.

It seems a signing in case Schmeichel leaves which it´s probable.

I think you read too much big6 media talk.

It's unlikely that Kasper leaves. Extremely unlikely.

[HIF]

Leicester City has a thread on RealGM? Weird.

You mean Prem league champions and one of the best English CL performances of recent years Leicester City?

Weird would be supporting OM

Well, not knocking on Leicester City's recent shine, it's just that there's nothing "hip" about Leicester City. Maybe I grew up seeing the Foxes as a yo-yo club. Similar to GSW and LA Clippers of the 1990's and 2000's.

OM is hip?

I'm born and bred Leicester. There ain't no hipper!

[DrKnick]

You mean Prem league champions and one of the best English CL performances of recent years Leicester City?

Weird would be supporting OM

Well, not knocking on Leicester City's recent shine, it's just that there's nothing "hip" about Leicester City. Maybe I grew up seeing the Foxes as a yo-yo club. Similar to GSW and LA Clippers of the 1990's and 2000's.

OM is hip?

I'm born and bred Leicester. There ain't no hipper!

Ah, that explains why. I was born and raised in the Miami area and still live here but never seems to care for the sport teams. Maybe the Dolphins though they just been so irrelevant in the last 15 years.

[papajdog]

Can we just hurry up and sign a winger?!

That new 3rd kit that’s just released though is a thing of beauty.

[HIF]

Can we just hurry up and sign a winger?!

That new 3rd kit that’s just released though is a thing of beauty.

Maybe we're gpoing for a formation tweak instead of 2 traditional wingers. We already have Gray, Diabaté and Albrighton as traditional wingers anyway.

I think we have more important priorities than a winger.

[papajdog]

Can we just hurry up and sign a winger?!

That new 3rd kit that’s just released though is a thing of beauty.

Maybe we're gpoing for a formation tweak instead of 2 traditional wingers. We already have Gray, Diabaté and Albrighton as traditional wingers anyway.

I think we have more important priorities than a winger.

Whilst I agree that we have them wingers already, diabate and gray for me aren’t starters just yet. Gray is definitely ahead of Fous in that aspect. I really like albrighton, super reliable but not got the creativity I think we’re gonna lack out wide. We do need another centre half I reckon, shame we never went back in for Dragovic!

[The_Brecht]

Apparently, you guys are in for Januzaj.

[HIF]

IN

Ricardo Pereira - FC Porto

Jonny Evans - West Brom

James Maddison - Norwich

Danny Ward - Liverpool

Justin Kranthove - AFC '34 Alkmaar. 17 years Academy Free Transfer

Louis Ramsey - Norwich City - Development Squad

Ryan Loft via Spurs - Development Squad

Viktor Johansson - Development Squad

Rachid Ghezzal - AS Monaco

Filip Benkovic - Dinamo Zagreb

Caglar Soyuncu


OUT

Ben Hamer - Huddersfield

Robert Huth - Released Contract finisihed

Elliot Moore - OHL - Loan

Connor Wood (development squad) - Bradford City - Undisclosed

Riyad Mahrez - Man City

Kamal Sowah - OH Leuven loan

Harvey Barnes - WBA - Season loan

Daniel Iversen - Oldham - Season Loan - signs 3 year contract extension - OS

Max Bramley - Telford - Season Loan - OS

George Thomas - **** - Season Loan - OS

Ahmed Musa - Al Nassr - Undisclosed - Merc


We're sure to loan out a few more like Slimani, King, Ulloa.

I make that a very good summer season.

[The_Brecht]

Reports in Belgium that the board is tired of Puel and wants Martinez instead.
Any news on that front?

Seems weird after a good game against Man Utd, which you guys shouldn't have lost.

[HIF]

Reports in Belgium that the board is tired of Puel and wants Martinez instead.
Any news on that front?

Seems weird after a good game against Man Utd, which you guys shouldn't have lost.

There have been "rumours" since half way through last season. The media love a good story.

Seems to me that the owners have backed him in the transfer market and would have gotten rid of him at the end of last season if they were'nt going to give him a chance.

I think that it's simply media driven rumours but if we had a disastrous start to the campaign who knows.

[HIF]

Well what a year last year was.

It was clear with the hiring of Claude Puel and the ageing nature of the title winning team backed by the poor purchases the following off-season that Vichai had decided that last year was going to be a transitional year.

And then there was the crash.

It had a profound effect on many Leicester supporters and the club itself and even though I must say I'm not one of the supporters who suffered the "Diana" syndrome it has probably resulted in a closer bond between TOP and the the City than any could have imagined or hoped for. I believe that something good will come from the tragedy. RIP Vichai.

Sadly the emotional turmoil that the fans suffered seemed to find a vitriolic target in Claude Puel who never really had a chance of surviving. Every week the question was being asked and despite victories over Man City and Chelsea, defeats to weak opposition in the league and the FA Cup exit eventually brought about his sacking.

He was on a thankless road already - the team had a very large squad full of useless purchases after the title win that were unable to be sold but who were taking up a lot of salary, a large number of older players, now legends for their title victory, whose game was deteriorating who couldn't be sold and even to drop them courted continual controversy and bad feeling. I think Claude did a decent job slowly changing the style to a more possession and skill based format with young players without losing the speed and pressing which our game is renowned for. He managed to replace Simpson with Ricardo and Fuchs with Chilwell but had many more problems removing Morgan from the team. His midfield also lacked enough creativity as he was required to play 2 CDMs in NDidi and Mendy as we only had Maddison going forward. He tried continually to find the second attacker to replace the finished Okazaki but Gray's inconsistency didn't help him there.

Claude was further hampered by Maguire and Vardy's late return from the World Cup. Vardy didn't find his form until well into the second half of the season, his red card didn't help the matter and Maguire never really played to his proper level due to not having had any break all year. Evans whilst a magnificent signing arrived unfit and was then injured and he took until the closing weeks of the season to finally hit the form which meant that Morgan could be replaced, too late for Puel though. Puel's masterstroke was the exchange loan of Adrien Silva, whose career just never took off at Leicester, for Tielemans but he never got to hang around long enough for Tielemans to save him.

The arrival of Brendan Rodgers coincided with Tielemans transforming Leicester, Evans stabilising the backline and Vardy shining with his "yearly" new manager bounce. Leicester who really were never in danger of relegation finally showed that they should have been fighting out that final Europa league spot and everyone finished with optimism for the the new season.

[HIF]

Well last year it was the turncoat Mahrez storyline. This year it looks like it'll be the Harry Maguire storyline.

Harry is an excellent player, going forward he is one of the world's best CBs, defensively he is a great header of the ball but can occasionally be out of position and a little slow on the turn.

If he stays, which I don't think he will, he'll partner Jonny Evans and we'll have a great CB pairing, if he leaves I hope he goes to Man City. At Man City he will look like the world's best CB because defending won't be his most important feature. He is a controlled player who can stride up the pitch and make great passes. In Man City blue he will look class and he'll have either Stones or the Frenchie to cover him defensively. If he goes to Man Utd, he'll be their best CB but he won't look like the world's best as Man U are in disarray. Man U could be a disaster for Harry.

Even though he is our starting CB, I understand his desire to go to a "Big" team. He has been very professional for us and I'm happy for him to go, though I'm happy for him to stay. I wouldn't let him go for less than £80-85m. Manchester teams have made this market for all of us and now they have to pay it. If he goes I certainly wouldn't sign Dunk. I'm happy to see how Soyunco or Benkovic go alongside Evans and to be honest we have a number of U23 CBs who are not far off deserving bench time too. I don't want to see Wes playing and if we were to buy someone I'd love to see Nathan Ake as a Fox. I'd be tempted to take him over Maguire anyway.

Last year's signings through Puel turned out excellent. Ricardo, Evans, Maddison and Tielemans are top notch. Soyunco, Benkovich and Evans looked pretty good too, in fact only Ghezall was disappointing. He has great skills but is far too slow for the Prem. He should move to Italy or Spain or back to France but of course on the Prem salary he has that is harder to do than suggest. Other poor buys from previous years also need to move on, the biggest of which Islam Slimani and Adrien Silva. Both are good players but just not capable of coping with the Premier league game. Portugal or France would be good destinations for them - if only they can get someone to pay them the salary they now get.

This year has seen three purchases so far - Tielemans, Ayoze and james. We know Tielemans and have to hope that he continues on from the great combination play he started last year with Madders and Vardy. If he can Leicester may well challenge that top 6 this season. Ayoze looks a good buy, he has prem experience, scores, assists and more importantly for us he has speed and skill with the ball. James is a young back up from Luton, he won't be starting and we'll have to see how he does. I'm worried about his speed, he looks a little slow to me but I've only seen him in Pre-season so far too early to make judgements yet.

What else do we need? I don't think we need a Maguire replacement, the money can be used better elsewhere - unless we can get Ake. We need a striker. Vardy was fantastic at the end of the year - not early on - and he's not young anymore. I still hope that Iheanacho can make the step up but his confidence has been hammered and at gthe moment signs are more likely that he's a £25m bust. Gray is a good little player but lacking intelligence, hopefully he can find the composure and consistency to make it big but this is now his make or break season. I think he could be a number 9 in our team but I'm also happy with him staying on the wing. Harvey Barnes looks like being a great little winger too, highly skilled and a potential England player but like Gray he needs to find the composure at the highest level now to consolidate his place. I really like Hamza Choudhury, I have no doubts he is going to be a world great and future England captain - I'd put him in as the CDM for the NT right now. His problem is that we have N'Didi at CDM who is young and also incredibly talented (though not as intelligent). It's going to be interesting to see how things play out there.

So another striker and possibly an experienced winger - perhaps even someone like Townsend or Praet to alternate with the young guns and Marc Albrighton.

[HIF]

Leicester 2 Atalanta 1

Our final pre-season game was a great watch. Both teams played wonderful fast attacking football. The first half was pretty even, the second half was easily won by Leicester.

I hadn't seen Atalanta play before but can see how they managed 3rd in the Italian league and I think they could surprise teams in the Champion's league this season. Ilicic looked a particularly good player.

Leicester played without Maguire - who looks to be on his way to Manure - and Ndidi, who has just returned from Afcon. Soyuncu replaced Maguire and played fine next to Jonny Evans. Hamza replaced Ndidi and looked great in central defence. I expect they'll both hold those places for the first match against Wolves next Sunday.

Tielemans played some incredible passes. Madisson took some wonderful dead balls. Ricardo and Chilwell made great attacking runs but my motm was new boy Ayoze perez who worked so hard with and without the ball and topped it off with a beautifully taken goal. Most impressive was the calm coolness with which he slotted it away. Our second goal was a Vardy special. Fuchs long throw, Vardy turned the CB, controlled, ran and slipped the ball past a goalkeeper who had had a good match. A third beauty of a strike was ruled out because Evans was in an offside position when fuchs let fly a long range cracker. Atalanta got a late consolation penalty.

I feel good leaving pre-season and I'm looking forward to next week. It'll be interesting to see if we are active in the final week of transfers following the Maguire medical and hopefully we'll still see a few players leaving or going on loan to foreign clubs etc... after the start of the season.