Back in April, I painstakingly listed 100 concerns plaguing Leicester City Football Club, but one particular concern now stands out prominently – number 51, which revolved around the uncertainty of not knowing what the future held for our team and club over the next six months.
Now, we find ourselves here, and while our current position might not have been entirely predictable, the cloud of uncertainty that loomed over the club’s future has significantly dissipated in recent months. We’re now considered strong contenders for an immediate return to the Premier League, and a sense of optimism pervades.
Undoubtedly, some aspects of our current team were beyond anyone’s foresight. Our Premier League first and second-choice goalkeepers in April are now relegated to third and fourth choices in the Championship as of October. Notably, Jannik Vestergaard, a standout performer this season, was once viewed as someone we were simply paying to bide his time at the training ground.
On top of this, players like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Wilfred Ndidi, who had suffered dips in form, have been revitalized by a fresh approach and a change in division. The long-standing issue of lacking decent wingers, identified as number 55, has now been addressed with several options available in that area.
Item 8, which concerned the dilemma of choosing between Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy, is now a non-issue as both are in stellar form. So much has transformed.
There was always a feeling that a new manager with a strong personality and innovative ideas could rectify our on-field problems, and Enzo Maresca has proven to be the perfect fit for our predicament.
Some entries on the list were perhaps trivial, but they contributed to the overall sense of helplessness as the club faced impending disaster. Other more significant issues have naturally resolved themselves during happier times. Take the uncertainty over the captaincy and the lack of leadership, for instance; this season, we haven’t even found it necessary to officially name a captain due to strong leadership across the team.
Within just six months, item 92 – forgetting what it feels like to win – has transitioned into forgetting what it feels like to lose. Number 64, which reflected a lack of confidence in the team’s ability to secure a victory, has evolved into the question of when we might experience defeat again.
This shift in mentality and the impact of players like Harry Winks on the entire team have been striking. The feeling of inevitable loss as soon as we concede, which was item 80, still lingers, but there’s now a renewed sense of confidence that our team can bounce back from setbacks.
Is this transformation solely due to the easier competition in the Championship? It’s likely a contributing factor, but Maresca deserves substantial credit for his swift turnaround. The club was desperately seeking an identity, and with one now firmly established, we’re on the right path again.
Reflecting on numbers 4 and 69 – the slow and seemingly aimless passing at the back – it’s evident that possession football remains, but it now carries a sense of purpose. We now believe that there’s a method in play when we retain the ball at the back, and that patience will ultimately lead to scoring opportunities.
Consider number 62 – the absence of reliable central midfielders. The difficulties faced by Youri Tielemans at Aston Villa and the current vitality in our midfield, especially after the struggles of the Tielemans/Soumare pairing six months ago, tell the whole story. In fact, it’s somewhat amusing to think that number 23 once criticized Soumare for his “energy.”
The club is also making strides off the field. Item 65, which raised concerns about the lack of promotion for women’s games, has largely been addressed this season, as both the men’s and women’s teams are now being portrayed as equal parts of the same club. However, there’s still work to be done, particularly in areas like ticket prices and partnerships with gambling companies.
Today, it would be challenging to identify 100 things wrong with Leicester City, and most importantly, one wouldn’t want to. In just six months, the club’s entire atmosphere has undergone a remarkable transformation, and Leicester City is clearly on its way back.”
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