Today is the final article in our series from our match reporting team reviewing last season and looking forwards to the Premiership.
Colin Hall reported on 2 home and 2 away games last season, including the significant win at play off winners QPR
What was your personal highlight of the season?
So many come to mind! The sweetest moment was around 5pm on 5th April when the day's results confirmed Derby and QPR could no longer catch us, and promotion was finally ours.
As far as matchdays were concerned, the high point was the win at Burnley which confirmed, beyond doubt, our status as top club in the division. We went to a venue which had previously proved impregnable and played the home team off the park, as many of their fans were gracious enough to acknowledge afterwards.
Most fans seemed to have a game during the season where they came away from the game thinking “we are going up this year”, which was that game for you?
January's dismantling of Derby will live long in the memory. It's become something of a tradition in recent seasons, but Steve McClaren had transformed them into potential title contenders at that stage. Their quality would be confirmed during the remainder of the season, but that night we were a class apart and they were unable to deal with us.
With a number of club records being broken during the course of the season, which did you feel was the most significant?
Breaking the 100-point barrier was an exceptional achievement. It was a total we couldn't reach even in the League 1 season, and sends a clear message that we will not be going into the Premier League just to make up the numbers. If the side continues with its current progress, there is no reason why we can't break into the top 10 within the next two or three seasons – and maybe have a few cup runs along the way…
What do you think was the main difference between the side that lost in the play offs last season, to the one which ran away with the title this season?
The events of the past season have shown there is far more character, spirit and resilience in the current squad. A side that was previously notorious for conceding late goals now scores them on a regular basis, thus turning potential draws into victories, and – equally importantly – defeats into draws. Last season I called for the manager to undergo an appraisal to review the weaknesses within the side. I'm not sure whether that happened, but the lessons of last season's failure certainly seem to have been learned and acted upon.
Danny Drinkwater won all the official player of the season awards, would he have been your choice and who else impressed you this season?
He was the top midfielder in the division and the best in that area at City since the departure of Muzzy Izzet a decade ago. The awards and accolades were no more than he deserved.
It's therefore a little scary to recall that only a year ago, sources at the club were briefing the media that he had no future with us and was available to anyone who wanted him. Fortunately, things have moved on and he's now saying he wants to stay with us on a long-term basis. I hope he can go on to make an impact for us in the top flight.
A number of players made significant strides forwards with their career, which player do you think made the most progress last season and why?
A few players raised their game this season – Drinkwater, Matty James, Ritchie De Laet and Jeff Schlupp in particular. Kasper Schmeichel had a few wobbles in the early part of the season, but made a breakthrough into the Denmark side and will be a force at international level for many years to come.. But Jamie Vardy underwent the biggest transformation of all. He's clearly worked on some of the technical flaws that were evident when he first arrived, and acquitted himself well both in the Championship and in cup-ties against international-standard defenders. As with Drinkwater, Schmeichel and others, he has the potential to be a real force for us at Premier level.
Despite this year of success, were there any players that failed to live up to your expectations?
A few fringe players didn't quite make the impact they hoped for – Marshall and Waghorn moved on, Whitbread spent most of the season on loan, Bakayogo was peripheral even before his season-ending injury, Of the regulars, Andy King trod water a little bit and his goal tally was somewhat below that of previous seasons, while Chris Wood found it difficult to break into the first team. I'm not sure how much either of that duo will feature next year, but as Drinkwater and Vardy showed, the pecking order at the club can change fairly quickly.
A number of experienced heads were added to last seasons squad, which of this seasons signings did you think made the most significant impact?
Bakayogo apart, all the incomers made significant contributions to the squad at various stages of the season, especially during our long unbeaten run when several scored important equalisers and/or winners.. But Marcin Wasilewski gave the defence a physical presence it hasn't always shown in recent times, and his experience and quality proved crucial, particularly in tricky away games. He deserves his opportunity at a higher level, and the qualities that made him such a popular player at Anderlecht are still much in evidence now.
Off the pitch, while the financial accounts up to May 2013 revealed further significant losses, however the main financial news was the owners decision to convert £103 million of loans into equity, what are your thoughts on this?
This has brought us into line with a number of other clubs who have adopted similar practices and removes the spectre of debt which has hung over the club for the past decade. In view of what has now been revealed about the ongoing political turmoil in Thailand, perhaps it's not surprising that the owners chose to use the club as a vehicle for their assets!
Do you think the introduction of Financial Fair Play actually had a positive impact for our club this season and if so why?
In all honesty, I’m not convinced it actually made that much difference. Some clubs with eye-watering debts above £100m may have been slightly inhibited, but others remained as active as before in the transfer market and any modifications in their behaviour were not immediately apparent. The reports of a legal challenge to FFP suggest that its repercussions haven't entirely disappeared, despite our promotion. But with the riches now at our disposal, any fines for which we may become liable are unlikely to cause the owners too many sleepless nights.
What changes to the squad do you think are necessary to ensure we at least remain a Premier League club beyond the 2014/15 season?
A few extra faces with Premier League experience will be important to ensure we make a successful transition into the top flight. The arrival of Matthew Upson and Marc Albrighton has proved an encouraging first step, and the acquisition of Ben Hamer as cover for Schmeichel has also been well-received. However, there is still some work to be done on this front between now and August.
If you could advise Nigel Pearson on new signings, who would your suggestions be for additions to the squad?
We need an experienced Premier League midfielder to give us more of a physical presence in that area of the pitch. Someone from one of the relegated clubs – Steve Sidwell or Bradly Johnson perhaps? – may fit that bill. (editorial note – article written before Sidwell joined Stoke)
Another quality striker may be needed to give us the extra firepower that will be crucial for us against defences that are generally somewhat stronger than those regularly faced by our current strikeforce. Whether that striker is recruited from UK football or via our overseas scouting network is a matter I’m content to leave to our manager’s discretion.
What do you feel is the most significant element of our game we will need to improve next season?
We need to work on set pieces, both in defence and attack. Despite our success, it was clear towards the end of the season that rival managers had identified this as a vulnerability and were seeking to exploit it at every turn. With so many games on TV and subject to intense video analysis, preparations will become even more important than they are already.
What was your reaction to the news coming out of Thailand this week which indicated our owners believe they will need to spend £180 million over the next 3 seasons?
It was a clear statement of intent, made predominantly for the benefit of the far eastern audience, and a pleasing indication of club ambitions. But every Premier club that remains at this level during the next 3 years will receive this amount at least in TV revenue alone, so the advantage may not be as significant as was originally assumed.
Subsequent statements to the media in Leicester had a rather more realistic air to them. The first priority will be to secure enough points to stay out of the drop zone. Anything above and beyond that aim will be a welcome bonus.
Any other observation you would like to make
I was disappointed by the recent recommendations of the FA Commission which missed a real opportunity to bring in radical reforms to the national game. The idea of admitting reserve/nursery teams to the Football League is a non-starter and will be rightly binned. But in the short/medium term, we need to cut the number of league games, as I argued last year.
Ticket prices are also a real concern, with more and more Premier clubs are charging over £50 to away fans. There is a clear aim on the part of certain clubs to price such fans out of the market and discourage them from travelling. This is a trend which I would not want City to follow, or even to consider doing so.
In general terms, fans are demanding a greater say in how the game is being run, though so far many of those pleas are falling on deaf ears. But I hope that the situation will change in the next few years, and that Leicester City, as a Premier League club, will use whatever influence we have to help bring this change about.
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation