A late edition from Colin Hall really does conclude our series of end of season reviews from our members who make up our team of match reporters.
At the start of the season, what would you have regarded as a successful return to the Premiership? I'd have gladly settled for a mid-table finish, ideally with a decent cup run. Sadly the latter element proved elusive, but the welcome and belated upturn ensured that we were able to more or less fulfill initial expectations of our league position.
Were your expectations raised following the 5 – 3 victory over Man Utd? Much as I enjoyed that afternoon, the result owed as much to the failings of our visitors – and their defence in particular – as to the quality of our own performance. We needed to follow up the victory with a positive result in our next game at Palace, and that didn't happen. We'd shown in the early games that we could compete with the top sides in the league, but the defeat at Selhurst Park left wounds which took a long time to heal.
With Villa at home being the only victory in the first 3 months of 2015, did you think we would stay in the division going into April? To be honest, no. Our results, both home and away, had been a long way short of what was needed. In particular, the failure to beat Hull looked to have pushed us past the point of no return. But clearly the win against West Ham marked a real turning point in the season.
What do you feel were the main reasons we went on such a long run without a win? Lack of experience, which led to a lack of confidence and a palpable fear factor both on the pitch and in the stands, The mental weaknesses that had afflicted the squad two seasons previously resurfaced with a vengeance. It reached the point where the team took the field expecting to lose, and this often became a self-fulfilling prophecy.
By contrast, the end of season run was an incredible set of results, what do you feel were the main reasons for the sudden success? There were a lot of factors which combined to produce a boost in our fortunes. The return of Schmeichel in goal, together with the partnership of Wasilewski, Morgan and Huth in front of him, made the defence far more solid than it previously had been.
The re-emergence of Cambiasso and the introduction of Albrighton also had a positive impact on the rest of the side, many of whom rediscovered a scoring touch that hadn't been evident for a while. Finally we started to benefit from some of the breaks that maybe went against us at times earlier in the season. The challenge by Vardy at West Bromwich just before his last-gasp winner, together with Burnley's missed penalty against us at Turf Moor, were notable examples.
Was there any point during the season where you felt a change of manager would have been the best way forwards? Any time between December and March, when we looked like a team heading for not only relegation, but a wooden spoon. It was notable that, of the managers that were “moved on” during the Premier League campaign, all had better records at the time than Nigel Pearson did. Indeed, all bar Gus Poyet also had wins against City on their record – a telling indictment on our performance levels during this time.
Had the owners opted for a more conventional course of action, Pearson would have been remembered, with some sorrow, as the worst top-flight manager since Billy Davies. Instead, though, he managed to turn things around in spectacular fashion, to the extent that he was even bracketed with the likes of Wenger and Mourinho as a contender for manager of the year!
He showed – eventually – he was capable of learning from a series of challenging experiences, and if he can avoid “second season syndrome” and further run-ins with the media, the post could remain his for as long as he wants it.
What was your personal highlight of the season? The final whistle of the Sunderland away game, when preservation of our Premier status was finally confirmed.
Esteban Cambiasso won all the official player of the season awards, would he have been your choice and who else impressed you this season? Cambiasso was a class apart in the last two months, when he seemed to make it his personal mission – a matter of honour, even – to keep us in this league. The players around him responded, and fans began to believe in the team again. No-one else at the club had that level of influence. Wes Morgan may have worn the captain's armband, but it was clear to all who witnessed the side from Easter onwards who the true leader was.
Although Cambiasso fully deserved all the awards going, the contribution of his compatriot Leonardo Ulloa should not be overlooked. As the record signing, he was under some pressure at the start of the season, but responded superbly with crucial goals in the early weeks. He later went through some rough spells, along with the rest of the team, but he was comfortably the top scorer, and had a reasonable record of assists too.
A number of experienced heads were added to last season’s squad, which of this seasons signings did you think made the most significant impact? Robert Huth quickly made a favourable impression. He's very much in the Steve Walsh/Matt Elliott mould of no-nonsense defenders, and he gave the side experience and physical strength that had previously been absent.
Meanwhile Marc Albrighton had to wait a while before having a settled run in the side, but made the most of opportunities when they finally came to him. His willingness to play in an unfamiliar wing-back role – a role he filled with some distinction – also had a positive impact on the team and earned him plenty of plaudits in the stands.
A number of players made significant strides forwards with their career, which player do you think made the most progress last season and why? Riyad Mahrez and Jeff Schlupp showed they could perform at the top level, although both struggled for consistency at times, while Andy King played a key role in the late-season revival as a foil to Cambiasso in midfield.
But Jamie Vardy made his presence felt during the run-in with a series of eye-catching displays which troubled some of the league's top defenders and saw him earn unlikely international recognition. Although his goal return was more modest than he or we would have hoped for, if he stays fit and confident next season, goals should flow more freely for him.
Were there any players that failed to live up to your expectations? Chris Wood and Anthony Knockaert were disappointing. Neither really recovered from the shocker against Shrewsbury which saw us out of the League Cup before the end of August. Danny Drinkwater would also have expected to make more of an impression in the top flight than he did, although his form improved along with the rest of the side after Easter.
Tom Lawrence is still a work in progress, while Andrej Kramaric took a while to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, though he showed glimpses of potential. As for Matthew Upson and Danny Simpson, the less said about them, the better.
What changes to the squad do you think are necessary to improve on this year’s Premiership campaign? More cover is needed in central defence and midfield, particularly in the light of the sad injury to Matty James which is likely to see him miss most of the season. With Ben Hamer having fallen out of favour, the recruitment of another understudy to Schmeichel may also be needed.
If you could advise Nigel Pearson on new signings, who would your suggestions be for additions to the squad? A new deal for Cambiasso is an absolute must. Losing him would be a serious blow to our ability to consolidate on last season's impressive finish. If the European scouting network can unearth further gems to match Wasilewski and Mahrez, that will stand us in good stead. Glad to see the Huth deal has now been made permanent and the reported bid for Steven N'Zonzi is a real statement of our ambitions.
What do you feel is the most significant element of our game we will need to improve next season? We need o be able to keep the ball better. A move for N'Zonzi – or a player of his ilk – would assist considerably in this respect.
The King Power stadium, which has always compared unfavourably to Filbert Street for atmosphere suddenly came to life this season, with a number of visiting sets of supporters stating our ground had the most noise in the division, what do you think were the reasons for this? The fans realised they had to play their part in making the ground a fortress. While some treated the clappers given out at the West Ham game as a gimmick, the vast majority were prepared to use them and give the team extra backing. Positive vocal support has made a real difference to teams like Stoke and Crystal Palace. With a larger fan base than either of those clubs, the potential for us is clear to see.
Any other observation you would like to make: The continuing struggles of our East Midlands neighbours offers us the opportunity to establish ourselves as the region's powerhouse for the next decade and beyond. Expansion of the stadium – which TV revenues will help to finance – will be a positive move in that direction. But if we are to achieve the global profile to which our owners aspire, we need to start challenging for silverware. In the short to medium term, that means cup runs – about which the current management have occasionally appeared to show a certain degree of ambivalence.
Seeing Leicester lift the FA Cup remains high on the bucket list for me and many others among the older generation of Foxes. It is still a target well within our reach. A trip to the new Wembley is overdue for us. I hope it will not be long in coming.
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
The Trust dedicates this series of end of season reviews to one of our match reporting team who has contributed since we first launched them. Mike King sadly passed away a couple of days before the final day of the season.