In the third of a series of articles from our match reporting team, Chris Griffin (CG) & Stuart Dawkins (SD) give their views on last season and look forward to next season.
Before the 2023/24 season started what were your hopes on what we could achieve?
CG – “Hopes” is the right word. Looking back, I note I mentioned “hopes” as opposed to “expectations”. So, the hope was for promotion or at least reach the play offs. Certainly, did not think automatic promotion was the most likely. Got that wrong.
SD – At best some stability. With a new coach who had very different ideas about how the team should play, I anticipated an inconsistent start to the season which, if things went well, might stabilise and result in a play-off place – something like Southampton achieved would have been at the upper end of my hopes.
As the season progressed at which game did you start to believe we’d be promoted?
CG – Despite the home defeat to Hull at the start of September I began to feel optimistic after the two away wins against Southampton and Norwich – two decent teams and two good performances from our boys. The Southampton match, in particular, was most encouraging against a very good side that had been playing well.
SD – I assumed we would be promoted from sometime in March … then as results turned, I began to wonder whether we would be promoted at all. The end of the season was so topsy-turvy I did not believe for certain we would do it until we actually did. The top four seemed to be taking it in turns to come up with unlikely ways of failing.
Did you remain convinced after that game that promotion was assured, or did you waiver?
CG – Certainly, had a wobble later in the season: a big wobble. Defeats home to Middlesborough and away to Leeds. Then lost at home to QPR. More defeats came at Bristol City, Millwall and Plymouth. Six defeats in ten games. Ouch! It was beginning to look uncertain, but the team pulled it round with good home wins against West Brom, Norwich and then especially Southampton. Fortunately, Leeds and Southampton each had their wobbly periods as well.
SD – There was no chance to waiver – it had already happened!
What were the key improvements to the team compared to 2022/23
CG – Created and took more chances. We might have been in a lower league, but the 89 goals scored were a significant factor in the team’s success. The team had greater fitness and energy which it sustained for the full duration of games. The team also used the full width of the pitch which was hugely beneficial especially when Fatawu and Mavididi became established. Although fans were divided over Maresca’s tactics the players seemed comfortable with it and in most games did well looking after the ball. Should also mention the impact of Hermansen both as a goalkeeper with the ball at his feet and as a very good shot stopper. Certainly, filled the gap caused by Schmeichel’s’ departure twelve months previously.
SD – They looked like a team with a plan and a real desire to do their best for each other. I don’t really know how the team lost that during the final Rodgers year, but they clearly did. One of the key abilities of a successful team is to keep going and turn draws into wins and losses into draws. They did that often this season having often achieved the precise opposite many times the season before.
What were your views on the signings made last season?
CG – Purchases
As indicated very impressed with Hermansen.
Winks was excellent: a really outstanding player. Played nearly every game and covered every blade of grass. When he was in possession it recalled the days of Neil Lennon. As Martin O’Neil once said of Lennon “I am always relaxed when Lennon has the ball because he knows exactly what to do with it.” Likewise Winks.
Coady: hard to say since he played so seldom. Thought he looked very secure when he did play and comments from inside the camp suggest he is a positive and a highly professional influence on the players. Would like to see him play more often.
Mavididi: has drawn criticism from some fans but 12 goals and six assists speak for themselves. Important that under Cooper the team devises a system to get the ball to Mavididi even more often. Could work if playing him as a ten goes well.
Cannon: young, learning the ropes. Definitely worth persevering with but needs more game time and more service when he does play. Hopefully Cooper will nurture a style that achieves that.
Loans
Doyle. Had bad luck with injury. Would have liked to keep him. His preferred left foot gave balance to the side. His accurate passing added penetration. Shame he’s gone.
Casadei: had some good moments but the game seemed to pass him by on occasions.
Akgun: skilful and quick but found the sustained pace of the Championship a challenge.
Fatawu: great loan and now a great signing.
SD – Winks has been a great signing. Fatawu and Mavididi have moments of brilliance but will need to be more consistent in the Premier League. I was surprised Coady played so little, although apparently, he is a good influence amongst the team. Cannon got few chances but looked at least OK when he did play. Doyle reinforced my view that getting well-motivated loanees from the very top clubs can be a very patchy affair (as did Casadei). Hermansen looked good, and certainly suited the Maresca system. We will have to see how he fares in the Premier League.
Which player do you think made the most progress last season and why?
CG – Fatawu. As well as developing his play as an attacking winger he also improved as an all-round wing back with good defensive work. He scored six goals and had 12 assists. Expect him to kick on and improve those figures even though playing in a higher league.
SD – I’m not sure it is ‘progress’ as such, but Vestergaard’s re-invention was impressive, a key part of the team. Dewsbury-Hall matured into the top player we thought he might be.
What was your view of the fans support during the course of the season
CG – Some were of the glass half full types whereas others were of the glass half empty persuasion. Certainly, Maresca’s tactics triggered a lot of discussion per social media with comments of the “like watching paint dry” nature. And there was some vindication for these views. Despite the team’s success there is one revealing metric based on the speed with which a team moves the ball up the field. Out of the 24 Championship teams assessed City finished in 21st place: not very impressive. So yes, of course we all want our side to win but we also go to Filbert Way for entertainment and that wasn’t always on show.
SD – It’s not something I stress about too much. I never think booing a demoralised team does much good, but football supporting carries a lot of weight of emotion and tribalism and identity in our society – for good or ill – so as long as people are not crossing a line, I am relaxed to let each fan express their support their own way.
Given how the season panned out, in terms of success how do you rate it out of 10?
CG – Automatic promotion by winning the Championship title with 97 points. A point above Ipswich but seven more than Leeds and ten more than Southampton. Those are emphatic figures so 10/10 for me.
SD – Top of the league, so 10 – next question! (I guess avoiding the financial perils would have improved matters, but that die was already cast before the season began).
Moving onto next season
What changes (if any) to our playing style would you like our new manager to develop for our first season back in the Premier League?
CG – Suspect Cooper will not only depend on a Plan A. Good. Would very much like to see more go forward play exploiting the pace and skills of our wingmen.
SD – I never have too strong a view on this, the important thing is that the style and the players work well together. I would prefer a bit more variety than under Maresca … I don’t mind watching well-drilled possession football, but I think the ability to speed and mix things up when needed helps.
So many football matches at the top-level boil down to either defensive lapses or strikers being in- or out- of form. So defensive unity and a confident striker can make up for a number of other ills.
What playing positions do you think need strengthening and what do you consider the most important type of player needed
CG – Equal first.
Definitely need a reliable striker because JV will not be available every game and Daka – although having pace – is not convincing as an assured goal scorer.
Need an attacking midfielder to replace KDH in terms of goals, assists, energy and defensive work.
Also, if playing four at the back, need a left-sided full back unless Kristiansen steps up.
SD – I am not sure we can rely on Vardy week in and week out at his age, so we need another confident striker (see comment above). The other obvious need is a creative midfielder to replace KDH.
Would you be looking to add some experience to a fairly youthful squad, or would you continue bringing in younger players and develop them?
CG – We are well covered for experienced players. The key criterion must be whomever is bought in must be an improvement on what we already have whether young or experienced.
SD – A bit of both, I think. The club’s financial troubles suggest that bringing on Academy players would be useful, but the occasional wise head can help too. As stated above, I am wary of loanees from top clubs – they often do not appear to have the motivation I would like to see from someone who wants the best for Leicester City.
What are your expectations and fears for next season?
CG – The big concern is how many points we will need to secure Premier League status. And that is going to be strongly influenced by what is at the time of writing an unknown: our points penalty. 40 points are usually sufficient to guarantee safety but with a points penalty looming we might need to get 50 or even more to reach a safe position. It is at best ironic and at worst appalling that profit and sustainability rules intended to protect clubs the size of City will in fact harm us.
SD – I would rather answer this question after knowing the scale and certainty of any points deduction. I do hope that is decided before the season starts but I fear that will not be the case. Even with no deduction, I think City will do well to avoid relegation.
What is your prediction on where we’ll finish at the end of the season?
CG – Can’t say till we know the points penalty.
SD – Not so much a prediction as a hope … but how about 16th? Ideally with any risk of relegation being behind us before the last match of the season. I’d love to get the team back into Europe, of course. Since they stopped playing there, we have had to make decisions about where to go on our holidays rather than simply going wherever Leicester were playing.
Manchester City getting relegated as punishment for the farce they have made of the financial restrictions would be nice and would help Leicester’s cause. I have nothing against them as a team, but the way that the rules are currently being imposed in one way for some and another for others is increasingly making football more a legal lottery than a fair competition.
Any other observation you would like to make?
CG – It is a pity the club does not put itself on the same page as the fans regarding season tickets. The club’s official site stated that out of 22,549 season ticket holders 9,885 have paid for the plastic card and another 6,195 have the cards for free as a concession holder. That means 71% of card holders prefer the card system despite the £25 charge. The digital system with its limitations on the times fans can use it for family and friends is a big step backwards and not the service the majority of season ticket holders want.
SD – A season of steady progress, with more certainty on the financial front and with all the fans pulling together for a team who works hard would be nice. But it’s Leicester City, so who knows what might really happen?