In the fourth of our series, Graham Tracey, from our team of website match reporters reviews last season and looks ahead to next
Before the season started what were your hopes on what we could achieve?
Until the Fofana leg break in pre-season, I had never been so confident – a fully fit squad would have been our strongest ever in my opinion. I felt we would finish in the top 6 and have a reasonable chance of a final in any of the 3 cups.
As the season progressed was your personal priority progress in Europe or the Premier League?
European success – even when we were ‘demoted’ to the lesser competition – for me football is about winning trophies, not money through league position.
Given how the season panned out, in terms of success how do you rate it out of 10 and why?
So hard to quantify. In historical terms, it is fantastic – 8th in the league and a European semi. In current potential terms, an under-achievement despite the injuries. We shot ourselves in the foot so many times with late goals and corners, as well as the painful nature of all 4 cup exits. All told I still have to give it 7/10.
What was your personal highlight of the season?
The Christmas win over Liverpool with a depleted side and 48 hours after shipping 6 at Man City was a feelgood Christmas miracle to rival any festive movie.
James Maddison won the Player of the Year Award, would he have been your choice and who else do you think deserves praise for their performances?
Madders is a great guy off the pitch and I was delighted for him.
I have to highlight KDH, having monitored him for the last 2 or 3 years. When he was at Blackpool, he sent a video message to my best mate’s son who lives there for his 21st which cheered him up for spending that landmark in lockdown.
What were your views on the signings made during last season?
I think this shows just how top class recruitment has helped us achieve what we have in the last 7 years, and how poor recruitment can revert us to the mean. I like Lookman and hope he stays, Daka will also hopefully pay off. Soumare I’m not sure about – this is why signing overseas players is a gamble for off-pitch reasons, it’s a big step for a young man. Vestergaard and Bertrand were appalling and why we felt we should splash the cash remains an utter mystery.
Which player do you think made the most progress last season and why?
KDH, naturally. To finally get your chance and then make yourself undroppable from there is incredible. I was delighted that Amartey had the chance to make a big contribution, as I hate seeing players give up season after season through injury or waiting for a chance unlikely to materialise. Credit also to players who bounced back from long-term injuries – JJ, Ricardo and also Barnes. For longevity, always Albrighton.
Which player did you think underperformed the most last season and why?
A tough season for Youri, who must be knackered from the workload. Soyuncu’s demise was sad to see.
In a season of many injuries, which players injury do you think had the most detrimental effect on our season?
Little Wes in pre-season cost us more points and goals that could be counted. An absolute season-changer. At the other end of the pitch, JV’s absence for the second half of the season exposed the scale of the task we will have in replacing him when he retires.
What is your view on the club not wearing blue in some away fixtures last season when the kits clearly wouldn’t have clashed?
This is a bugbear of mine. It’s ridiculous. I also hate it at international games when BOTH teams sometimes wear their away kit despite their home kits not clashing. I would like to see the FA Cup winning burgundy kit be enshrined as our permanent away kit.
Moving onto next season
Ongoing media coverage indicates we are looking for a centre back, midfield player and right winger as the main priorities, if you had to choose one position as the most important as to where we needed to strengthen, what would it be and why?
I think it has to be centre back. With an ageing Evans and unreliable Soyuncu, so much rests on Fofana who we will struggle to hold on to for too long I fear.
It has also been made clear the club needs to move out a number of players, who do you feel time at the club should come to an end?
With my best wishes: Hamza (should be playing regularly somewhere), Soyuncu (a couple of great seasons), Perez (never able to fulfil potential).
With my worst wishes: Bertrand and Vestergaard. Hope we get to knock another 9 past you some day.
Would you be looking to add some experience to a fairly youthful squad or would you continue bringing in younger players and develop them?
I’m happy with youth. I am a big Rodgers fan, but I don’t particularly agree with his frequent alibi that this is a young team. They are fairly experienced, which is more relevant. Just more physicality is needed – when the manager says we are scared to go up for headers, alarm bells ring.
If you had a chance for a word in the owner’s ears, which player(s) would you be advising to sign?
Tammy Abraham, James Ward-Prowse, and Nick Pope as Schmeichel’s successor.
What are your expectations and fears for next season?
Injuries and defensive discipline permitting, we should fare better, both in leagues and cups.
Any other observation you would like to make
I have two main sources of dismay from the season. Firstly, people calling for Brendan Rodgers’ head. We have a cumulative finish position of 18 in his 3 season – way beyond any equivalent rolling position in our history – and we won the FA Cup. How anyone thinks a successor would be AS (let alone MORE) successful than this in the next 3 seasons beggars belief.
Secondly, while a football and society-wide problem, the atmosphere at several away games I went to was downright unpleasant. A significant proportion of aggressive drugged-up fans bringing shame on our club and city.
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