Colin Hall provides his views in the fourth of the series of articles from our match reporting team..
Before the season started what were your hopes on what we could achieve?
While a title challenge, or even a sustained push for the top four, was never really feasible with the resources available, there was a genuine expectation that the manager could surpass Martin O’Neill and achieve a FIFTH successive top-10 finish in the Premier League.
After all, there were significant advantages available to him that O’Neill could never have dreamed of – a modern stadium, a loyal 30000+ fanbase, ambitious, supportive owners and a squad of genuine depth, full of current international players. Plus, of course, there was the jewel in the crown – Seagrave, the lavishly-funded, ultra-modern, “world-leading” training complex whose advocates assured us would give the team a cutting edge over competitors of a similar size.
However, to say the management failed to exploit the advantages available to them would be a monumental understatement.
As the season progressed at which game did you start to fear we could be relegated?
The signs were there from the opening game, where the manager refused to use his full allocation of subs, despite the fact that many of the players were clearly struggling in the sweltering conditions. We ended up clinging on for a point in a game we had bossed for the first hour.
The rift that opened up between players and management was evident during the following weeks, during which we lost six league games on the bounce and failed to score against a team newly promoted from the National League.
Even Derby in their notoriously bad season of 2007-08 had a better start than that. Yet the powers-that-be seemed curiously relaxed about such an appalling run of results.
Given how the season panned out, in terms of success how do you rate it out of 10?
No more than a 1, and even that is only because we managed to finish above two other clubs. The squad had the depth and ability to do a lot better, but were undone by a damning combination of complacency and chronic mismanagement.
What do you feel went wrong?
There are volumes that could – and probably will – be written about our downfall, but what I found particularly disturbing was the lack of any meaningful succession planning at any stage of the season.
Although Kasper Schmeichel’s departure after 11 years at the club wasn’t entirely a surprise, installing Danny Ward as his replacement – a player with just ONE league appearance in the previous four seasons – was a risk the management should not have taken, especially given the other upheavals taking place during the early weeks.
The sale of Wesley Fofana was far more drawn-out than it should have been, especially as it was widely known the club needed to move him on for financial reasons. It severely affected the mood of the squad and fanbase alike and caused a lot of needless antagonism towards a player who did City proud during his short time with us.
But the most grievous and costly misjudgement of all happened when the owners finally realised the need to act. The director of football’s decision to leave two palpably inadequate coaches in charge for two crucial home games (both of which were lost) should have been enough on its own for him to consider his own position. He has avoided scrutiny for far too long, and even if we make it back to the top flight in 2024, he needs to prove he can justify the faith the owners still have in him.
LCFC managers and some LCFC fans had differing views on the effort some of the players were putting in, what are your thoughts?
It’s not a coincidence that the best run of form, when we took 16 points from 8 games, came during the games immediately before the World Cup, when a number of national squads had places up for grabs. But most of those who went to Qatar did not have the best of tournaments and when Newcastle went 3-0 up early in the Boxing Day fixture, it was clear that the bubble had well and truly burst.
Some minds started to drift towards their next clubs, and with no real leadership on or off the field, the slide in results was allowed to continue for far too long.
What were your views on the signings made during last season?
Individually, the three defenders are all of fairly decent quality. Harry Souttar did well for Australia at the World Cup, while Wout Faes and Viktor Kristiansen both earned full international honours at the end of the season.
But putting so many Premier League rookies into a defence at the same time did little to resolve the instability issues that were already present. We needed players with more experience to deal with the situation we found ourselves in.
As for Tete, the less said about him the better. He impressed on his debut, but did precious little of note afterwards, and certainly wasn’t anything like an upgrade on Marc Albrighton, whom he replaced in the squad.
Which player do you think made the most progress last season and why?
Despite wild fluctuations in form, Harvey Barnes managed a very respectable goal return, which compared very favourably with other English wide players (notably Sterling and Grealish). A 20-goal season is well within his grasp in the next few years, though sadly it’s not likely to be at City.
Elsewhere in the squad, Daniel Iversen did enough to earn an extended run in goal, though has yet to prove he can reach the level we’ll require if and when we make it back to the Premier League.
Which players did you think underperformed the most last season and why?
None of the three central strikers exactly covered themselves with glory. Patson Daka had a scoring run during September/October, but found goals hard to come by afterwards, while Kelechi Iheanacho couldn’t quite nail down a starting place for long spells. However Jamie Vardy, so often the talisman in past seasons, had arguably a worse season than both, finding the net just THREE times in the league.
Elsewhere in the squad, Youri Tielemans, Timothy Castagne and Wilfried Ndidi all performed far too often well below their capabilities. Suffice to say Seagrave didn’t motivate or inspire them that many hoped it would. It certainly didn’t encourage players to prolong their stay at the club.
With a number of injuries, which player’s injury do you think had the most detrimental effect on our season?
The cruel injury that terminated James Justin’s campaign, just at a time when he was starting to show the form that made him so valuable during his first two seasons, was a blow the ever-beleaguered defence could really have done without. It is to be hoped he settles quickly upon his return at the start of next season.
Moving onto next season
What is your initial reaction to the appointment of Enzo Maresca as our new manager?
I’m cautiously optimistic. Although he has limited experience in the Championship, he has the ambition and the hunger for success that other contenders for the post may have lacked. He has already identified the need to deal with the mentality issues which have plagued the squad for several seasons.
If he can turn things around for City the way Vincent Kompany did at Burnley, our time in the Championship may end up being a mere excursion.
It has been made clear the club needs to move out a number of players, who do you feel is essential that we retain?
If we keep the defenders we signed last season, and add Justin and Iversen to them, we’ll have a defence that can more than hold its own next season, and maybe for others beyond that. In other areas, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the returning Hamza Choudhury have the experience and physical qualities which will be essential to build a successful Championship campaign.
Although Vardy, Albrighton and Jonny Evans may all be kept on, none are at an age where a full 46-game campaign is feasible for them, so the manager may need to use them carefully.
There will therefore by a number of new signings, however what do you feel the squad lacked last season and needs adding?
We need players who are physically and mentally strong enough to cope with the demands of the Championship, and aren’t likely to go missing at places like Millwall or Stoke. While we may need quality, especially in attacking areas, to replace players moving on, we also need warriors who will inspire team-mates and fans alike when things are tough. Another Steve Walsh or Danny Drinkwater would be very much appreciated!
Would you be looking to add some experience to a fairly youthful squad or would you continue bringing in younger players and develop them?
The likely limitations on the transfer budget, mean that Maresca may have to be more reliant on younger loan signings than he might wish. But the immediate priority has to be promotion and anyone brought in has to be assessed on that basis.
If you had a chance for a word in the owner’s ears, which player(s) would you be advising to sign?
There will be plenty of players, of varying levels of experience and ability, desperate for new opportunities this summer. But the manager has his work cut out to persuade them that City is a club worthy of their talents. The toxicity that has engulfed the squad at times during recent months is unlikely to be dispelled overnight, even if some of the principal sources have moved on.
Maresca already has a fair idea of what this squad needs, Let’s hope he instructs the recruitment team to find players who fulfil the relevant criteria.
What are your expectations and fears for next season?
I’d like to think that Maresca will rebuild the side sufficiently to make a strong start in the opening weeks, which will give much-needed reassurance to a fanbase which has been deeply divided and dispirited by recent events. Last season’s Championship, Burnley apart, was not exactly renowned as a festival of free-flowing, attacking football and there are no teams in this league that should leave us trembling in shock and awe.
However, there may be times where we lose points, and perhaps even games, because the squad is unable to provide enough goals. With Daka and Iheanacho both likely to miss several weeks in the new year due to yet another Africa Cup of Nations scheduled in mid-season, the recruitment team must ensure that there are enough attacking options to make light of their absence.
Any other observation you would like to make?
I’ll repeat what I said last summer – neither the much-mocked clappers nor the execrable Jersey Budd version of “When You’re Smiling” enhance the “matchday experience” at the King Power Stadium in any way, shape or form.
Indeed, the hierarchy at the club seek to make home games as excruciating as possible, with a persistently-malfunctioning turnstile system and ridiculously exorbitant food and drink prices doing as much to drive fans away as the appalling quality of the performances on the pitch.
It’s therefore no surprise whatsoever that the stadium atmosphere – once worth a goal start to us – has declined so badly in recent seasons. Much as I grit my teeth while writing this, we only have to look up the A46 to see the impact a loud and enthused stadium can bring to a team.
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.