Were Leicester fans this unhappy under MON?

[Collymore]

Remember when the only platform we had to vent frustrations was the moan in and only way to find out what he hell was happening was the Mercury and Teletext? 

 

We played at Filbert Street with poor training facilities and championship club mentality not feeling entitled to be in the Prem. 

 

Now the explosion of social media, a new cohort of glory fans who only have shown an interest since 2015, state of the art facilities - it's just a complete polar change that's going to lend its self to higher expectations. 

 

 

Edited 19 July 2020 by Collymore

[bovril]

Just now, SouthStandUpperTier said:

The football was functional and uncomplicated, but the intensity and commitment was always there. And there were plenty of exciting and memorable games.

When you watch highlights, it seems English football was in general a lot less complicated then. But as individuals they were very good. The midfield were superb, we haven't had many better midfielders than Izzet, Lennon and Parker. Heskey went on to play in World Cups and win numerous trophies. Flowers was one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and we the back line wasn't shabby either.

What I mean is that it is thought by a lot of people that O'Neill did miracles with a group of misfits but we had very talented players all over the pitch.

[Rain King]

One of my main frustrations with this team is if we go behind it feels like that's it, we're about to cave in. Not sure if the stats back that up but it doesn't feel as though we've got much fight when going behind.

 

The complete opposite of how the O'Neill team felt. Their quality wasn't as good (although I'd argue against anyone calling our football turgid) but it always felt like we were in a game.

[Legend_in_blue]

I think the problem we've got is that the players who are experienced enough to see a full season through consistently are either past it, ie Morgan and Fuchs, or play in a position which doesn't always affect the games in our favour.  The midfield has been erratic throughout the season as has playing the ball through the final third of the pitch.  Much of that is down to having young, inexperienced players in these positions who, although play well, do not always do so on a consistent basis.

 

We badly need someone experienced who can play in the middle and on the wings.

[Webbo]

I suppose when you've been supporting the club for 40 odd years, most of it shit, you're used to disappointment. 

[Corky]

19 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

I can't remember a time under Rodgers (there might well be one) where we've lost but absolutely thrown the ****ing kitchen sink at someone. 

It isn't Rodgers style. He refuses to have a battering ram striker in the squad, doesn't seem to throw defenders forward like O'Neill did with Elliott. It has been noted on here how reluctant and casual we are when chasing games at times.

 

 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

Just now, Unique FC said:

Just a question - Do you think we have become entitled? 

Expectations are higher due to the better players we have (of course I may be wrong) Personally I want to see the team I support play for the shirt. MON every team always played for us, and Pearson we can never question their performances.

We are very loyal fans and we are always going to lose roughly 10 games per season. I just want to see our team play to their strengths and put pride in their performance for us. Technically we have arguably the best players we have ever had yet the basics and attitude does not seem to be the same. We capitulate too easily and the effort varies week to week. Of course we will not be at our best every game, however for 6 months something is wrong. Now I do think our best 11 are a superb side with good pressing, quick combination and attacking play. I do think we have one of the best sides in the country, yet since Christmas we are 15-16th. That for me is no way near good enough for our team. 

I think the fans are/were entitled to believe the title win should have been the springboard for further success. However, it has become clear to me since then that it is incredibly difficult for anyone not in the traditional 'big six' to gatecrash the party on a regular basis. They are firmly entrenched as the 'big six', even if one or two of them have the odd poor season.

[bovril]

Just now, Corky said:

It isn't Rodgers style. He refuses to have a battering ram striker in the squad, doesn't seem to throw defenders forward like O'Neill did with Elliott. It has been noted on here how reluctant and casual we are when chasing games at times.

 

 

This was seen as a positive thing at the start of the season. 

[FrankieADZ]

Just now, Rain King said:

One of my main frustrations with this team is if we go behind it feels like that's it, we're about to cave in. Not sure if the stats back that up but it doesn't feel as though we've got much fight when going behind.

 

The complete opposite of how the O'Neill team felt. Their quality wasn't as good (although I'd argue against anyone calling our football turgid) but it always felt like we were in a game.

thats nailed on for me, with this team atm, there doesnt seem to be too many youd want in the trench with you so to speak and at times it feels like we lack any sort of fight,

compared to MONs team where there seemed to be least 10 in the matchday squad who'd always be up for the battle so to speak, he always got us to a number of finals etc 

so i think he vast majority were happy under MON

[JJD_LCFC]

2 minutes ago, SouthStandUpperTier said:

I think the fans are/were entitled to believe the title win should have been the springboard for further success. However, it has become clear to me since then that it is incredibly difficult for anyone not in the traditional 'big six' to gatecrash the party on a regular basis. They are firmly entrenched as the 'big six', even if one or two of them have the odd poor season.

I do agree that could be the case. Personally I only want to see the manager getting the best out of our team regardless where we finish. Europe is brilliant but the second half of the season is very worrying. 

[Blue ROI]

Social media is one thing that's changed but nowadays the average fan watches the majority of games a season.

 

Up until 2014 you might only watch 7 or 8 games a year unless you were a regular at Filbert street/King Power. 

 

Discovering say we won 3-1 away to villa under MON via teletext is a lot different to now with everything under close scrutiny.

 

All part of what comes with being a high profile club I guess.

[HybridFox]

We might have been spoilt but I don't agree with the Little Old Leicester go back in the box mentality. Clubs can progress - ask Manchester City. I don't expect us to be in Europe every season (would never have dreamt it a few years ago) but there's no harm in aspiring to be there given we've shown we are capable of competing in those competitions. Not being in the Champions League is not a disaster of a season by all means given some of the sh*** we've had in the past. But it's human nature to be dissapointed having seen a 14 point lead evaporate through our own self destruction.

[Koke]

O'Neil squeezed every ounce of talent out of his players and he got us to cup finals. We were punching above our weight, although as @Corky said O'Neil did have some dismal individual results. 

 

This current team is more talented (proof is we are competing at the top end of the table) and this manager is one of the highest paid in the Premier League. 

 

Our expectations for this current team + manager is justified. 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

Just now, Unique FC said:

I do agree that could be the case. Personally I only want to see the manager getting the best out of our team regardless where we finish. Europe is brilliant but the second half of the season is very worrying. 

I think we've been figured out a bit since the new year and Rodgers hasn't been able to adapt, a problem which has been exaserbated by injuries and suspensions exposing the lack of depth in the squad, and Rodgers' unflinching belief in his philosophy (and his seeming unwillingness to tweak it even slightly to better suit the players at his disposal and the situations we've found ourselves in).

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

21 minutes ago, Corky said:

It isn't Rodgers style. He refuses to have a battering ram striker in the squad, doesn't seem to throw defenders forward like O'Neill did with Elliott. It has been noted on here how reluctant and casual we are when chasing games at times.

 

 

 

It just leads to a weird sense of detachment between fans and the team when things aren't going so well and results turn.

 

It doesn't help that going back as far as Shakespeare taking over as caretaker we seem to have become *such* a streaky side on both sides of the coin - (might not be the case but certainly how it feels) emotions are either incredibly high or incredibly negative for prolonged periods.

 

When that's going against you for weeks and weeks it can be draining, and the least any football fan asks of their team is effort and having a ****ing go. We haven't seen that during this run and that, coupled with where we were and what we've thrown away, is gutting.

[shailen]

I think as well, a fair percentage of people use football as their way of venting their frustrations. I'm sure there would have been someone calling to drop Vardy after he didn't make it 12 on the spin in 15/16. Everyone wants to be part of a side that always wins and achieves great things. If that doesn't happen then the pitchforks are ready to attack. 

 

[Guest foxestalkisfullofidiots]

I could be wrong but we didn’t have foxestalk back in the 90’s did we? Definitely didn’t have Twitter......most people had calmed down by the time we got to the Monday night phone in

[bovril]

I think the buzz around the O'Neill era was a lot to do with the cup runs and the fantastic midweek games in the League Cup. When you consider that the club had really had 2 decades without being a serious contender, it's unsurprising people really took to that team. 

Some of those nights were incredible. There is something about success in a knockout competition that is unbeatable. We felt it in the Seville game, but it's rare now. Clinical league wins over lower mid-table teams aren't quite the same. 

Edited 19 July 2020 by bovril

[Gubbins]

The rise in expectation is the big thing with the title win being mainly responsible. However another thing that has raised expectations is the extreme streaks the team has gone through result wise. The MON teams only rarely got more than back to back wins or losses and would largely bumble along in mid table. Whilst now for most of the last decade we've gone through prolonged periods of incredible form where we could genuinely claim to be the best team in the league only to then hit periods of prolonged poor form and look like genuine relegation fodder. It's really weird and frustrating. I think if we were inconsistent like in the 90s rather than this boom or bust thing we keep going through we would in a way be happier.

[Mickyblueeyes]

Completely different time and club. Back then, we had one of the smallest budgets in Premier League. Hell, when we came up Roberts chose to stay down with Wolves because of the “potential”. O’Neil bought well and got the absolute best out of those players. 
 

We are now a club with a wealthy owner, a training ground on the way which will rival any other club and stadium expansion to kick us into the 40,000. We are also paying our players and management top level salaries. 
 

This club, excluding the Top 6, is no longer the underdog it was in the O’Neil era. We can at the very least compete with each every team on a financial level except your elite 4. I’d even say with the progress and their overheads, we could probably stand toe to toe with Arsenal. 
 

Having said that, the disappointment on this occasion is linked to how we have succumbed the 14 point lead. For me, Europa is where this club is at the moment and that is absolutely fine and fantastic progress. At the start of the season I would’ve taken it. If someone offers it me for next season, top 6 over top 4, I’d take that now. However, I guarantee you a week or so before the start of next season, if we have a good window and keep most of our best players, this forum will think of a top 4 charge again.
 

I can completely understand (within reason) fans disappointment that we are likely to drop out of the top 4 In the final weekend of the season having been there for the vast majority of it. 
 

investment, relative success and progress breeds and lifts expectations - that’s all it is. 

[Gubbins]

15 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

 

It doesn't help that going back as far as Shakespeare taking over as caretaker we seem to have become *such* a streaky side on both sides of the coin - (might not be the case but certainly how it feels) emotions are either incredibly high or incredibly negative for prolonged periods.

 

When that's going against you for weeks and weeks it can be draining, and the least any football fan asks of their team is effort and having a ****ing go. We haven't seen that during this run and that, coupled with where we were and what we've thrown away, is gutting.

It goes further back than Shakespeare imo, all the way back to the Watford Playoff season. Great first half of that season then God awful most of the second. Stormed it the next season followed by endless defeats back in the prem and then the great escape and title and then the sad collapse the season after leading to Shakespeare. Its been damn near schizophrenic for almost a decade! If the wins this season were sprinkled throughout rather than mostly lumped in the first half theres no way wed feel as bad and wed prob fancy our chances a bit more on Sunday.

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Corky said:

To be fair, I thought the commitment and effort of the team against Sheffield United was first class.

I guess but I’m not sure it’s that which is missing it’s the comfortable state and that killer instinct that seemed Innate in every aspect of the whole MON philosophy. I’m not sure that’s even explaining it.

 

Perhaps it’s best seen in that 3-3 draw with Arsenal and the look on Walsh’s face when he scored the equaliser. It was there as well in the Championship winning team.

 

 

[Sampson]

34 minutes ago, davieG said:

I guess but I’m not sure it’s that which is missing it’s the comfortable state and that killer instinct that seemed Innate in every aspect of the whole MON philosophy. I’m not sure that’s even explaining it.

 

Perhaps it’s best seen in that 3-3 draw with Arsenal and the look on Walsh’s face when he scored the equaliser. It was there as well in the Championship winning team.

 

 

But you're picking out a specific example within a 5 year period. Do you not think we saw that after the 2-1 victory over Everton after Iheanacho's goal for example?

 

It's mostly just nostalgia and social media. There was plenty of grumbling back them and people forget our poor or mediocre runs of form we often had back then and stinkers we had.

 

Heskey was one of the most inconsistent and erratic players I've ever seen in a Leicester shirt for example, who would go from looking like a world beater one week to looking like a non-league clogger the next, but people only remember the good performances now.

 

In 20 years time we'll view this as a great era. Better than the MON era.

Edited 19 July 2020 by Sampson

[davieG]

10 minutes ago, Sampson said:

But you're picking out a specific example within a 5 year period. Do you not think we saw that after the 2-1 victory over Everton after Iheanacho's goal for example?

 

It's mostly just nostalgia and social media. There was plenty of grumbling back them and people forget our poor or mediocre runs of form we often had back then and stinkers we had.

 

Heskey was one of the most inconsistentant and erratic players I've ever seen in a Leicester shirt for example, who would go from looking like a world beater one week to looking like a non-league clogger the next, but people only remember the good performances now.

 

In 20 years time we'll view this as a great era. Better than the MON era.

Not really I was using the example to cover the whole period as I wa struggling to explain in words what I thought was missing. I’m not even talking about the quality. 

 

I should have stuck with too comfortable.

[Gamble92]

2 hours ago, Arriba Los Zorros said:

1st part, not entirely true. We were direct and used a lot of crosses but it wasn't comparable to Burnley. Sheff Utd would be a closer comparison.

 

2nd part - nail on head. We've become entitled, expecting top half as a bare minimum.

Completely agree with the Sheffield United comparison.

 

But entitled im not so sure. 

 

After we won the league, i think the major part the pundits overlooked was the fact we weren't just bad, we were abysmal and played some of the worst football ive ever seen us play. No plan, no passion, nothing. I think any of us would have accepted mid table and a medicore follow up. We knew we were going down and needed to change.

 

Since then i think we've all pretty much been patient. Enough of us on here gave Puel a chance and realised what his end goal was. Enough was enough eventually though and the tactics just weren't comparable to the good building job off the pitch. 

 

I think we knew this team was more than capable of top 6 with an outside chance of top 4. I certainly wasnt suprised to see us competing this high up. So to call it entitled just because we are Leicester City, is slightly of that pundit philosophy of saying we should know our place - despite how good we can be.