Summer 2022 priorities (and realistic options)

[sacreblueits442]

...or the 17 year old, Emirhan Ilkhan, plays in midfield!!!

[majaco]

55 minutes ago, Will1981 said:

Ghezzal surely.

What do we know about him?  

[CloudFox]

5 hours ago, LestaLad said:

“Leicester City scouts will watch Beşiktaş - Alanyaspor match.“

 

We have a scout at this game, wonder who we could be watching? 

We've been linked with Domagoj Vida (CB) in the past, but he is 32 now, so maybe not him.

Edited 8 April 2022 by CloudFox

[ALC Fox]

Madueke and Rodgers are fluttering their eyelashes at one another it seems, with Madueke saying how great it is to play in England in front of English fans and Rodgers singing Madueke's praises. This one could finally have legs, though if we're also in for CDK we may be spending a good chunk of money and that's before we reinforce the defence.

 

I wonder how much we can afford and how much we're allowed to spend? Wasn't one of the special measures allowed for Covid that financial records would be grouped over a three-year period rather than one? If so, we didn't spend a huge amount of money in the last two windows, so conceivably couldn't we go on an Aston Villa-style splurge and be OK? I know our wage bill is high so that might mitigate things somewhat. Anyone know more about this than me?

 

We may need to sell a few to inject more hunger into the squad anyway but do we need to sell in order to make one or both of these big, theoretical purchases?

[An Sionnach]

2 minutes ago, ALC Fox said:

Madueke and Rodgers are fluttering their eyelashes at one another it seems, with Madueke saying how great it is to play in England in front of English fans and Rodgers singing Madueke's praises. This one could finally have legs, though if we're also in for CDK we may be spending a good chunk of money and that's before we reinforce the defence.

 

I wonder how much we can afford and how much we're allowed to spend? Wasn't one of the special measures allowed for Covid that financial records would be grouped over a three-year period rather than one? If so, we didn't spend a huge amount of money in the last two windows, so conceivably couldn't we go on an Aston Villa-style splurge and be OK? I know our wage bill is high so that might mitigate things somewhat. Anyone know more about this than me?

 

We may need to sell a few to inject more hunger into the squad anyway but do we need to sell in order to make one or both of these big, theoretical purchases?

We had a net spend of £50 million last summer but nothing in January. I would be surprised if we had a net spend of more than £30 million this summer. Our main problem is we get very little from selling fringe players. There has also been very little speculation about any of our current squad. Even Youri is not really connected with any other club for definite.

[Grebfromgrebland]

I think we've already lined up two players for an early transfer in the summer. Madueke and de katere. 

 

It's going to be a great summer. We'll tweak our play so we don't need tielemans.

[Dahnsouff]

4 minutes ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

I think we've already lined up two players for an early transfer in the summer. Madueke and de katere. 

 

It's going to be a great summer. We'll tweak our play so we don't need tielemans.

Actually would not be surprised, and imagine it would means Tielemans AND maybe another significant other go. Reckon we will play with less of a 10 and more attacking lb/lw and attacking rb/RW, with central midfield being more solid and defensively sound.

 

[ALC Fox]

32 minutes ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

I think we've already lined up two players for an early transfer in the summer. Madueke and de katere. 

 

It's going to be a great summer. We'll tweak our play so we don't need tielemans.

To use a couple of horrible terms you hear in the office, transitioning to where Youri becomes a 'nice to have' rather than a 'need to have' will be key for next season. So if he stays and runs down his contract, it'll be a bonus, but if he goes then we can cope and we get a little bit of money to put towards someone decent.

[Shane]

14 hours ago, sacreblueits442 said:

...or the 17 year old, Emirhan Ilkhan, plays in midfield!!!

Could be a good signing for the academy.

 

The u23s midfield will need some reinforcements when Braybrooke replaces Youri in the first team and leads us to the PL title 

[Grebfromgrebland]

I do think one or two youth players will be promoted next season too. Wonder who though?

[An Sionnach]

36 minutes ago, Shane said:

Could be a good signing for the academy.

 

The u23s midfield will need some reinforcements when Braybrooke replaces Youri in the first team and leads us to the PL title 

The little fellow seems to be modeling himself on Luca Modric , let's hope he is half as good ,would be a great find.

[Ric Flair]

14 hours ago, sacreblueits442 said:

...or the 17 year old, Emirhan Ilkhan, plays in midfield!!!

When's he turn 18, we can't sign him until he does.

[stu]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

Actually would not be surprised, and imagine it would means Tielemans AND maybe another significant other go. Reckon we will play with less of a 10 and more attacking lb/lw and attacking rb/RW, with central midfield being more solid and defensively sound.

 

Agree with this, we’ve abandoned the 4-2-3-1 we’ve had a lot of success with over the years (prior to injuries) that relies on a number 10.

 

The 4-3-3 we are playing now is similar to the Liverpool set up, with the attacking play coming from the wings from the overlapping fullbacks and inverted wingers, with the defensive stability coming from the centre of the pitch.

 

Madueke maybe the missing piece to play that formation successfully, with Kels and de Ketelaere playing the Firmino/Jota False 9 role. 
 

It’s probably why we saw Lookman playing in that role against PSV.

 

Convinced this is the plan for life after Vardy and Youri.

 

Not sure what that means for Daka though, but we need to be able to play more than one way, so sure he will get game time.

 

Would not be surprised to see Madders sold, as whilst obviously he still consistently shows that he is a fantastic player for us, he isn’t necessarily needed in that formation and may be needed to be sold to sign Madueke and de Ketelaere, who both do fit in to the 4-3-3 we are playing now.

Edited 9 April 2022 by stu

[Dahnsouff]

37 minutes ago, stu said:

Agree with this, we’ve abandoned the 4-2-3-1 we’ve had a lot of success with over the years (prior to injuries) that relies on a number 10.

 

The 4-3-3 we are playing now is similar to the Liverpool set up, with the attacking play coming from the wings from the overlapping fullbacks and inverted wingers, with the defensive stability coming from the centre of the pitch.

 

Madueke maybe the missing piece to play that formation successfully, with Kels and de Ketelaere playing the Firmino/Jota False 9 role. 
 

It’s probably why we saw Lookman playing in that role against PSV.

 

Convinced this is the plan for life after Vardy and Youri.

 

Not sure what that means for Daka though, but we need to be able to play more than one way, so sure he will get game time.

 

Would not be surprised to see Madders sold, as whilst obviously he still consistently shows that he is a fantastic player for us, he isn’t necessarily needed in that formation and may be needed to be sold to sign Madueke and de Ketelaere, who both do fit in to the 4-3-3 we are playing now.

I edited my post you are responding too, as it originally said Tielemans and Maddison,  but swapped Maddison out for “significant other” as I felt it would get pelters

 But I do agree we could sell Maddison (yes he is great, but this is a team game and does he fit the direction we looking to go in?) for exactly this type of formation/tactical plan.  

[sacreblueits442]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

When's he turn 18, we can't sign him until he does.

...Born June 1 2004, so not long now!!!

[sacreblueits442]

...not sure if this has been posted previously, but here goes!!!

http://opr.news/5ae6aa58220409en_gb?link=1&client=newseu

 

[LestaLad]

23 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said:

...not sure if this has been posted previously, but here goes!!!

http://opr.news/5ae6aa58220409en_gb?link=1&client=newseu

 

What’s it say mate? Cba to download the app to read it.

[sacreblueits442]

20 minutes ago, LestaLad said:

What’s it say mate? Cba to download the app to read it.

.....hope this works better!!!

How Leicester City could benefit from second 'healthy refresh' off the pitch this summer

leicestermercury.co.uk3h

Leicester City are looking for a new recruitment chief and could look at a mini shake-up off the pitch this summer

View pictures in App save up to 80%

Much has been made of Brendan Rodgers' calls for a "healthy refresh" of his squad this summer.

The City manager wants five or six new players through the door during the transfer window, with a centre-back, a winger and a central midfielder topping the priority list. While recruitment plans will already be in place for the summer, and maybe even January, the club are still without a Head of Recruitment.

Lee Congerton joined Serie A side Atalanta in a senior role last month, with City currently using a top head-hunting agency to help them fill the vacancy. The club are understood to be interested in candidates currently at other clubs.

The scouting and recruitment department is already strong and it would only need adding to rather than being chopped and changed. The standout name the club should be looking at is Aston Villa head of recruitment Rob Mackenzie. The Yorkshireman is no stranger to life on Filbert Way.

Mackenzie joined City as a performance analyst back in 2009 and worked his way up to become Head of Technical Scouting. He left the club in February 2015 to join Tottenham as their Head of Player Identification.

After 18 months in north London, Mackenzie has gone on to lead the recruitment departments of Derby County, OH Leuven and now Aston Villa. His experience, which includes a PhD from Loughborough University, makes him the standout candidate Leicester should be looking at.

He already has experience of working for the club, with many of the same scouts and analysts still in place from his time at the club. The time he spent at OH Leuven ended amicably and shows he is willing to work for King Power once again.

An interesting argument is whether Mackenzie would be taking a forward step by leaving the project he is such a big part of at Aston Villa. It would undeniably be a tough decision, but it may be a risk worth taking.

Leicester are fighting to earn their third successive season in European football, something which Aston Villa cannot boast. The temptation of working with Brendan Rodgers on a summer refresh, and further squad building to reach the Champions League, may be too good to turn down. Increased responsibility may also tempt him, maybe in a role such as Director of Recruitment - which he held at Derby - or Assistant Director of Football.

If Mackenzie were to come back to Leicester, he would likely bring two trusted lieutenants with him. The first is Bryn Davies, Villa’s Head of Scouting Operations. He worked alongside Mackenzie as a technical scout and recruitment analyst at Leicester and Tottenham respectively. The duo then linked back up at Aston Villa.

The second is Villa senior scout Alex Fraser, who worked under Mackenzie as a recruitment analyst at Tottenham. He has also held senior roles at Cambridge United and Brighton. Both Davies and Fraser are well-respected operators who would be welcome additions alongside Mackenzie at Leicester.

If City were to shake up their recruitment in this way, they could also take inspiration from a new model being used by Brighton. According to Training Ground Guru, the club have four Senior Scouting Managers, each overseeing a specific position rather than a geographical location. Each are responsible for their own pool of scouts and work with the club’s in-house analysts. They also have three Scouting and Intelligence Co-Ordinators, who help compile reports and shortlists.

This could be a new recruitment trend that may improve Leicester’s already impressive and proven methods. Sean St Ledger, who is already a senior scout at the club, could be promoted to a Senior Scouting Manager responsible for centre-backs, like Pete Bulmer at Brighton, for example.

Whatever happens at Leicester City this summer, it will be a busy one for the Jon Rudkin, Brendan Rodgers and the recruitment and scouting department.

 

[LestaLad]

58 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said:

.....hope this works better!!!

How Leicester City could benefit from second 'healthy refresh' off the pitch this summer

leicestermercury.co.uk3h

Leicester City are looking for a new recruitment chief and could look at a mini shake-up off the pitch this summer

View pictures in App save up to 80%

Much has been made of Brendan Rodgers' calls for a "healthy refresh" of his squad this summer.

The City manager wants five or six new players through the door during the transfer window, with a centre-back, a winger and a central midfielder topping the priority list. While recruitment plans will already be in place for the summer, and maybe even January, the club are still without a Head of Recruitment.

Lee Congerton joined Serie A side Atalanta in a senior role last month, with City currently using a top head-hunting agency to help them fill the vacancy. The club are understood to be interested in candidates currently at other clubs.

The scouting and recruitment department is already strong and it would only need adding to rather than being chopped and changed. The standout name the club should be looking at is Aston Villa head of recruitment Rob Mackenzie. The Yorkshireman is no stranger to life on Filbert Way.

Mackenzie joined City as a performance analyst back in 2009 and worked his way up to become Head of Technical Scouting. He left the club in February 2015 to join Tottenham as their Head of Player Identification.

After 18 months in north London, Mackenzie has gone on to lead the recruitment departments of Derby County, OH Leuven and now Aston Villa. His experience, which includes a PhD from Loughborough University, makes him the standout candidate Leicester should be looking at.

He already has experience of working for the club, with many of the same scouts and analysts still in place from his time at the club. The time he spent at OH Leuven ended amicably and shows he is willing to work for King Power once again.

An interesting argument is whether Mackenzie would be taking a forward step by leaving the project he is such a big part of at Aston Villa. It would undeniably be a tough decision, but it may be a risk worth taking.

Leicester are fighting to earn their third successive season in European football, something which Aston Villa cannot boast. The temptation of working with Brendan Rodgers on a summer refresh, and further squad building to reach the Champions League, may be too good to turn down. Increased responsibility may also tempt him, maybe in a role such as Director of Recruitment - which he held at Derby - or Assistant Director of Football.

If Mackenzie were to come back to Leicester, he would likely bring two trusted lieutenants with him. The first is Bryn Davies, Villa’s Head of Scouting Operations. He worked alongside Mackenzie as a technical scout and recruitment analyst at Leicester and Tottenham respectively. The duo then linked back up at Aston Villa.

The second is Villa senior scout Alex Fraser, who worked under Mackenzie as a recruitment analyst at Tottenham. He has also held senior roles at Cambridge United and Brighton. Both Davies and Fraser are well-respected operators who would be welcome additions alongside Mackenzie at Leicester.

If City were to shake up their recruitment in this way, they could also take inspiration from a new model being used by Brighton. According to Training Ground Guru, the club have four Senior Scouting Managers, each overseeing a specific position rather than a geographical location. Each are responsible for their own pool of scouts and work with the club’s in-house analysts. They also have three Scouting and Intelligence Co-Ordinators, who help compile reports and shortlists.

This could be a new recruitment trend that may improve Leicester’s already impressive and proven methods. Sean St Ledger, who is already a senior scout at the club, could be promoted to a Senior Scouting Manager responsible for centre-backs, like Pete Bulmer at Brighton, for example.

Whatever happens at Leicester City this summer, it will be a busy one for the Jon Rudkin, Brendan Rodgers and the recruitment and scouting department.

 

Bringing Mackenzie back, I wouldn’t be against that.

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

9 hours ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

I do think one or two youth players will be promoted next season too. Wonder who though?

I think it depends on if we are in Europe or not. If not, we'll probably have a smaller squad (that 23 number Rodgers bandied about before Europe) which means some of the youngsters will be more involved in first team training and might get some appearances and work themselves into the squad (like Hamza in 2017-18: He mentioned his insecurity after making a couple of appearances and still being in the U23 dressing room, and then one day Vardy showed up and carried his kit the the first team dressing room.)

 

If we are in Europe, we'll have a bigger squad and fewer opportunities for the youngsters (barring an injury crisis of course 😉)

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

2 hours ago, LestaLad said:

Bringing Mackenzie back, I wouldn’t be against that.

He wasn't that good when he was here and his record is pretty patchy.

[CrispinLA in Texas]

14 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

He wasn't that good when he was here and his record is pretty patchy.

Didn't he and Steve Walsh scout Cambiasso and the rest when he was here.

Also at Spurs he scouted Son Heung- min but he left after 18 months. Don't know if his spells at Derby OHL and currently Villa are successful or not.

[desertfox2]

13 hours ago, stu said:

Agree with this, we’ve abandoned the 4-2-3-1 we’ve had a lot of success with over the years (prior to injuries) that relies on a number 10.

 

The 4-3-3 we are playing now is similar to the Liverpool set up, with the attacking play coming from the wings from the overlapping fullbacks and inverted wingers, with the defensive stability coming from the centre of the pitch.

 

Madueke maybe the missing piece to play that formation successfully, with Kels and de Ketelaere playing the Firmino/Jota False 9 role. 
 

It’s probably why we saw Lookman playing in that role against PSV.

 

Convinced this is the plan for life after Vardy and Youri.

 

Not sure what that means for Daka though, but we need to be able to play more than one way, so sure he will get game time.

 

Would not be surprised to see Madders sold, as whilst obviously he still consistently shows that he is a fantastic player for us, he isn’t necessarily needed in that formation and may be needed to be sold to sign Madueke and de Ketelaere, who both do fit in to the 4-3-3 we are playing now.

Madueke looks like he will be a great player but he's still so young and PSV don't even start him every week. He comes on off the bench a lot for them. Fully understandable as he's still only 20 but I don't think he is our answer to our left footed RW yet. The best thing we could do with him is sign him on a long term deal and loan him to PSV for a bit longer or someone who will play him week in week out in that league or have him as backup to a ready to go RW.  We can't have another summer of Soumare/lookman/Vestergaard/Bertrands. We need players ready to go, Daka made sense as we already had Vardy. 

[coolhandfox]

8 hours ago, desertfox2 said:

Madueke looks like he will be a great player but he's still so young and PSV don't even start him every week. He comes on off the bench a lot for them. Fully understandable as he's still only 20 but I don't think he is our answer to our left footed RW yet. The best thing we could do with him is sign him on a long term deal and loan him to PSV for a bit longer or someone who will play him week in week out in that league or have him as backup to a ready to go RW.  We can't have another summer of Soumare/lookman/Vestergaard/Bertrands. We need players ready to go, Daka made sense as we already had Vardy. 

PSV want 25-30m for him, on chance we would pay that and loan him back 

[Lesta2014]

9 hours ago, desertfox2 said:

Madueke looks like he will be a great player but he's still so young and PSV don't even start him every week. He comes on off the bench a lot for them. Fully understandable as he's still only 20 but I don't think he is our answer to our left footed RW yet. The best thing we could do with him is sign him on a long term deal and loan him to PSV for a bit longer or someone who will play him week in week out in that league or have him as backup to a ready to go RW.  We can't have another summer of Soumare/lookman/Vestergaard/Bertrands. We need players ready to go, Daka made sense as we already had Vardy. 

Unless we sign someone for 3/4 mill from a championship/league 1 team we won’t be loaning them straight back out! We did that with Benkovic and it didn’t work out, we can’t gamble on a expensive purchase and not play them!