The "do they mean us?" thread pt 4

[ClaphamFox]

1 hour ago, Lillehamring said:

My only issue is the now all too familiar 'kante won it for us' schtick - but if memory serves, hardly anyone mentioned the bloke during the season, he was way down the list after vardy, mahrez, even drinkwater.  The moment he went to chelsea the media were all over him as though having a chelsea player in waiting was the only reason we won it.

I think your memory is serving you poorly. There were plenty of people who realised that Kante was something special from very early on with his time with us. The perception was that having him in the team was the equivalent to having two midfielders, such was his energy and stamina - hence the phrase 'the Kante twins'. Along with Mahrez and Vardy, he was regarded as one of the three players were absolutely essential to our title win. Drinkwater played his part but was nowhere near at Kante's level, and I think most fans could see that at the time.

Edited 13 December 2023 by ClaphamFox

[Daggers]

Thing about team games, it takes a team to win.

[trabuch]

6 minutes ago, Daggers said:

Thing about team games, it takes a team to win.

We really had that didn't we? Everyone was spot on. 

[shen]

28 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

I think your memory is serving you poorly. There were plenty of people who realised that Kante was something special from very early on with his time with us. The perception was that having him in the team was the equivalent to having two midfielders, such was his energy and stamina - hence the phrase 'the Kante twins'. Along with Mahrez and Vardy, he was regarded as one of the three players were absolutely essential to our title win. Drinkwater played his part but was nowhere near at Kante's level, and I think most fans could see that at the time.

Absolutely. He had a solid couple of games to start with and as soon as he went into the middle with DD he was incredible for the rest of the season.

I was surprised it took the media and non-supporters that long to catch on to the fact just HOW good Kanté was.

[fuchsntf]

1 hour ago, shen said:

Absolutely. He had a solid couple of games to start with and as soon as he went into the middle with DD he was incredible for the rest of the season.

I was surprised it took the media and non-supporters that long to catch on to the fact just HOW good Kanté was.

Though ( again) FT lambasted him in his first few games…But those same OTT critics realised quickly how good Kantes

movement was. People also underrated King and various moments of DD…

like now FTers can’t interface well when their teams are in the process making successfull history..A few have to read it first from others.

[Wolfox]

12 hours ago, worth_the_wait said:

Here's an article to raise a pre-Christmas smile:

 

https://www.football365.com/news/top-10-unlikely-premier-league-title-tilts-features-leicester-fairytale-and-inevitable-collapses-from-spurs-and-arsenal

 

 

Loved this bit, as it’s often forgotten…

 

the maddest thing is that Leicester absolutely pissed it. Nobody came anywhere near them. They won the Premier League by 10 points. Utterly, brain-meltingly, inexplicably ridiculous

[Wolfox]

7 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

I think your memory is serving you poorly. There were plenty of people who realised that Kante was something special from very early on with his time with us. The perception was that having him in the team was the equivalent to having two midfielders, such was his energy and stamina - hence the phrase 'the Kante twins'. Along with Mahrez and Vardy, he was regarded as one of the three players were absolutely essential to our title win. Drinkwater played his part but was nowhere near at Kante's level, and I think most fans could see that at the time.

There was always a time lag

 

Vardy, Vardy, Vardy from day zero

 

Then people started recognising Mahrez

 

Kante didn’t start the season…. Made some cameos, where many on here got excited…. And then he was a firm fixture… I remember saying to my mate ‘keep an eye on this bloke, he’s mustard’, and I would not have been alone…. The great British press and pundits alike took quite a few weeks to catch up with what many of us already knew…

 

[Max Power]

Remember Sir Alex calling Kante the best player in the country in like December? 

[Sampson]

8 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

I don't think we would have won it without him, which is slightly different.  I think people say that because he came in that season and then left, whereas those others who we would not have won it without stuck around a bit longer, and other than Mahrez did not go on to win it again.

You can say we wouldn’t have won it without about 9-13 different players though, certainly not the likes of Vardy, Mahrez, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs or Drinkwater. We wouldn’t have won it without Leo Ulloa and Nathan Dyer either who scored incredibly important goals at “sliding doors” moments that season. The whole point was everyone played out their skin that season.

 

I agree that over the years many neutrals and even some Leicester fans seem to want to turn that title win into Kante being a one man team, which is getting tiring and clearly utterly rubbish given Vardy and Mahrez were the ones winning us matches all season. and were 1st and 2nd in goal contributions that season and Morgan and Huth were unbelievably consistent as well.

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 minutes ago, Sampson said:

You can say we wouldn’t have won it without about 9-13 different players though, certainly not the likes of Vardy, Mahrez, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs or Drinkwater. We wouldn’t have won it without Leo Ulloa and Nathan Dyer either who scored incredibly important goals at “sliding doors” moments that season. The whole point was everyone played out their skin that season.

 

I agree that over the years many neutrals and even some Leicester fans seem to want to turn that title win into Kante being a one man team, which is getting tiring and clearly utterly rubbish given Vardy and Mahrez were the ones winning us matches all season. and were 1st and 2nd in goal contributions that season and Morgan and Huth were unbelievably consistent as well.

Villa at home. Goal that laid him out, but won the game after being 2-0 down fairly early in the season. So crucial, cos it would've knocked confidence.

[foxfanazer]

3 minutes ago, Sampson said:

You can say we wouldn’t have won it without about 9-13 different players though, certainly not the likes of Vardy, Mahrez, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs or Drinkwater. We wouldn’t have won it without Leo Ulloa and Nathan Dyer either who scored incredibly important goals at “sliding doors” moments that season. The whole point was everyone played out their skin that season.

 

I agree that over the years many neutrals and even some Leicester fans seem to want to turn that title win into Kante being a one man team, which is getting tiring and clearly utterly rubbish given Vardy and Mahrez were the ones winning us matches all season. and were 1st and 2nd in goal contributions that season and Morgan and Huth were unbelievably consistent as well.

Absolutely. It's so disrespectful to that entire squad. People even forget about the likes of Danny Simpson who gave Mahrez full licence to stay forward. Ulloa with massive goals, Huth's spurs goal and brace at the Etihad. The list goes on

[Jaspa]

Ngolo's achievements are worthy of the best players in history, he went on to win the lot. To say that he was the best player in our Champions of 15/16 isn't unfair, but us Leicester fans who were along for the ride will know it was undoubtedly a squad achievement.

 

Sometimes you hear Chelsea fans and media with a sense they had more of a slight influence in the matter - they "won it for us" against Spurs. The next season they got Kante and duly took the Premier League crown back an' all. That's usually where I'd expect to hear people having a fixation on NG during the title season.

[Fox forever]

21 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

Absolutely. It's so disrespectful to that entire squad. People even forget about the likes of Danny Simpson who gave Mahrez full licence to stay forward. Ulloa with massive goals, Huth's spurs goal and brace at the Etihad. The list goes on

Sitting in Family stand and watching  Danny Simpson defend the back post was pure joy. 

[davieG]

Agree with all the comments re the Team contribution, but I remember 2 clear thoughts that came during that season.

 

I'd never seen anyone trap / stop, control and move with the ball seemingly all in one movement like Mahrez

 

I'd never seen anyone win the ball off someone and sometimes more than one person and use it so easily and consistently, even if he did occasionally lose it he immediately  won it back again like Kante.

[James_lcfc]

2 minutes ago, davieG said:

Agree with all the comments re the Team contribution, but I remember 2 clear thoughts that came during that season.

 

I'd never seen anyone trap / stop, control and move with the ball seemingly all in one movement like Mahrez

 

I'd never seen anyone win the ball off someone and sometimes more than one person and use it so easily and consistently, even if he did occasionally lose it he immediately  won it back again like Kante.

Very much this.

 

We had two genuinely world class players in our team that year - Which isn't something I've ever seen before or since. (I didn't start going to games until '92 before anyone starts!)

 

Other players have done much more for the club, of course they have, but Kante was the best I've seen play for us.

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, James_lcfc said:

Very much this.

 

We had two genuinely world class players in our team that year - Which isn't something I've ever seen before or since. (I didn't start going to games until '92 before anyone starts!)

 

Other players have done much more for the club, of course they have, but Kante was the best I've seen play for us.

Vardy was world class and I'll die on that hill

[Sampson]

12 minutes ago, James_lcfc said:

Very much this.

 

We had two genuinely world class players in our team that year - Which isn't something I've ever seen before or since. (I didn't start going to games until '92 before anyone starts!)

 

Other players have done much more for the club, of course they have, but Kante was the best I've seen play for us.

Vardy and Mahrez won us more points that season though, you forget how many tight 1-0s there were where Mahrez or Vardy scored from very little in the back half of that season. I’d argue that the title winning season was not even Vardy or Mahrez’ peak for us either. Mahrez had that incredible few months for under Puel and Vardy in that first year under Rodgers from Feb 2019-the March 20 lockdown is the best peak of a Leicester player I’ve ever seen and was better than Kante in 15-16 imo. 30 league goals in 34 starts and only Messi and Lewandowski scored more than him in that period. 
 

 

Edited 13 December 2023 by Sampson

[James_lcfc]

3 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

Vardy was world class and I'll die on that hill

Definitely an argument for it.

 

Just the one level below that in my opinion though.

 

Absolute club legend.

[foxfanazer]

Just now, James_lcfc said:

Definitely an argument for it.

 

Just the one level below that in my opinion though.

 

Absolute club legend.

Why is that for you? 

 

I can't think of anything he couldn't do. Gets unfairly (imo) boxed as an in behind pace merchant by the media and general football fan but he was so much more than that for me. Scored all manner of goals and to score as many as he did in the premier league from where he came from is pretty much unheard of

 

Not that I'm a fan boy or anything 

[James_lcfc]

Just now, foxfanazer said:

Why is that for you? 

 

I can't think of anything he couldn't do. Gets unfairly (imo) boxed as an in behind pace merchant by the media and general football fan but he was so much more than that for me. Scored all manner of goals and to score as many as he did in the premier league from where he came from is pretty much unheard of

 

Not that I'm a fan boy or anything 

Just not quite the tidiest technically, which surely has to be a prerequisite if you want to be considered 'World Class'?

 

I don't know, I'm not really up for a debate with me being against Vardy...I'm a fan boy too! 

 

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, James_lcfc said:

Just not quite the tidiest technically, which surely has to be a prerequisite if you want to be considered 'World Class'?

 

I don't know, I'm not really up for a debate with me being against Vardy...I'm a fan boy too! 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll just leave these here 

[AKCJ]

16 minutes ago, James_lcfc said:

Just not quite the tidiest technically, which surely has to be a prerequisite if you want to be considered 'World Class'?

 

I don't know, I'm not really up for a debate with me being against Vardy...I'm a fan boy too! 

 

Erling Haaland isnt the tidiest either but I doubt you'd ever find someone that doesn't think he's world class.

[James_lcfc]

8 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Erling Haaland isnt the tidiest either but I doubt you'd ever find someone that doesn't think he's world class.

Yeah that's a good point.

 

You might struggle to find someone that thinks Vardy was world class outside of Leicester fans though? I'm not sure on that, just a hunch.

 

Like I said, I don't want to argue this! 

[Sampson]

Regardless of whether or not Vardy was “world class” or not, he was certainly the best striker in England in both the 2015–16 and 2019-20 seasons. And we were, after all, only competing against other clubs in England, not the world.

Edited 13 December 2023 by Sampson

[Bert]

2 hours ago, Wolfox said:

Loved this bit, as it’s often forgotten…

 

the maddest thing is that Leicester absolutely pissed it. Nobody came anywhere near them. They won the Premier League by 10 points. Utterly, brain-meltingly, inexplicably ridiculous

Especially when it’s one of the bigger PL winning margins….