The "do they mean us?" thread

[Koke]

Btw prepare yourselves for people accusing us of destroying the English coefficient if we get into the CL, because we will naturally get a tough group and may not get out.

It'll be our fault, not Arsenal who has been an abysmal failure in Europe for years. Not the fault of Man City either who bottled it year after year for a while and succumbed to inferior sides. Not the fault of United who yet again failed to get of a piss poor group.

I've already seen people say Leicester City will ruin our coefficient next season.

[EnglishOxide]

I couldn't give a monkeys toss about coefficient.

[Renart]

Not seen this anywhere, which surprised me. Maybe I missed it.

 

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35480812

[ScouseFox]

Btw prepare yourselves for people accusing us of destroying the English coefficient if we get into the CL, because we will naturally get a tough group and may not get out.

It'll be our fault, not Arsenal who has been an abysmal failure in Europe for years. Not the fault of Man City either who bottled it year after year for a while and succumbed to inferior sides. Not the fault of United who yet again failed to get of a piss poor group.

I've already seen people say Leicester City will ruin our coefficient next season.

pretty sure we're top seeds when we win the league aren't we? so we'll get like one half good team, one alright team and one team from Moldova or somewhere. we'll reach the last 16 like all the other English sides then lose to Barcelona. standard.

[BoyJones]

The reason our coefficient is deteriorating is the pathetic efforts of Arsenal, man city and Yanited over the past few seasons.

They have messed it up for any new kids on the block. Our coefficient would be secure if they had reached the latter stages over the last couple of seasons. They are clearly not up for it, let someone have a chance.

[lgfualol]

Just read a spurs fan on reddit say we're bankrolled the same as Chelsea.

Who'd have thought having a team that cost 2m more than what Bournemouth spent on Afobe would = bankrolled.

Edited 3 February 2016 by lgfualol

[FireFox]

pretty sure we're top seeds when we win the league aren't we? so we'll get like one half good team, one alright team and one team from Moldova or somewhere. we'll reach the last 16 like all the other English sides then lose to Barcelona. standard.

Has Barcelona ever played against a team as good as us though? I reckon we could beat them over 2 legs with the away goal rule.

[Fox_in_a_Box]

Calm down

[Guest Cujek]

Has Barcelona ever played against a team as good as us though? I reckon we could beat them over 2 legs with the away goal rule.

thats pretty bold

[Wolfox]

Nice article in the Guarian...

Particularly like this quote " if titles were won on verve and confidence the bookies would probably be paying out already"

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/feb/03/leicester-on-course-premier-league-win

[HighPeakFox]

I don't mind at all, but it is amusing to see journalists lining up to each herald Leicester in their own way (whilst not reminding us how they had us down for certain relegation a few months ago).

[C-man]

http://1.ftb.al/zNTc/0HYWWfwFGq

More coverage in 11 Freunde, one of Germany's best football mags.

Haven't got time to fully translate but broadly compares us potentially winning the league to Ingolstadt doing so in the Bundesliga (which I find BS given Ingolstadt have no history and are completely bankrolled by Audi, would be more like Kaiserslautern 97/98 in my opinion), covers Jamie Vardy's rags to riches story and says that we are giving everyone hope in a money-dominated era that the sport isn't completely broke.

Nice read

[Leicester_Numan]

Leicester City almost sold Jamie Vardy to Sheffield Wednesday in the summer, according to reports.

Vardy has enjoyed an astonishing run of form this season, breaking the Premier League record for consecutive goals, and stole the headlines with a wonder strike in Leicester’s 2-0 victory over Liverpool on Tuesday night.

The striker, who now appears a certainty to be in Roy Hodgson’s England squad for Euro 2016, is on the verge of signing a new contract at the Foxes as the club attempt to ward off interest from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.

But according to Football Insider, Vardy was close to plying his trade in the Championship this term.

The report suggests Wednesday had agreed a £5million fee with Leicester at the beginning of the summer, with Nigel Pearson willing to sanction the 29-year-old’s departure.

However, despite the recommendation of then Owl’s manager Stuart Gray, owner Dejphon Chansiri pulled the plug on the deal, as he was unconvinced the forward was worth the cost.

Wednesday have since gone on to bolster their forward line with the signings of Fernando Forestieri, Lucas Joao and Gary Hooper, who have scored 23 Championship goals between them.

Vardy, meanwhile, has bagged 18 goals in the Premier League.

I find this difficult to believe considering Pearson's history with Vardy, I remember them being interested but I thought we refused. You never know though, maybe Pearson did sanction it, I read somewhere that Walsh talked Rudkin into not selling so maybe that's why we refused and the reason the club felt they couldn't work with Pearson anymore. The final nail in his coffin.

Just a theory but it fits better with the club statement about Pearson's sacking than assuming he was sacked for defending his son.

[MC Prussian]

http://1.ftb.al/zNTc/0HYWWfwFGq

More coverage in 11 Freunde, one of Germany's best football mags.

Haven't got time to fully translate but broadly compares us potentially winning the league to Ingolstadt doing so in the Bundesliga (which I find BS given Ingolstadt have no history and are completely bankrolled by Audi, would be more like Kaiserslautern 97/98 in my opinion), covers Jamie Vardy's rags to riches story and says that we are giving everyone hope in a money-dominated era that the sport isn't completely broke.

Nice read

Looking forward to purchasing the magazine today. I do hope the actual article in print is a bit more in-depth.

[Mark_w]

I find this difficult to believe considering Pearson's history with Vardy, I remember them being interested but I thought we refused. You never know though, maybe Pearson did sanction it, I read somewhere that Walsh talked Rudkin into not selling so maybe that's why we refused and the reason the club felt they couldn't work with Pearson anymore. The final nail in his coffin.

Just a theory but it fits better with the club statement about Pearson's sacking than assuming he was sacked for defending his son.

 

Jamie Vardy who a year earlier Nigel Pearson said completely epitomized everything we do? Who we rejected a similar bid for five months earlier when West Brom were interested? Who was absolutely crucial to our brilliant run at the end of last season?

It's bullshit, about as believable as Esteban Cambiasso managing us for the last couple of months of last season. They've got room to fill and a thrown together story about the flavour of the month is the easiest way to fill it.

[MC Prussian]

The Gazzetta dello Sport:

http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/2016/febbraio/03/Strepitoso_Vardy_Doppietta_urlo_Leicester_ga_0_20160203_9e0a287c-ca42-11e5-a29b-c0dbcb6cf3eb.shtml

[Webbo]

The absolute refusal to believe there might be some truth in this is so typical of some on here.

Vardy scored 5 goals last season, if Pearson thought he could upgrade on Vardy he would obviously let him go, as would any manager.

[Mapperleyfox]

The ignorance of pundits & journos who think Mahrez's pass to Vardy was an aimless hoof is astounding.

 

If they'd watched us regularly they would know that we look for that pass often, and you can see Vardy on his bike as soon as Mahrez gets the ball and Mahrez knows exactly where to put the ball because he knows the space Vardy will be running into.

[Leicester_Numan]

Jamie Vardy who a year earlier Nigel Pearson said completely epitomized everything we do? Who we rejected a similar bid for five months oearlier when West Brom were interested? Who was absolutely crucial to our brilliant run at the end of last season?

It's bullshit, about as believable as Esteban Cambiasso managing us for the last couple of months of last season. They've got room to fill and a thrown together story about the flavour of the month is the easiest way to fill it.

Just seen another story that it was our owners that pulled the plug on the Sheffield Wednesday deal.

Like I said, it's just a theory but it does fit some of the facts and the timing of Pearson's sacking which our default theory never really did. Wednesday were definitely interested at the time, I remember it but it got lost as Pearson being sacked over-rode everything else.

[MC Prussian]

The Irish Backpage compares our current success to Montpellier's four years ago:

 

Leicester City and Vardy are much like Montpellier and Giroud February 4th, 2016  by Cormac O'Shea

 

A Jamie Vardy inspired Leicester City continued beating all the odds as a double from the aforementioned Vardy including a wonder goal helped the Foxes beat Liverpool, reach 50 points and keep their lead at the top of the table.

One man who may well know what it’s like to be in Leicester’s and in particular Jamie Vardy’s position is none other than Olivier Giroud who is no stranger to winning a league title as massive outsiders.

Embed from Getty Images

 

 

Back in 2011 the French league was full of hype thanks to new middle-eastern owners at PSG, the billionaires splashed the cash on players such as Javier Pastore and brought in manager Carlo Ancelotti in a bid to win a league title.

Of course thanks to this financial backing and experienced new manager they went into the 2011/12 season as overwhelming favourites to be crowned champions.

However, in bizarrely similar fashion to what we are currently witnessing at the King Power Stadium, Montpellier came into the season with no ambitions or in most people’s mind hope of winning the league title yet they went on to beat their big spending rivals to finish the campaign at the summit.

That team was led in the goal-scoring department by a relatively unknown quantity at the time, Olivier Giroud.

It happened to be Montpellier’s second season back in the top flight, much like Leicester City this season and in their first season back up the French side finished in 14th place, so did The Foxes last season under Nigel Pearson.

Like Leicester who have found success under Claudio Ranieri, Montpellier were led to glory by Rene Girard who was 61 at the time, three years younger than Ranieri is today.

Frontman Olivier Giroud was the key man for Girard’s team in their league winning season and while his style of play differs greatly to that of Jamie Vardy, his rise to the top of French football was similar to Jamie Vardy’s rise this campaign.

The big Frenchman began his career in Ligue 2 at Grenoble where he failed to make an impact, subsequently being loaned out to Istres, a Championne National (third division) side where he scored 14 goals catching the eye of Tours who brought him back to Ligue 2 on a permanent deal.

21 goals in his second season at FC Tours was enough for Rene Girard to bring Giroud to the South of France for just €1.7 million, that translates as £1.3 million slightly more than Vardy’s £1 million, as they faced their first season back in the top flight.

Giroud managed 12 goals in his first Ligue 1 season, more than Vardy’s five last year, before really announcing himself on the scene with a golden boot winning 21 goals in Montpellier’s miraculous title win.

That season was ultimately the one that persuaded Arsene Wenger to bring the Frenchman to The Emirates Stadium.

Vardy already has 18 goals and with 14 games to go is likely to break Giroud’s tally of 21. Unlike Giroud however Vardy has come to the pinnacle of his career quite late whereas Giroud was 25 when they became champions.

One thing both men most definitely had in common was they were backed up by an exciting number 10 supplying them with chances. For Leicester City that is obviously Riyad Mahrez, Montpellier were relying on Younes Belhanda to create their chances.

Embed from Getty Images

 

 

Belhanda was crowned young player of the year at the end of that season and much like Mahrez lit up the league with his creative ability, he finished the season with 12 assists, Mahrez already has 9.

If the stories were not similar enough already, Mahrez is of Moroccan descent and had he not decided to play for Algeria he could well be lining out at international level alongside Belhanda in the Moroccan national team.

Indeed that similarity is very consequential but there is no denying that this Leicester City season is almost a mirrored image of Montpellier’s rise to glory.

It would be fair to say even that Leicester City’s season to this point is more impressive than that of their French counterparts. Montpellier had to fight off the big spending PSG to win the league whereas Ranieri’s side are competing against five or six teams with huge budgets.

Not only that but both Vardy and Mahrez are on course to eclipse the stats of Giroud and Belhanda, the best players for their respective teams.

Montpellier’s title win was seen as a great moment for football, it was proof that you don’t need to spend hundreds of millions to win big, were Leicester City to pull off a title-winning season it would eclipse that sense of relief for football purists.

For Montpellier it came down to the last day of the season to clinch the title, if their stories are to be the same, Jamie Vardy and his teammates would end up lifting the trophy at the home of last seasons champions Chelsea.

What a great end to a great story that would be.

 

 

http://backpagefootball.com/leicester-city-vardy-much-like-montpellier-giroud/104456/?

[cjslcfc]

The Gazzetta dello Sport:

http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/2016/febbraio/03/Strepitoso_Vardy_Doppietta_urlo_Leicester_ga_0_20160203_9e0a287c-ca42-11e5-a29b-c0dbcb6cf3eb.shtml

 

Possibly one of the best translates ever below... (although it is with Bing! translate)

 

Awesome Vardy Brace to scream the Leicester runs R rolls out the Klopp and +3 remains on the City of Liverpool which surpasses l? Arsenal in second place Italian coach: "I'm more and more surprised, I have an extraordinary team» Saturday all? Etihad from Manchester is the second match of the

Published in the edition of February 3, 2016

Posted in LEICESTERCapita rarely in old England to see skip the press stand and applaud a player: seasonal records for Jamie Vardy is now too. The 1-0 at Liverpool belongs to the Gallery of masterpieces of football: a volley from 25 meters, putting the ball at the intersection of stakes. A gesture from star players, combining technique to naughty. Certain things happen more frequently on suburban courts or in the road where we always try because if you can the number, impress on friends, maybe on the girl that stares at you and then invite everyone in the bar. The great thing about Vardy is this: is a professional who has not forgotten his roots. He played among the amateurs until 2012 and certain habits if the door behind. When Mahrez invited the striker to shoot on the launch by forty meters, the thought was: but really will try to pull? Come on. Come on, my ass: Vardy kicked and when the net bulged jumped all over the stadium, Claudio Ranieri inclusive. Looked like a little boy, R. You have to understand this: look at the standings, Leicester first with 50 points, and you'll understand. REDS Also Klopp, German from his easy, pays homage to the center forward of Leicester: "his gesture made the difference. Vardy scored a beautiful goal. SIN has made against us. " Then Klopp has gone on the problems of Liverpool, a team that struggles to find continuity. The k.o. of Leicester is a step back, having cultivated a hope of getting back on course for the Champions. But if it is true that the goal of Vardy has given an electric shock to the match, it should not be forgotten that there was doubling, signed by Center forward, while, in the first half, Mahrez had touched the pole and Okazaki had hit the crossbar. RANIERI the moral is that Leicester has commanded the operations from start to finish, strameritando all three points. Ranieri's team is an accordion: opens and closes, playing good music. Everyone is running, all help one another, no primadonna. "I'm more and more surprised, I have an extraordinary team? the words of R?. Against Liverpool we were fantastic. The 1-0 was a masterpiece: incredible passing Mahrez, even more amazing shoot of Vardy ". On Saturday, Manchester City-Leicester, second against before because l? Arsenal has slowed with the Southampton and made himself surpass by Citizens: it is the match of the season.

[Jimbo]

Just read a spurs fan on reddit say we're bankrolled the same as Chelsea.

Who'd have thought having a team that cost 2m more than what Bournemouth spent on Afobe would = bankrolled.

 

Sean Dyche pretending to be a Spurs fan.  Does he mention "pound notes"?

 

I think they spent more on one Korean than we spent all summer.  Our owners don't exactly throw money around thinking we're some sort of toy.

[Fox Ulike]

The absolute refusal to believe there might be some truth in this is so typical of some on here.

Vardy scored 5 goals last season, if Pearson thought he could upgrade on Vardy he would obviously let him go, as would any manager.

 

There may be a grain of truth it the story - but that doesn't stop it from being nonsense!

 

Vardy clearly wasn’t ‘almost sold’ to Wednesday last Summer. There’s no evidence for that at the time. Some rumour would have surfaced.

 

What probably happened is that an agent makes the obvious connection between Wednesday’s search for a striker and Vardy. So, he speaks to someone at  Leicester (Shakespeare, Rudkin, Beaganhole, one of the players, the receptionist - it doesn't really matter who as far as the story is concerned. It could of been a ball boy) and asks how much they rate Vardy.

 

Someone with an LCFC connection says that he reckons we rate him at around £5m, but that Pearson has the final say and that Pearson would need to be willing to sanction the move.

 

 

The agent then goes back to the Wednesday Chairman and says “I can get you Vardy for £5million. Pearson might be willing to sanction the move”. Chairman says ‘That’s too much”.

 

End of non-sotry.

 

To me, that is a much more likely scenario. This sort of thing probably happens 100s of times every Summer with freelance agents ‘chancing their arm’ to get a deal done.

 

It’s only cos Vardy is such hot potatoes at the minute that this story has even gained any leverage.

Edited 4 February 2016 by Fox Ulike

[HighPeakFox]

It seems highly improbable to me. One only needs to see how vague rumours become 'facts' here to know how this sort of thing emerges

[Sublime_Coatsworth]

 

Possibly one of the best translates ever below... (although it is with Bing! translate)

 

Awesome Vardy Brace to scream the Leicester runs R rolls out the Klopp and +3 remains on the City of Liverpool which surpasses l? Arsenal in second place Italian coach: "I'm more and more surprised, I have an extraordinary team» Saturday all? Etihad from Manchester is the second match of the

Published in the edition of February 3, 2016

Posted in LEICESTERCapita rarely in old England to see skip the press stand and applaud a player: seasonal records for Jamie Vardy is now too. The 1-0 at Liverpool belongs to the Gallery of masterpieces of football: a volley from 25 meters, putting the ball at the intersection of stakes. A gesture from star players, combining technique to naughty. Certain things happen more frequently on suburban courts or in the road where we always try because if you can the number, impress on friends, maybe on the girl that stares at you and then invite everyone in the bar. The great thing about Vardy is this: is a professional who has not forgotten his roots. He played among the amateurs until 2012 and certain habits if the door behind. When Mahrez invited the striker to shoot on the launch by forty meters, the thought was: but really will try to pull? Come on. Come on, my ass: Vardy kicked and when the net bulged jumped all over the stadium, Claudio Ranieri inclusive. Looked like a little boy, R. You have to understand this: look at the standings, Leicester first with 50 points, and you'll understand. REDS Also Klopp, German from his easy, pays homage to the center forward of Leicester: "his gesture made the difference. Vardy scored a beautiful goal. SIN has made against us. " Then Klopp has gone on the problems of Liverpool, a team that struggles to find continuity. The k.o. of Leicester is a step back, having cultivated a hope of getting back on course for the Champions. But if it is true that the goal of Vardy has given an electric shock to the match, it should not be forgotten that there was doubling, signed by Center forward, while, in the first half, Mahrez had touched the pole and Okazaki had hit the crossbar. RANIERI the moral is that Leicester has commanded the operations from start to finish, strameritando all three points. Ranieri's team is an accordion: opens and closes, playing good music. Everyone is running, all help one another, no primadonna. "I'm more and more surprised, I have an extraordinary team? the words of R?. Against Liverpool we were fantastic. The 1-0 was a masterpiece: incredible passing Mahrez, even more amazing shoot of Vardy ". On Saturday, Manchester City-Leicester, second against before because l? Arsenal has slowed with the Southampton and made himself surpass by Citizens: it is the match of the season.

 

This is superb. I too love it when Vardy puts the ball at the intersection of the stakes.