75 replies to this topic

[Neavsey]

Fantastic story! Well done on getting Leciester back up and i look forward to your next step which is the premier league. Should be a good test and see what bargins you can bring in, Check out Kyle Walker spurs always seem to get rid of him at the end of the first season for a small fee. Will be following this story on a daily basis.

Edited by Neavsey, 31 December 2011 - 12:13 AM.

[FD™]

Well its almost time again, a brand new season of football with more drama and inevitable displays of emotion for the next 9 months. I have the task of keeping my side in the place we want to be, that of course being the Premier League!

We had a tremendous campaign last season and will have to now forget about it, we have to focus on the next campaign and keeping the club afloat, no easy task of course but until then it was important to build a strong structure for the upcoming season.

The squad needed a major revamp with plenty of deadwood to clear, harsh it may seem but it is necessary to push a team forward and hopefully onto a successful future.

This is part one of a huge journey and I intend to make it last as long as humanly possible!





Step one, like I said, is to revamp the squad and with the Summer Transfer Window open that is exactly what we looked to do, I was not expecting to sign the next Messi or anything but quality of any kind can help proserve our Premier League status.

In's

Georg Niedermeier signed from VfB Stuttgart for £625,000
A decent young defenderm who should help prop up the backline in tough situations.

David Bentley signed from Tottenham Hotspur for £2,000,000
The former Spurs wide man joins the Foxes looking to finally reach his potential.

Alban Bunjaku signed on a Free Transfer
The former Arsenal youngster was released from his contract and snapped up instantly.

David Yelldell signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £1,300,000
A strong American Goalkeeper who comes in to help fill a gap in a needed area.

Rory McKeown signed on a Free Transfer
A potentially great young defender formally of Kilmarnock snapped up on a free.

Kyle Naughton signed from Tottenham Hotspur for £1,500,000
The England Under-21 International joins from Spurs for his second spell at the club since his loan in 2010/11.

Kyle Walker signed from Tottenham Hotspur for £3,500,000
The hugely talented right back joins the Foxes after being Transfer Listed, the Foxes boss wasted no time in getting his signature.

Reto Ziegler signed from Juventus for £1,600,000
Another good player who can play a left back or is happy to help out in midfield.

Erwin Hoffer signed from Napoli for £1,900,000
An up and coming Striker who comes in to help bolster the Foxes attack.

Michael Owen signed on a Free Transfer
The Former Liverpool, Real Madrid & Manchester United striker joins to add huge experience to the City line up after being released by Manchester United.

Dani Benitez signed from Udinese for £400,000
A highly rated young wide player who signs for a snip of price compared to todays market.

Out's

Leicester City allowed 17 players to leave the Club on a free transfer in a bid to cut the wage bill and remove any deadwood. The players were:-

Michael Ball - Steve Howard - Matt Oakley - Bruno Berner - Conrad Logan
Timo Hildebrand - Elliott Chamberlain - Cian Bolger - Oliver Norburn
Moreno - Tom Kennedy - Stephen Kelly - Chris Weale
Andrew Davies - Diego Arismendi - Sean Davis

Martyn Waghorn to Southampton for £1,500,000
The Foxes let the young striker go to the Saints as he was unlikely to find a place in the squad.



vs. FC Groningen (Drew 2-2)
Leicester led the lead slip twice away to Groningen in their first pre-season friendly. David Bentley put the Foxes in front after 23 minutes, Jonas Ivens equalised with 15 minutes remaining before Jermaine Beckford seemed to have clinched a win with 10 minutes to go. However Petter Andersson would go on to equalise in the 86th minute.

vs. Yeovil Town (Won 4-1)
The Foxes came out with a comprehensive victory away to League 2 outfit Yeovil Town. Paul Wotton had originally given the home side the lead after 57 minutes before Jermaine Beckford swiftly brought the scores level just 2 minutes later. Leicester went on to take control as Beckford doubled his tally before a David Bentley goal & Paul Coutts own goal sealed the win.

vs. AJ Auxerre (Lost 2-1)
Leicester's first home friendly ended in defeat as they were outmatched by a determined Auxerre side. Sol Bamba & Matt Mills both netted own goals just before half time to give the French side a comfortable lead at the break, Alban Bunjaku managed to halve the defecit 10 minutes after the restart but the Foxes could not find an equaliser.

vs. Hinckley United (Won 3-0)
A commanding second half performance allowed the Foxes to overcome their local affiliates. Goals in 20 second half minutes from Erwin Hoffer, Dave Nugent & a Danny Haystead own goal completed the result for Ryan's team.

vs. Newport County (Won 4-0)
Another dominant away day display from Leicester City saw them ease to a comfortable victory at Newport County. Goals from Sol Bamba, Jermaine Beckford, David Bentley & Erwin Hoffer did the damage on the day with Andy King missing a late penalty in a result that could have been any score.



A promising pre-season looks to have helped us build confidence going into the new season, we have brought in some good players & I am confident that in time they will become a cohesive unit. I am not expecting things to start like a house on fire but what I ask is full commitment in keeping this Club in the Premier League.

The journey begins here, lets see how bad they want to keep it alive!

Edited by FD™, 03 January 2012 - 03:52 PM.

[KD95]

All change bud. Hope it pays off for you.

[Neavsey]

Good Luck

[FD™]

It's time to kick of the new Premier League season and there is a lot of pressure riding on me and the squad, the fans will expect us to stay in the division and I will be the one to help us do that.

The bookies have us finishing in 18th place which would be good enough, but I have confidence our player purchases have put us above a lot of so called established teams in terms of quality, however we will have to see.

It is a quiet start to the month however with just 2 Premier League fixtures and our 2nd Round Carling Cup Tie. Here are the fixtures:-

(BPL) Tottenham Hotspur (A) - A massive opener away to Champions League hopefulls Tottenham
(BPL) Aston Villa (H) - Another tricky fixture and our first important home game of the season
(CC2R) - Charlton Athletic (A) - A potential banana skin against a tricky little side



Barclays Premier League
vs. Tottenham Hotspur (Lost 3-0)
A spirited display was all in vain for Leicester today as they finally caved into heavy pressure at White Hart Lane. Goals from Gareth Bale, Scott Parker & Youssef El Arabi did the damage and made the Foxes first day back in the big time a depressing one.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Aston Villa (Won 4-1)
Foxes fans were treated to their teams first win back in the Premier League with a stunning win over Aston Villa at the King Power Stadium. 5 minutes into the match Carlos Cuellar netted in the wrong goal to put Leicester ahead, then a brace from Jermaine Beckford just before half time sent the Foxes in with a comfortable lead at the break.

Villa pegged a goal back just after the restart through Darren Bent but any hopes of a revival were squashed as a late Matt Mills wrapped up the points for Leicester.

Carling Cup 2nd Round
vs. Charlton Athletic (Drew 1-1 - Leicester Won 4-2 on Penalties)
Leicester managed to book a place in the 3rd Round of the Carling Cup but were made to work hard for the win. Michael Owen scored his first goal for the Foxes after 11 minutes and it looked to be the winner, however Charlton managed to equalise 10 minutes from time through Dale Stephens.

The game went into Extra Time but neither side could find the winning goal making Penalties the only way to seperate the sides. The Foxes managed to scrape through 4-2 Darius Vassell scoring the decisive spot kick.



Jermaine Beckford gives the Foxes a promising start



A relatively short month but overall I happy with how we started, at Spurs we played well but once we conceded the team lost interest and they have to learn games aren't over just because you concede.

The performance against Villa was sensational and Beckford show sparks of real encouragement, as for Charlton I rang a lot of changes and it showed, because we could build on Owen's early goal.

The months will get busier and the fixtures will be even harder but for now we need to ride this momentum as long as possible!

[FD™]

Next up was a more hectic month with plenty of tests in the League and Cup. We had come off a pretty decent opening to the campaign and I was hoping the team could continue to build on it.

We had 5 fixtures in all this month with 4 in the League and a 3rd Round Carling Cup tie to deal with. Here are the fixtures:-

(BPL) West Bromwich Albion (A) - A big away day for us against a team we have a very poor record against
(BPL) Queens Park Rangers (H) - Another big home game against last seasons surprise package
(BPL) Chelsea (A) - A trip to Stamford Bridge is never easy and this will prove no different
(CC3R) Brentford (H) - A winnable tie at home to Brentford in the Cup
(BPL) Everton (H) - The month ends at home to the Toffees, it will either be sweet or sour



Barclays Premier League
vs. West Bromwich Albion (Drew 2-2)
Foxes fans will be going home frustrated as their side through away victory at the Hawthorns. Things started poorly for Leicester as they went behind on 26 minutes through a Peter Odemwingie strike, Michael Owen though scored his first League goal for the Foxes to level it up just 4 minutes later.

Leicester came out the blocks flying and deservedly earned the lead on 62 minutes through Jermaine Beckford, however victory was snatched away after Zoltan Gera managed to find a late leveller with 7 minutes remaining.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Queens Park Rangers (Won 3-0)
Leicester City took out there away day frustrations on QPR at the King Power Stadium with a comfortable win. Goals from Sol Bamba, Jermaine Beckford & Michael Owen were enough to claim all 3 points and give the Foxes another push towards staying in the division.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Chelsea (Won 3-1)
Leicester City managed to shock fans & bookies up and down the country with a coupon busting display at Stamford Bridge. Jermaine Beckford put the Foxes in front 6 minutes into the game before an Andy King Penalty just on half time gave the Foxes a 2 goal advantage at the break.

Chelsea came out with a point to prove after the break scoring just 10 minutes in through Milos Krasic, however the Foxes were not to be denied as Jermaine Beckford doubled his tally with 10 minutes remaining helping his side claim a famous win.

Carling Cup 3rd Round
vs. Brentford (Won 5-0)
An awesome display at the King Power Stadium allowed the Foxes to advance into the next round of the Carling Cup. A Marcel Eger own goal put the hosts in front before Dani Benitez doubled the lead before the break.

The second half proved no different with a Micheal Owen brace and Dave Nugent wonder goal capped off a comfortable performance.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Everton (Won 4-0)
Leicester City continue to wow there opponents with top class displays and Everton fell into the latest trap of underestimating Ryan's team. A 7 minute brace from Erwin Hoffer gave the foxes a commanding lead just before half time.

After the interval the Foxes continued to pile on pressure which paid off with a David Bentley goal before Jermaine Beckford wrapped the game up in injury time with a goal against his former Club.



Beckford continues to be the key man for the Foxes



A hugely successful month comes to an end and I could not be happy, we bounced back from frustration against West Brom with 4 straight wins in all competitions and more importantly plent of goals.

The performance against Chelsea seemed to be key as we pushed on from that great display and took it into the Cup and beyond, I will not being carried away though as its now how you start the season but how you finish it.

I think any manager would tell you these results are important but I think many would also agree they would mean a lot more in May.

[FD™]

After the good start to the season there are always times when you think "This isn't going to last" and I had that feeling going into this month when looking at the fixtures. We had produced an amazing start but when the opposition get bigger & the games come thick and fast its hard to predict the outcome.

We had 4 big fixtures this month, 3 in the Premier League & a Carling Cup 4th Round tie. Here are those fixtures:-

(BPL) Liverpool (A) - A trip to Anfield, we have already upset one Merseyside club, can we do it again?
(BPL) Bolton Wanderers (H) - A chance to earn more points against a Bolton side that have not started well
(BPL) Newcastle United (H) - The Toon Army are coming to town and it will be a tough game
(CC4R) Arsenal (A) - It's hard to avoid the big teams at this stage and were heading to The Emirates



Barclays Premier League
vs. Liverpool (Lost 3-1)
Quality proved the difference at Anfield as Liverpool overcame a spirited Leicester City side. Luis Suarez had given the home side the lead at the break before an Angel Di Maria penalty just after the restart seemed to have clinched the win.

Jermaine Beckford restored some home of a comeback in the 74th minute but just 5 minutes later the result was sealed by Andriy Yarmolenko strike.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Bolton Wanderers (Won 2-0)
Leicester managed to bounce back from their away day blues at Anfield with a comfortable victory over Bolton at the King Power Stadium. Second half strikes from Jermaine Beckford & Andy King did the damage for the Foxes who provided the best possible response for their fans.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Newcastle United (Lost 1-0)
Leicester were made to rue a glut of missed chances at home to Newcastle as they sunk to defeat. Ismael Bangoura gave the visitors the lead on 22 minutes and from that point on managed to keep the home attack at bay.

A frustrating defeat for Ryan's men who know they could have easily saved this result.

Carling Cup 4th Round
vs. Arsenal (Lost 2-1)
Foxes fans saw them team slip out of the Carling Cup despite a spirited display against the Gunners. Georginio Wijnaldum bagged a brace after half time which proved enough to clinch the victory.

Matt Mills managed to pull a goal back with 12 minutes to go but the Foxes were unable to find the all important equaliser.



Beckford's goals did little to improve a poor for the Foxes



My gut reaction told me the month would go like this, we hit a bad patch of form and it never really picked up this month. Now we have to start again and wipe the slate clean, if we can do that and put things behind us then we have a chance of improving our form.

There are still some big teams around us that we have not played and we have to take points from the sides in our situation, because if we don't survival will not happen.

[FD™]

With the important Christmas period getting ever closer it was important to try and get some points on the board this month. However the outlook on the fixtures looked difficult once more with trips to the best & worst in the league.

Here are the fixtures:-

(BPL) Wigan Athletic (A) - A must win game against a fellow surival hopeful
(BPL) Sunderland (A) - Another tricky away trip to an underachieving Sunderland side
(BPL) Manchester City (H) - The big spenders are coming to town looking to extend their winning run
(BPL) Manchester United (A) - Heading to Old Trafford with little expectation but plenty of heart



Barclays Premier League
vs. Wigan Athletic (Lost 2-1)
Foxes manager Luke Ryan was let furious at his teams lack of concentration when they slipped to a poor defeat away at Wigan. Hugo Rodallega gave the Latics the lead with a 13th minute penalty.

Leicester managed to find an equaliser deep in the second half through David Bentley on 72 minutes, however just 6 minutes later Wigan scored the winner through Piscu after questionable defending.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Sunderland (Won 4-1)
Leicester City provided the best response to their defeat at Wigan thumping fellow strugglers Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Goals from Michael Owen, Dani Benitez, Sol Bamba & David Bentley rubber stamped an impressive win for the Foxes.

Ji Dong-Won managed to find miniscule consolation for the home side with an 82nd minute strike but that was the brightest spark they could find.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Manchester City (Lost 3-1)
Leicester were unable to build on a good start against big spending Manchester City at the King Power Stadium. Jermaine Beckford gave the Foxes an incredible start with a goal after just 34 seconds however Edin Dzeko soon brought the defecit level just 10 minutes later.

The second half was where the screw turned as Reto Ziegler was given a straight red card just after the restart which led to a Gareth Barry penalty that gave the visitors the lead. Samir Nasri went on to seal the result just 5 minutes later as the Foxes form continues to dip.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Manchester United (Lost 2-0)
Manchester United made easy work of an inconsistent Leicester City side at Old Trafford. Goals either side of half time, first from Nani then by Edinson Cavani, proved more than enough to give the home side all 3 points.



David Bentley was the only bright spark for Leicester this month



Another poor month comes to an end with only 1 win to our name, it was always going to be hard with back to back fixtures against the Manchester clubs but the Wigan performance is from acceptable.

The team has got wake up with the busy festive season approaching, the fans will begin to lost belief and if that happens the results will not improve!

[FD™]

It was that time of the season again where you can make or break your fortunes. The Christmas period always bangs out games thick and fast, which in turn tests just how badly a side wants to stay in this league, win this league or whatever your goal proves to be!

With our place in the Carling Cup long since lost and with the FA Cup not featuring until January, the squad could fully focus on the Premier League as the 7 huge fixtures this month drew ever closer.

Here are the games that we had to contend with this month:-

(BPL) Blackpool (H) - Never an easy game but the home advantage lays with us.
(BPL) Portsmouth (A) - Pompey have proved the divisions whipping boys so far, but that means nothing.
(BPL) Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) - A big midlands clash with both sides needing the points.
(BPL) Stoke City (A) - Stoke along with Portsmouth have had a poor season, we hope to add to that at The Britannia.
(BPL) Fulham (H) - The Cottagers are one of the leagues dark horses so far notching some impressive wins.
(BPL) Arsenal (H) - The League leaders visit the King Power looking to push forward in their title ambitions.
(BPL) Tottenham Hotspur (H) - The month rounds off against the other side of North London, who currently lie in 3rd place in the league.



Barclays Premier League
vs. Blackpool (Won 4-0)
Leicester City managed to kick off the Christmas period with the perfect early present for their fans. A dominating display saw the Foxes cruise to a much deserved win at The King Power Stadium.

Brace's from Dani Benitez & Sol Bamba did the damage on the day leaving Luke Ryan very much pleased with his teams display.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Portsmouth (Lost 1-0)
Frustration returned to the Leicester City camp after a poor display saw them lose to struggling Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Benjani scored what proved to be the winner 10 minutes after half time as Leicester were made to rue missed opportunities. Ricardo Rocha was given a straight red card in added time but the home side held on for victory.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (Drew 2-2)
Luke Ryan left the King Power Stadium in utter disbelief that his side had not taken all 3 points in the midlands derby with Wolves.

Leicester took the lead with only 3 minutes played through Dani Benitez, despite waves of pressure Wolves would go on to equalise with 20 minutes remaining as Kevin Doyle slotted home a penalty.

However with 80 minutes on the clock the Foxes earned a penalty of their own which was emphatically converted by Andy King. The Foxes joy however was short lived as Wolves would go on to score just 3 minutes later, Kevin Doyle again with the leveller for his side.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Stoke City (Won 4-1)
To the relief of players and fans Leicester City were able to get their feet on the ground and record an impressive away win at the Britannia Stadium.

Goals from Yuki Abe, Andy King & a Michael Owen double did the damage on the day for the Foxes. Ignacio Scocco scored Stoke's reply in the second half but the home side were unable to deal with the attacking flow by Leicester.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Fulham (Won 3-2)
Leicester managed to bottle that winning spirit from the Stoke game and take it into the game with Fulham at the King Power. An Andy King double followed by a decisive Dani Benitez goal proved enough for the Foxes win.

The Cottagers made Leicester sweat for the win with goals from Moussa Dembele & Bryan Ruiz, however the illusive 3rd goal never came.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Arsenal (Drew 1-1)
Luke Ryan will take a huge amount of pride as he watched his side battle for a hard fought point at home to the league leaders Arsenal. Mikel Arteta gave the away side the lead 5 minutes before the break from the penalty spot.

The Foxes never quit however and carved out some great chances along with a top defensive display. Into the 3rd minute of added time it appeared the effort would be for nothing, until a late corner met by Kyle Naughton rescued a dramatic draw for the home side.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Tottenham Hotspur (Won 2-1)
With confidence building Leicester City went in with the belief they could cause an upset against 3rd placed Spurs at the King Power Stadium, little did they know how right they were.

Things didn't go according to plan early on as Jermaine Defoe buried an easy opportunity with just 6 minutes on the clock. Leicester though rallied to take the game in all square at the break as Kyle Walker scored his 1st Foxes goal with just 18 minutes on the clock.

It was then former Arsenal & Tottenham player David Bentley who wrote the headlines with a superb strike on 61 minutes, which ultimately proved the clincher to an impressive home win.



Dani Benitez had an impressive month for his side



All in all the month went pretty well with some top notch displays and of course, certain things we could have done without of. I was glad to see certain players step up to the mark, but with that being said, the Transfer Window now opens and I have a few ideas of who stays & who goes.

For now though I am hoping the team continues to improve, the results from the last couple of outtings should definetly help that happen.

[Average Tom]

Great format and story, and nicely done signing Kyle Walker! Keep it up

[FD™]

The Month's are slowly dwindling down and teams are running of games to reach there goals for the season, we have come off a pretty decent start and many would say are punching above our weight at present, my belief is though that we can continue to do well if the players believe in the statement.

I continued harping on about how crucial the Christmas period is in football and stick to that belief, we came out of it in good shape picking up 4 wins from 7 with 2 draws and a defeat to our name, which is very encouraging.

However we are now in January, the month long monday as they call it and we have to guard against complacency. There is a ton of work to do still and with other competitions coming into the fray now, the team has to keep focused.

Anyway here is a run down of the fixtures this month:-

(FAC3R) Leeds United (A) - A trip to Elland Road in the cup opens the month.
(BPL) Aston Villa (A) - Next up another away day, this time a Midlands clash against Villa
(BPL) West Bromwich Albion (H) - The relegation battles will come looking for a win.
(BPL) Queens Park Rangers (A) - The away trips are thick and fast this month, another team battling in need of the points.





In's

Michael Essien signed from Chelsea for £3,900,000
The experienced midfield was a deal too good to turn down.

Ibrahim Afellay signed from Barcelona for £6,250,000
Out of favour with the spanish giants and was on the radar instantly.

Jose Callejon signed from Real Madrid for £8,500,000
Still young with bags of ability, is sure to prove a success here.



FA Cup 3rd Round
vs. Leeds United (Lost 1-0)
A 3rd minute own goal from George Niedermeier proved the decisive moment in this FA Cup clash at Elland Road. Leicester were made to rue missed chances and ultimately paid for an early defensive error.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Aston Villa (Drew 2-2)
Leicester City showed true grit to battle back against Aston Villa in a spirited game at Villa Park. Aston Villa raced into a commanding lead with goals from Darren Bent after 12 minutes before Jack Collison doubled the lead on the 38th minute mark.

The Foxes show great heart to earn the draw started by a George Niedermeier goal just before half time to make the second half very interesting. The comeback was cemented in injury time as super sub Jose Callejon scored his first goal for his new club just as the clock hit 90 minutes.

Barclays Premier League
vs. West Bromwich Albion (Won 3-0)
Foxes fans were delighted to see there team build on a great comeback at Villa by producing a dominant display over West Brom at the King Power. George Niedermeier continued to excellent run of form in front of goal with the opener after just 22 minutes.

Leicester then had the superb skill of Jose Callejon to thank as he bagged a brace in the second period, making it 3 goals in 2 games for his new club. West Brom's day was compounded with a straight red card for Shane Long just after the restart but overall the Leicester fans will go home very happy.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Queens Park Rangers (Won 2-1)
Leicester City continued a fine run of form to earn an impressive away victory against QPR. The home side had made the perfect start as Alejandro Faurlin penalty was converted after just 12 minutes to Leicester a hill to climb.

However once again a spirited second half display captured victory for the Foxes as Michael Owen bagged his first goal for a decent run of games to level the match just after the restart. The decisive goal came from Dani Benitez who scored a superb strike just outside the box on 68 minutes.

Leicester claim the points which could prove invaluable come May.



Jose Callejon hit the ground running for the Foxes in January



We showed real fight this month, there were times in the past where if we went a goal down then we would lose our shape and confidence but were keeping our heads held high and battling for points.

The FA Cup performance served as a wake up call and I am glad the players realised that we need to play much better, now on the other hand we got to focus on the League which at the end of the day is the bread & butter.

Some new faces came in and I was very happy to see how well they gelled and in many cases won us points from the grasp of defeat.

I am upbeat about this season so far and very much hope we continue to build.

[FD™]

Into february we go and a much shorter month in prospect with only 3 fixtures to contend, it will be interesting to see how the team respond to a decent gap in between matches, whether the added preparation time will be a hinderance or a benefit.

All 3 matches take place in the Premier League and are as follows:-

(BPL) Chelsea (H) - Ambramovich's boys are coming to town and we will have to be ready.
(BPL) Everton (A) - A trip to the blue end of Merseyside, never easy.
(BPL) Liverpool (H) - Another huge fixture at The King Power as the other half of Merseyside look to overcome our team.



Barclays Premier League
vs. Chelsea (Drew 1-1)
Leicester City earned a much deserved point against Chelsea at the King Power, but it could have been a lot better for the Foxes. Kyle Naughton gave the home side the lead after just 4 minutes with a terrific little shot on the edge of the area and up until the 90th minute it looked the winner.

However the cruel side of football showed its presence once more as in injury Fernando Torres broke free on a sleeping Foxes defence to slot under Kasper Schmeichel and save the Blues blushes.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Everton (Won 2-0)
Everton suffered a shock defeat at Goodison Park when a spirited Leicester City side came to town. Two goals in the final 15 minutes shocked the home faithful and capped off a brilliant away display from the Foxes.

Jose Callejon opened the scoring with 76 minutes on the clock before fellow new boy Ibrahim Afellay found his first Leicester goal to clinch a tremendous 3 points.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Liverpool (Won 2-1)
Leicester continued to build on a fairytale month as they earned back to back wins over the clubs from Merseyside. Dani Benitez put the home side in front in the 39th minute but Liverpool swiftly equalised just 3 minutes later through Luis Suarez.

The second half proved a tight affair and looked to be ending all square until up stepped Andy King in the 88th minute with a superb individual effort that earned all 3 points and delighted the home support.



Foxes new boys continue to show they were worth there value



February proved to be short but very sweet indeed, the fixtures looked like a huge run in and to come out of it with 7 points is a real testament to how far this side has come in such a short period of time.

We were very unlucky not to beat Chelsea but looking back the point may still be of huge importance. The results over Everton & Liverpool saw what we are capable of against the big sides and I hope to push this club to the very best of their abilities every single game.

Edited by FD™, 10 March 2012 - 07:59 PM.

[FD™]

Another short month of fixtures but this is just the calm before the storm as April will see our resolve tested to the extreme. For now though we must focus on the games that lay ahead.

Here are this months fixtures:-

(BPL) Bolton Wanderers (A) - Always a tricky game when visiting The Reebok and we will have to be at our most solid to come away with something.
(BPL) Wigan Athletic (H) - The Latics visit the King Power battling for their Premier League lives and we have to make them work for it.
(BPL) Newcastle United (A) - With our poor history at St. James Park the prospect of facing Newcastle is never met with optimism.



Barclays Premier League
vs. Bolton Wanderers (Won 3-2)
Foxes fans were treated to a whole host of emotions at the Reebok Stadium as their side nicked a late winner to claim all 3 points. Leicester made the perfect start through Ibrahim Afellay who slotted home an Andy King cross with just 7 minutes on the clock.

Bolton went on to draw the game level just 16 minutes later through Martin Petrov and that is how it would remain until the break. Sol Bamba marked his return from international duty with a goal which he thought had won the game for his side but once again Bolton pegged the Foxes back in the 68th minute.

Time was dwindling away and the game looked likely to end level but in the 92nd minute an incisive Leicester break away by Kyle Walker ended up finding Jermaine Beckford who stole in front of his marker to claim a last gasp winner for his side.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Wigan Athletic (Won 1-0)
On a cold evening at the King Power Stadium Leicester City managed to overcome a tricky Wigan Athletic side in what proved to be a comfortable night for the Foxes.

The only goal of the game proved decisive and it came on 23 minutes through Ibrahim Afellay, the score could have been more convincing but in the end the Foxes resolve was never really tested.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Newcastle United (Lost 2-1)
Leicester City saw their run of recent form come to halt as they were beaten by a plucky Newcastle United at St. James Park. Kasper Schmeichel lost control of a routine cross with just 60 seconds on the clock and ended bundling the ball into his net for the worst possible start.

14 minutes later Jonas Gutierrez scored the Magpies second goal and this proved to be the decisive moment. The Foxes tried a second half revival but left it too late, Michael Owen managed to find the net against his former club on 87 minutes but Leicester failed to push for a dramatic equaliser.



Afellay's goals helped the Foxes to victories this month



This month may very well be a reality check for us, we produced a fine display at Bolton and were never really troubled by Wigan but the defeat at Newcastle may have come at the worst possible time.

It was our first defeat in 8 matches and the team will now enter a hugely busy April on the back of a defeat, something I wanted to avoid happening. However whats done is done and we must remain focused, relegation seems unlikely but we do not want let our fine season slip.

[FD™]

The voyage into the final 2 months of the season has begun and the team were about to be tested with 5 huge Premier League fixtures, after ending the last month with a defeat I was hoping the team didn't let it effect their performances for the rest of the campaign.

This months fixtures are as follows:-

(BPL) Sunderland (H) - Sunderland visit the King Power in real poor form.
(BPL) Manchester City (A) - A huge clash against the cash cow of the Premier League.
(BPL) Blackpool (A) - A trip to the seasiders is never an easy one.
(BPL) Manchester United (H) - The Champions elect are coming to town and it will prove a big test.
(BPL) Portsmouth (H) - One of the big relegation favourites will be looking for a win.



Barclays Premier League
vs. Sunderland (Drew 0-0)
Foxes fans watched a frustrating performance from their team as they failed to put a number of chances away. Sunderland came into the game 18th in the league and needing as many points as they could gather and it was easy to tell they had to defend for their lives.

Leicester spurned a number of glorious chances and will feel annoyed to only leave with a point.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Manchester City (Drew 1-1)
Leicester showed a strong defensive resolve to take a point from aspiring Champions Manchester City. Sergio Aguero had given the home side the perfect start after just 7 minutes with a cool finish, however they were unable to add to that tally setting the stage for a Leicester leveller.

The Foxes goal came just before half time through veteran striker Michael Owen, who was proving to be a real saviour of late when his team go behind.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Blackpool (Drew 2-2)
Leicester manager Luke Ryan was reported to have kept his team behind after the game ended at Bloomfield Road where he saw his team throw away a 2 goal cushion with 20 minutes remaining.

The Foxes had build the perfect start with a goal through Dani Benitez 16 minutes in, they pushed for more goals but it would not be until the second half they doubled their advantage. Jose Callejon this time with superb individual effort seemed to have sewn up the points.

However Leicester fell apart in the final 20 minutes as goals from Gary Taylor-Fletcher and an 85th minute leveller from Scott Dann rescued a point for the home side.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Manchester United (Lost 2-1)
Leicester extended their run without a win to 5 games after losing to Manchester United at the King Power Stadium. Leicester had made the more positive start and bossed the first half, taking the lead just on half time through Jermaine Beckford.

In the second period however Sir Alex Ferguson rallied his troops like only he can and they battled back to take all 3 points. Antonio Valencia levelled proceedings just after the restart before a Matt Mills own goal 20 minutes from time proved to be the decisive moment.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Portsmouth (Drew 0-0)
Foxes fans could only sit and ponder what had happened to their side as they failed again to find a victory, this time over relegation fighting Portsmouth. Manager Luke Ryan knew that if you don't take your chances then it will ultimately cost you points, and whilst Pompey never really threatened the Foxes goal they still felt they should of won the game.



Owen earns the Foxes a hard fought point at the Etihad Stadium



Well I don't have to say it really, do I? This month was purely disastrous and ultimately the team reacted to lost the final game the month before just they way I didn't want them too.

The performances were so hit and miss, even when we had the lead we just didn't want to risk building on it for some reason. Granted we had some hard games and to certain extents we did what we could, the draw at City being the only real highlight.

I will not get carried away though, this is only our first season in the Premiership and we have already gone above & beyond expectations, but some things need to change including this 6 game winless streak we are now on!

Edited by FD™, 13 March 2012 - 02:03 PM.

[FD™]

Well this is it, the final month of the campaign and we are at the stage where we look back on our accomplishments this season. We have done more than enough to stay in the division and that is what I could of only dreamed of come the start of the campaign, however recent peformances haven't been good enough.

We owe it to the fans to go out on a high and give them something to cheer before the summer, we have 4 big games again this month and 3 of the 4 are away from home, so if anything my priority will be to win that final home game, for the fans!

Here are the final 4 games of the season:-

(BPL) Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) - A mid-table Midlands clash at Molineux.
(BPL) Stoke City (H) - Our final home game against the tricky Potters.
(BPL) Fulham (A) - Craven Cottage has not been kind to us over the years.
(BPL) Arsenal (A) - The Gunners may need to beat us to win the league.



Barclays Premier League
vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (Lost 2-0)
Leicester carried on a run of poor form with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Midland rivals Wolves. A first half double from Giovani dos Santos proved more than enough to beat a poor Leicester side on that day.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Stoke City (Lost 4-3)
Luke Ryan had made it clear just how important it was to win the final home game of the season, he told the players to make the fans go home happy and maybe up until injury time that was about to be the case, but in one of the craziest games of football ever seen twists were bound to unfold.

Leicester made the perfect start taking the game to the Potters and were rewarded with a goal just before half time through Jermaine Beckford. The second half though could not have been worse with Michael Essien given a straight red card for a nasty challenge on Marc Wilson.

Ironically enough it would be Wilson who levelled the game for his side just 15 minutes later with a well worked goal. 2 minutes after the equaliser Stoke took a shock lead through Peter Crouch to frustration of manager Luke Ryan. However his side managed to rally back and level the game to 2-2 after a cracking goal from Andy King on 81 minutes.

The twists kept coming though as Sunderland this time had a player sent off, Robert Huth the guilty party for bringing down Afellay who was clean through on goal. From the resulting free kick the Foxes fans were sent into raptures as Jermaine Beckford doubled his tally & gave Leicester a 3-2 with just 4 minutes.

The game reached injury time and 5 minutes added time was display around the ground, the turn around that followed was incredible. Peter Crouch broke Foxes fans hearts with a 91st minute equaliser as poor defendning allowed him to freely stroke the ball past Kasper Schmeichel.

With the game at 3-3 we went into the final minute of added time, Leicester had thrown on Owen and were pushing for a winner but ultimately it would cost them. Stoke broke forward and played a ball over the top to Ignacio Scocco who tried to beat Schmeichel with an early shot, the keeper managed to parry the ball away but only for Crouch to hammer the ball past him for his hat-trick & the winning goal in a quite amazing game of football!

Barclays Premier League
vs. Fulham (Won 2-1)
Leicester managed to earn their first victory in 8 games and finally give their fans something to cheer about with a well earned win at Craven Cottage. Goals in the final 20 minutes from Jermaine Beckford & Ibrahim Afellay did the damage on the night and earned the Foxes a win they had been craving for a while.

Simon Davies pulled a goal back for the home side in added time but not enough time remained to push for a leveller.

Barclays Premier League
vs. Arsenal (Lost 5-1)
The Foxes travelled to the Emirates with the knowledge that a point or more could see them tip Tottenham to 6th place, however Arsenal knew they needed to win and hope Man United dropped points in order to win the League, with that in mind the Gunners showed no remorse with a romping home victory.

4 goals from Marouane Chamakh and an injury time goal from Andrey Arshavin was more than enough to seal a comfortable victory for the home side. Matt Mills pulled a goal back with the score at 3-0 but the game never really opened enough for the Foxes to make a difference.



Beckfords goals have been the only bright spark of late for Leicester



Well the season is over and overall I think the team can be very proud of their overall performance & final position in the league. We have proven to many that we are more than capable of mixing it with the big sides in this division and that our squad can be up their with best.

We hit a bad patch of form and luck these last few months and hopefully now the summer break will help the players refresh, clear their heads and be more than ready to do it again next season.

This month was quite an emotional one, the Stoke game of course being the most telling story. I was glad we managed to break the winless streak at Fulham but we need to work on our defensive discipline & also knock the belief out of our heads that if we go behind then we have nothing to play for.

The campaign has been eventful and definetly memorable, so heres to next season!

Edited by FD™, 13 March 2012 - 02:38 PM.

[FD™]

[FD™]

[Neil]

Love the layout, can;t do anything like that as my post always seems to fuck up in one way or another.

[FD™]

[FD™]

Edited by FD™, 09 April 2012 - 11:40 PM.