It recent weeks I’ve been thinking that Neil Danns, not only is a fine addition to our club, but a multi-talent also.

I did a bit of delving into some of the players’ backgrounds and discovered that several of our players have got some hidden talent too.

I’ve pulled together a few examples. I’m sure you might be able to point out some further additions to this collection and I’ll update it in an update article.

Sol Bamba:

A little unknown fact is Sol is actually 45 years of age, but back in the 90’s he was a boy band crooner in the long forgotten New Edition. (top right)

New Edition:

Sean St. Ledger:

When not playing hero at CB for Leicester City and internationally for Ireland, Sean likes to hang out with his boy, Justin, and get his motherloving on. We all know what he does for Valentine’s Day.

Stevie Howard and Paul Gallagher:

Big Steve is well known in the North East in the amateur wrestling circuit, and goes by the name of ‘Howard the Truck’. Inspirationally, Paul likes to part-time manage his career from the sidelines, and was involved in a folding chair incident with the manager of ‘The Beast of Durham’ in an epic no-holds barred event back in the marathon Darlington Rumble 2010.

Bruno Berner:

Not many people know that Bruno is actually not Swiss, but does a great Swiss accent. Prior to his club and international career, Bruno was part of great success that was New Kids On The Block (NKTOB). He didn’t do a lot of singing mind, but was great dancer.

(to the left)

He is apparently a little embarrassed by it all, so if you ask him about it, he’ll pretend he knows nothing about it. Cracking voice, just the solo career didn’t work out for him. Good thing he had football as a fallback! Shame when he scored for us he didn’t do the ‘running man’. That was his signature dance move.

Sven-Goran Eriksson:

Though he’s gone I thought I’d share this with you. A couple of weeks back I saw this article in the Mirror from Dietmar Hamann, discussing his trip to Thailand with Leicester City, and moment he shared with Sven.

If James Bond had been Swedish, he would have been modelled on Sven

Before you think Sven was up for James Bond he wasn’t. But we all know he would have been better than Roger Moore.

Here’s an extract of the article if you didn’t see it:

As the 2007-08 season came a close with Manchester City, we all knew these were almost certainly Sven’s last days as manager, yet during our time on a post-season tour of Thailand, he never changed his demeanour at all.

One morning when I was on a sun lounger by the pool, he walked towards me with a bottle of champagne and two glasses on it.

It was still only 10 in the morning. I looked up and said, ‘Boss, what are we celebrating?’ expecting him to make the triumphant announcement he was staying.

He turned to me and smiled that gentle smile of his and took the air of a Buddhist philosopher, as he said, ‘Life, Kaiser. We are celebrating life’.

With a glass of champagne in hand he stood and looked out towards the horizon, then spoke in that higgledy-piggledy Swedish accent:

‘You know Kaiser, I like this place. I think I will manage for another five years and come back here and live with two women. Yes. I think I need two beautiful women.’

He was a man who loved life and it was impossible not to like him and love being in his company.

Dropped from the final book is the story that straight after this apparently Sven told Dietmar that he cried once openly in public at the end of Gladiator, but it was okay.

Side Rumour: 

The rumour that the song below, is the song Sven wanted to play through the King Power tannoy and on the big screens after a win are not grounded. But thanks for asking.

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I’ve read on a random internet blog,  that in between the gym sessions, boxercise classes and my piri-piri cravings that Neil is an avid reader of books, magazines and newspapers. Since the well appreciated performance against Nothingham Flopists last week, Neil has been busy!

I managed to rummage through his bins, and I’ve found copies of these knocking around in there.

I’m not sure what those all have in common, but maybe he’s preparing for to communicate with the Italian captain of a wooden ship destined, with it’s laden precious cargo of fermented cheese, for a rocky outpost on the River Soar.

When not reading with the local book club, Neil I believe that he likes nothing better than hanging with Ted, Deidre, Maureen, and Pat to play a bit of poker. Nothing funny happens. I been told that clothes and money are not involved. They play for buttons.

These are Neil’s favourite buttons.

They each have names. (They are not made from little baby dolphin bones.)

I saw a tweet yesterday from some 5 year old who told @dannzy1 that if he score a perfect hat trick, (head, left foot, right foot), that she ‘was going to go round a sort him out!”, but I don’t think he seen it, as  she had misspelled his twitter name to @dunny1.

It’s amazing what twitter can do to people!

An insider tells me that as a music lover Neil was caught out last week when he stuck in his ipod in the dressing room and this came on. (He forgot to change his ‘for the ladies playlist’.)

Also the rumour that Sven used to come into the dressing room singing  ‘I’m the cat’s pyjamas’, whilst this pumped out of the stereo have yet to be verified!

It’s also rumoured and Dannzy has been making extra efforts to learn Japanese but yet to concluded as true, but I’ve heard that Nuge has been seen on the training ground wearing a napkin on his head in a bid to frighten him.

A little birdie tells me that next week Dannzy, Nuge, and Pelts will be on the spending a sweaty night at the Emporium in Coalville with Tron Guy. I’m not sure there’ll be a piri-piri breast in sight!

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A quote I read this morning got me thinking about the January transfer window, and our current predicament. Apologies it is from the Mail on Sunday.

‘You find players who have not been playing at their clubs, so decide they will leave in January,’ he said. ‘They are already less committed to the cause. We have gone from a period when even if you didn’t play, you had to be committed to your club and had no other option than to fight. Now you have a quick and easy way out. I would either leave the window open, or close it completely. This is just in between when everyone gets nervous around November.

‘Sometimes, if a player hasn’t played, by the time they are fit, you have your own injured players back. Or you find a young player somewhere who can take three or four months to adjust to the Premier League. If we can get Thomas Vermaelen back next week, we have enough players available.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2086808/Arsene-Wenger-Signing-frustrated-cast-offs-solve-injury-crisis.html#ixzz1jW6oT7Nj

We all hoped that with the transfer window Pearson could add to the squad in the areas that were lacking and reinforce a team low on morale, and we could start moving from stagnation and declination. We might start building up a head of steam and move forward positively and with pace on and off the pitch.

What some people have forgotten is that what Pearson already knew. If the team is not performing, and after the Christmas period we don’t look to be a playoff prospect, then we were going to struggle to be pull for the players we desperately need.

Delusions of Grandeur

I’m afraid that people got up in arms over this quote yesterday. Who was it aimed at? Was it the owners? Have they built an expectation for the fans, with over ambitious plans, hasty ascension, built on injections of millions? Would prudence be a better bedfellow rather than self-indulgence? Have some of the fans aligned themselves with this demand for instant success? Have the players grown or brought with them a over-inflated picture of their ability or worth?

I agree with Pearson to a certain extent, but I think he was angry over the match performance, the fans were angry, some of the players would have been angry, and sometimes a press conference is not the place to air grievances. Whilst it does show his passion, I’m not sure it will help the situation, but inflame it. Everyone will assume it was referring to them, and take umbrage against it.

Through the Square Window?

I’ve felt that our chances of bringing players to the club will always be difficult under the weight of finance backing our manager. Other clubs were rubbing their hands in CCC when we got taken over. None of them were going to miss an opportunity to try get inflated valuations of their in demand player(s). It was inevitable, and I don’t hold it against any of them, as if we were in their shoes, we’d be doing the exact same.

As Arsene says above, the unsettling factor of the window shows itself in November and then more so into December as it looms beyond a heavy, and tiring fixture list ahead. It’s worse for a team low on morale, motivation, and for us, a new manager with different ideas of how to play, and the players who can bring that vision to life.

We seem to be have a team man-flu that won’t be freed until summer with a window where we’ll actually be able to freely operate without the pressure of points and expectation hanging over every discussion, fee, and contract to be signed.

The malaise won’t be shook easily, and I truly think we’ll be seeing an entirely different team in 6-7 months time, as even the core of the team seems to understand that this season will be another potential write-off.

You’ll never hear that from Pearson or the board for obvious reasons, but as I’ve listened to Pearson’s conference over and over when editing ‘Nigel Um Pearson’, and of course he did try to level expectation regarding promotion this season.

I think that his assessment of ‘collecting players’ was obviously a dig at Sven, an action he was keen not to repeat. That we are actually very light on players regardless of what might be on paper.

So is he saying that there are more players ready to go than we could imagine? That’s what leads me to think that the overhaul will be deeper and expensive than maybe the owners will want or might expect to afford.

So can a team be overhauled in a January transfer window? No, simply.

Those who are worried that Pearson hasn’t moved publicly for players or we haven’t seen any action yet, may well be disappointed by the close of that drafty window. Then again, he always liked to keep his cards to his chest and approach his transfers with professional decorum. We’ll bring players in, but we won’t spend enough to bring together a playoff/promotion contending side.

Positively Glum.

I did say that I was going to be positive in this New Year. It’s already been made nearly impossible, from my own personal circumstances and of course watching LCFC moving like a ‘Dad at a wedding’ in a dance competition, staggering very close to toppling over to and wiping completely out the appointed ‘children’s table’.

But I know changes have to be made for our benefit. We’ll have to accept that we’ll be taking a fair few more stumbles backwards off the floor, perhaps avoiding a lady’s handbag or two, before we can get the momentum to stagger drunkenly forward again. We won’t get sweating until we can find our feet again, lose the transfer tie, it’s constricting us. We’ll know we’re back on it, when we’ve untucked our shirt and are knocking out 360 back spins, and pulling blinding robot moves out of our locker.

So do I, or any one who’s reading this give up and accept defeat? No, but there are ways any means of helping the situation rather than enflaming it.

There was a fair bit of over-reaction yesterday from the fans and from Nigel. He could have just stated he was going to sort it, and plans were underway. Giving an angry ambiguous quote that will be read in every way was not the way to go about it.

Change is Coming

I won’t speculate about transfers on my blog this January, I’ve learned that this is the best way to have egg on your face, or for you to come across as a ‘I told you so’. I don’t have any more insider information than any of you reading this. So I’ll avoid it, that and putting my hope eggs in any one basket is detrimental to my attempt to be more positive. Disappointment is a like trying to swallow a handful of chestnuts.

I’ve Sunk Your Battleship

It’s clear from the bench to the squad on the pitch yesterday that we need to bring in players with attacking mindset but the ability to provide defensive cover from the forwards to the midfield. Our balance is truly woeful. Our shots on target have shown not only are we not converting these opportunities but asking players who have limited attacking capabilities in the midfield. It’s is forcing some our defenders to have to have their eyes on being providers instead of being prepared or ready to protect against counter-attacks.

Pearson didn’t bring players on just to try and see if they would bring something different to the table bar Beckford. Should Abe been given the chance to try? I think he should, but maybe there is a reason for him not playing. And the possibility saddens me if rumours are true.

Well whatever comes of this January transfer window, I will remain positive, though it’s my fear that it will be a painful journey and there are going to be more disappointments to overcome yet.

But what I will say is that whether I came across as negative about Pearson’s return, I am still willing to give him the opportunity to fix the team, but I won’t judge him against this window. If operating in it was difficult before, it’ll be even harder this time. I’m not giving up that it might happen, but in real terms it will not be possible at this stage, but if we can start to bring in a few faces, and lose those who don’t want to be a part of our future then we can try to start to build a team that with a true summer of additions we will have the momentum needed to reach our lofty aspirations.

Keep the Faith fellow Foxes!

Keep the Faith!

Check out yesterday’s Only One Schlupp article (approved…I think via RT by the man himself!)

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I have had word from a good insider that our young striker has been pretty busy since unfortunately injuring himself last week. We all hope that you get better soon mate!

He’s been convinced by members of the squad to get himself a mobility scooter to get around.

He decided against splashing out on old school style wheels.

And even saving money eating at Nando’s Jeff couldn’t quite reach the deluxe package with chauffeur inclusive.

You might think that injury limits you to what you can do, but Jeff’s competitive streak always gets the better of him.

Rumours that he burned pensioner Keith Lee (78) on the M5 yesterday, ‘cos that’s the way he rolls’, were confirmed when a photo was seen on his twitter page.

Also some keen ladies were seen over at Blaby Bowls Club trembling and having palpitations as he pulled 360s and skids into the disabled parking space. One of the old girls had to go back inside and take some oxygen, when he almost pulled a wheelie.

In a further bid to impress Jeff called out two grannyracers, but failed to capitalize on the first corner, as he forgot to fully charge the battery pack in the morning after a monster FIFA12 sesh the night before.

He’s thinking about getting his own pad soon, but thought wouldn’t it be better to have a house on wheels. The Camping and Caravanning Club are looking forward to receiving his registration next week.

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Maybe it’s this time of year that does it to me; maybe it’s the shitty recession and the thought of another on the horizon gets me so frustrated.

The pressure of expectation. I’m sure you know how it is. People to meet, people to see. Expectations to meet in both senses. Can turn a man into something he’s not. Can break a man.

I guess I’ve had a little look over some my writings and feel myself sliding. Taking the easy route. Having a bitch. I’ve been trying to keep it topical instead but instead sometimes retreading over old ground. I seem to be heading into a cloud of dullness. A black hole sucking the free will of its victim, and stealing their most treasured attributes. Free will one of them.

It can’t that be that in 2012 we’ll all perish in some nonsense nuclear catastrophe instigated by a fearful and paranoid member of the worldwide fraternity of sociopaths who run the arms of this tiny planet we live on in the fantastical universe that we sit in the very corner of.

You’ll either like it or hate it. One way or the other I’m putting that extra bit of effort in.

This coming year I’m going to tear it up. Take some time to focus. There’s always room for improvement and try not to slip off the rails. Our players I hope have the same plans in mind for the rest of the season. I really do.

So I’ve decided to draw out some positivity from our current situation., and along the way try and polarise you into submission to either the doomongery or have rainbows shooting from your rectum by the dire end of this bloggins!

So here’s a simple vote. Do you align yourself with Video A or Video B?

Video A:

Video B:

For my criticism, I think Pearson does have the aptitude to dismantle a squad and put it back together.

Pearson can put a team back to together as he did at Hull we’ll be fine.

I was going to get myself worked up in a long and ranting, raving post about the ins and outs of things but I won’t. I’ll be enjoying the madness of the transfer window.

So all this positivity, I hope is contagious because I don’t want to be the only one who wants to wear the straightjacket on my own.

The transfer window looms again, and I’ll be tied to the reports on my phone and on my PC to see what the next bit of news will be.

I’m going to avoid the negativity and aim for a less morose attitude. You can pick me up on it too!

There’s room on board!

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http://www.soartv.co.uk/2011/11/16/leicester-city-press-conference/

However have you seen the shortened version? I haven’t had the time to get around to finishing this off, so I hope you appreciate the outcome.

Let me lead you to this indulgence.

The edits are consecutive in time order and none are repeated!

Which ‘um or ah’ is your favorite?

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So I’ve kept my distance from the keyboard for awhile, because jumping to conclusions so early as I’ve said before can make me look foolish (more than normal) and it’s unfair to make statements without giving the team and manager a fair crack at the whip.

I was going to give Sven and extension to Christmas to see improvements, and maybe I should extend that to Pearson and Co.

Is it time to make judgements now there are a few games under their belts under new direction? Not really, but I thought an absence of electronic based thoughts would probably make people think I’ve gone into hibernation or maybe that I was locked up in a cold cellar with only a few tweets to keep me warm.

So writing anything isn’t going to be straightforward without drawing aspersions. Upsetting someone isn’t my goal, but those who were overly optimistic, maybe will now revert to blaming Sven, rather than picking on Pearson’s errors.

Gots no width

There’s not one person who doesn’t realise that we lack width in the team, from the fans, to the owners, to the manager, to the tea lady – we all know this is an issue.

So what do we read in a red top today? Well the owners will back Pearson in the market up to £10 million, and money is no object.

Is this another media entity trying to ruin our club with wild inaccurate guess work and fantasy speculation and retreads of previous articles with a simple name change of manager in the text? Probably, it all sounds very familiar.

If we think we got ripped off over the summer, take a deep breath before we step into January, as we’ll be added zeros to cheques signed in that month for sure, not for the want of trying to keep costs down.

Can we look to buy Derby’s only chance of survival from them without it costing us a fortune? Jamie Ward has been superb for the them, and the brightest spark in their less than impressive dour team.

There’ll be plenty of other options, but as Sven found out that wingers, or rather good wingers, are a rare commodity and difficult to wrangle away from teams who whilst might need the money won’t find a replacement, especially in an overpriced January window.

So is does Pearson go the route that Sven went, and bring in talented loans? Not exactly the best way to build a promotion contending team, but if it gets the end goal to become a reality, surely we can address the long-term at a later date? There was a lot of discontent about the number of loans Sven brought in when he joined us, though for me, Pearson isn’t one to pay over the odds, and we might see the loan market utilised, if greedy teams refuse to keep their prices realistic.

A + B x C = Winning

For me Pearson start to his campaign has been a good one. No one can argue that points wise he has done okay.

But I go back to my previous article, Empathethic Nextpectations, and reiterate that there was always going to be a positive bounce to the team. Players eager to impress, and players who know Pearson who can be utilised by the manager easily who know how he wants them to play.

But for me the time given to the old guard should be short-lived, and after yesterday’s lacklustre result, in a game that should have been 3 points in the bag we come away with a very disappointing draw.

Fernandes has shown his eagerness to get some game time and his potential value in the reserves and he got the bench today, and didn’t see the pitch but for his seat. How long can the other players sitting on the fringes, who aren’t here just to pick up a pay check going to keep their heads down and remain professional and determined for the cause? Yuki Abe must be feeling pretty unwanted at the minute.

Utility spirit

Whilst Abe can perhaps be seen as a utility man, who can cover RB, DM, and occasionally on the RM, we’ve seen little of him, but a substitute cameo appearance or two. Yes, Abe has his weaknesses, but he also has a lot of spirit and drive. The same can be said of Fernandes, you might say the perfect types of fit for Nigel to mould into a promotion chasing side. He turned players with limitations in the past into a force to be reckoned with, so why not now?

Pearson seems content to deal with those he knows, rather than take a few chances. The same obstacle he needs to overcome tactically when we are top in a game, and end up soaking up defensively until we concede.

Anyone would think we didn’t have decent players on our books. There’s a ‘that’ll do attitude’ to some of his tactics.

Pushing up the Lazies

Beckford as I’ve said before will always have been a scapegoat once goals dry up or don’t materialise.

To me yesterday he had little to feed off of. Crosses were wayward, and corners ineffectual.

What there is no excuse for, is trying to be a hero to win the fans favour and missing opportunities to deliver a ball to a teammate who has a better opportunity to score than yourself. This was a terrible error yesterday as Danns was open, yet he belted it into an oncoming defender.

Strikers have tendency to be selfish, but can afford to be selfish when in a good vein of form, as for all those missed there will be a glut of ones that will go in. But Beckford needs to try that little bit harder to perhaps remember that there are others on the pitch when he gets the ball. He’s trying to hard and fluffing it.

I think he will get goals in time, but those who are claiming he’s a waste of space don’t realise what he can offer if we have something to feed him delivery wise. That’s how he faired extremely well at Leeds. I was following his progress there and had plenty of discussions about him and his personality on the pitch and within the team.

Time to fix up

It’s time Pearson starting thinking a little less rigidly, and for the players to get a bit of rotation, with those on the sidelines given the opportunity to do and prove something, as there’s a stagnation in choosing the ‘old school’ reliable players he knows. They are slowly proving to be less than reliable.

Posh showed yesterday that they were willing to throw themselves at the cause, and gained for it. Our killer instinct was extinguished once we scored a goal.

There is another tricky game ahead against Doncaster, who despite their ranks in the table have proven at home they can defeat even Southampton, and keep a clean sheet.

Then two more home games against Ipswich and then Portsmouth.

After yesterday’s performance the result against Hull, I want to remain optimistic and I’m sure the sole reason Pearson gets up in the morning is to prove me wrong, I’m not sure if we can muster wins, which at home will put the falcon amongst the pigeons.

Maybe a bit of this before the game might in order:

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BTW I saw that someone tweeted that I might be Lloyd Dyer yesterday. I hope that wasn’t a comparable, as I do have plenty of stamina, but can’t finish. My wife can attest. Ahem!

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So it’s been awhile since I last wrote and developments with LCFC have been both painful, and drawn out. Nigel Pearson is in the frame, and we all wait for the negotiations to come to a conclusion – a conclusion that favours the interests of Leicester City.

It seems that the longer it draws out the more worried collectively fans are becoming.

There’s a growing consensus that our owners should pay the ransom and be done with. Pearson apparently has a release clause. We pay this up and it’s all done and dusted. Pearson joins up with the team during the international break, unity forms, the team is changed over night and we rise to the top of the league as though Sven never happened.

And whilst this dream is a minute possibility, I don’t think it’s that straight forward, or going to happen that quickly. Expectation has once again got it’s icy grip around our club’s fans, and it’s squeezing out the last drop of realism and logic.

For me, and as I don’t deal with contracts, so this is just an opinion. This is no different for me than the Maynard situation. The only difference is that Pearson has publically stated that he will enter talks. Nothing has been discussed publically that Pearson is ready to sign for us, and Hull’s negotiations are holding things up. That’s another reason this is eating everyone up. The not knowing.

As with Maynard, we are after an asset of theirs. Bristol no doubt thought that no amount of money that you can give us will pry our money maker away from us. His goals will be immensely valuable to keep us in the CCC.

With Pearson, I feel sorry for the Hull fans, as rightly so Hull’s owners are holding out for the best deal possible. If we are taking away their prize asset, the man steering them to potentially the playoffs and return for all the money invested in the club, and over the summer. The fans will lose hope of promotion.

Like a transfer for a player, it wouldn’t surprise me that there’s a serious number of pound coins to be exchanged if the promotion of Leicester City is to occur. How else would you reclaim your lost investment? Write off this season? Why not have a fat wedge back and this would soften the blow? Just a thought.

Where we were

I have already stated that I was disappointed by Sven’s departure and gone through the reasons why in previous posts. I won’t bore you by going over old ground.

What I didn’t see was our owners turning back to Nigel Pearson. Surprise, shock, and a pause. I paused because it made me think. About the consequences not only to our own team but that of Hull.

If I was the Hull owners I’d certainly be protecting by assets. No, not Pearson, but the investment in the team. They’ve spent a considerable amount not only buying the club and pouring their money into it this summer, and to have another playoff rival wreck your investment, and put you back an entire year within your long-term ambitions of promotion then you will hold that rival to ransom.

There’s been the thought that it was player power that had words in the ears of Top & Co, and they made the decision to go back to Pearson. With that they have a manager that most fans will put their support behind with history already be made.

I think Martin O’Neill was approached, but was rebuffed for whatever Martin’s reasons are. It did whet my appetite to imagine Martin back at the helm, but I always had a feeling for no matter what he might do at some stage we would be saying goodbye again, and this time it would be acrimoniously.

So I now wonder when we do get through the agreements, disagreements, and protracted dealings do we have the man to get us back up to the Premiership?

Well, I’ve already said that Pearson built a good team with the money he had available to him in League One, that we had such momentum that we crashed the playoffs, and with the luck we had didn’t make it.

When the change happened, and Pearson travelled to Hull, I welcomed Sousa, and did believe that we were trying to bring a style of football to the club, that would long-term be better for the club. I think we didn’t have the personnel to achieve this.

So then Sven is brought in with great acclaim and to my many people’s astonishment. Supported in every regard financially with which he tried to plug the holes in the team with talented loanees. This evidentally was not enough, as we didn’t have the strength in depth to cope beyond Christmas.

Sven embarked on a search to improve and strengthen the team in the summer. Considerable amounts of money was necessary to pry key players away from other playoff rivals. Sven also used the free market to bring the cream of the crop to us where we were short. He however failed to find a winger willing to come to us, and a worthy addition to the team that would indeed give us the cutting edge we need into the box. For me the market is to blame, but perhaps Sven might have brought in someone who wasn’t necessarily pacey, but could deliver the ball accurately. We are in dear need of this width and delivery.

So that brings us to Pearson. Is he the right man for the job?

Well we all know that he number one and foremost a defensive minded manager. Yes there were instances when we hit a vein of form we were putting goals beyond leaky and crumbling oppositional defences. We do have the firepower currently, and given a boost of confidence any sane person would know that Beckford will score goals. Can Pearson work with him to find that inner fuse and get it lit? Well that’s total conjecture, as it’ll depend if they get on, and Pearson has a lighter.

There’s team of players who are not Nigel’s guard. How will they take to Pearson? To his style, to his direction? They may well flourish and our season can continue with aplomb. But there’s always the chance that come January that we will see exits from all over the pitch, with a new batch coming in who will need to time to gel, and to fire us over the last hurdles.

He may keep everyone and just send a couple out on loan with a few coming to join us. But it’s one of the reasons people are anxious to get on with things. The favorites, will they play, and more importantly will they stay?

We can all guess, and hope our team holds together, and maybe the player who we like least heads out the door.

Strange thing is there isn’t a player I dislike. Sven has built a team. Yes I personally don’t feel confident with Weale when on the pitch, but I’d put money that he is liked around the team, and unless he asks for 1^st team elsewhere, is doing fine sitting on the bench, then I’m happy with it.

Some people believe that we are not a functioning unit yet, that Sven brought in individuals on a lot of money who can’t be accused of gelling, as they were always never going to be part of a team. I disagree. There have been enough times this season that I’ve seen with my own eyes that we are capable of tearing some teams apart with another turn of the dial and a couple of players.

Where we are

If Nigel can build on what Sven has already put down, without dismantling, and destroying it, then we may well have a chance for promotion.

I am trying to hold judgement and reserve my opinion about whether Pearson can or can’t achieve results in what’s going to be a very difficult few months for him and for us.

I’m not over the moon with Pearson joining us, but I hope his appointment can focus the team and we get better as a result.

We have his backteam joining us too, and I’m certain with them our first team and youth team will improve further, as the investment and attraction grows with each year. A progressive long-term ambition, which believe it or not, I believe was occurring under Sven.

Nigel’s making plans

So agonisingly whether Pearson joins us on Monday or sometime following this, we still have another week to wait for the next game to see what plan Nigel has for us.

It going to be difficult until I see the first few games and start to get excited again. I want to remain positive, and maybe if we all do the team can generate a bit of momentum again.

Oh and though I’ve not said, I do wish Hull all the best for the season, and if the shoe was on the other foot, I’d be annoyed as you might well be.

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I can’t say how disappointed I was yesterday on the news of Sven being sacked. I genuinely felt gutted on a scale I’ve not felt for some time.

I’ve read through the variety of posts and opinions over the duration of his tenure, and some of them have been ludicrous and extreme in disposition.

Some stated that Sven would take us to the Premiership, and some stated that he would take us back to League One.

What I don’t understand amongst some fans is that an opinion has formed that Sven has been at the helm for the last year and achieved nothing. Remarkably they always forget that during that year, that there was an entire transfer window, and virtually an entire re-staffing of the squad. Can Sven really be held accountable when in all seriousness the squad was entirely different come the start of the season?

I’ve been of the argument that Sven should have expected his squad to come together by October, and I’ve stuck by that train of thought. I saw a plan that was long-term. Yes there were issues and problems, some Sven made himself, and others that were out of his hands.

There are of course those that say Sven never brought in any wingers and failed to see our shortcomings and address this accordingly.

My view is that Sven did seek wingers, but couldn’t bring them to the club or the ones available simply weren’t good enough. Kebe, for example, was never going to leave Reading, as he was a prized asset, and they were never going to let us asset-strip their club, regardless of what money we had to throw at them. We had only just bought out their captain. And from my point of view is that Kebe is no better than what we already have in Dyer. Who has his strengths, but has limitations too.

All these falsities and speculations about what Sven ‘clearly didn’t do’, have absolutely no idea what has happened, or what Sven did or didn’t try to do. Now they speculating about what has happened in the dressing room.

There’s no doubt that the Milwall was a dreadful result, and that we could and should be playing more consistently to reach our aims. But those saying we are no where near achieving that, forget that we still have 33 games to play, and are 2 points off the playoffs.

I still believe that given the time, we would be competitive under Sven, there were signs that it was possible, though sometimes some players seemed disorganised and disinterested. Those players know who they are, and they need to have a word with themselves, or those who do care should.

So where does it leave us? What options are being mooted?

There’s the normal managerial ‘out-of-jobs’ being listed, the ridiculous names, and then some sensible options.

The bookies have Martin O’Neil and Mark Hughes in the frame.

Firstly I wonder how the players who have spent time under his helm will take to his potential appointment. How many of them got chances, support, or flourished under his watch? What does Sparky know about the CCC? I fear very little. His achievements hardly have set the world alight, but there are certainly worse managers out there.

Those who’ve stated that Billy Davies would get us playing must be insane. Just have a look at what happened at Derby and their brief and embarrassing trip to the Premiership, and then take a little look at his journey to Forrest. Consecutive playoffs you say? Three years of serious spending and nothing more than playoffs is probably a more an apt of looking at his tenure.

Then there is Martin ‘Speaketh No Ill’ O’Neill. Do we really want to take the opportunity of spoiling any positive memories in recent years by taking Martin back, and for it to potentially turn sour?

I would be delighted if he came back and lifted us back in to the Premiership, but looking at Villa, and the work that was undertaken there, he had 3 years of spending big, building a team of youth and potential, for them to turn their back on him in his fourth and final year.

This leaves me in a quandary. A mire of confusion. I didn’t expect the likes of Sven to come to our beloved club, so could we end up with another leftfield leader coming forth?

All I know is that I want the players to buck up their ideas, and support the manager 100% and then the fans will get behind them for the rest of the season and we might still make the cut come the final chapter of season.

We’re not that far off, and given the right appointment, we should look forward, and not back.

Sven you are a gentleman, and I thank you for taking part in Leicester City’s history, and giving me and other fans hope.

Good luck in whatever you go on to Sven!

In football sometimes there are no surprises…

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I am disappointed by the serious lack of coverage of the terrible floods in Thailand in the mainstream media in the last week. The first of I saw of it on terrestrial television was Thursday. Though I knew about it far before that from online mediums, who expressed the sheer scale of the disaster and the numbers affected.

It’s been over a week where the Thai peninsula has been hit by torrential monsoon weather in the North and this has affected those at the lowest altitude with monstrously heavy rivers, overrun canals and water systems.

The people displaced already is astronomical.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15297742

http://bcove.me/cou7jb6l

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15303965

Now I know that some people might read this and say well, the only reason your posting this is because our owners are Thai, and if they weren’t then you wouldn’t be bothered. There are floods all the time. Well I care just as much about the other floods as I do about this one.

I just think it would be a nice gesture from the fans, to contribute to a cause that will help those who currently are homeless and lives are destroyed. I would think with the wealth of our owners a public gesture wouldn’t go amiss. Sure it’s a cheap way of publishing the club and endearing to people of Thailand to ourselves, but the less cynical might see it as gesture of human kindness.

The floods are actually getting worse, and more heavy rain is expected soon.

I’ve linked several news stories that sum things up and give an idea of what it’s like on the ground.

The capital Bangkok is under tremendous stress as the floods creep further and further into the city. A population of 8m under threat and the industrial and commercial nerve centre for the whole country. Thankfully it might be spared the worst.

http://www.channel4.com/news/bangkok-to-be-spared-from-worst-of-thai-floods

I’m not very good setting up charitable causes, and I’m sure there are reputable organisation to send money to, probably the Red Cross, but I wanted to make people more aware of what’s happening over there. And conscious of what they might be going through.

As Leicester fan I’d also want to know that we do care what’s going on outside our own doors. Also please share it across the footballing community to see if they have a heart.

If people have links or want to help with finding them, by all means share it on here in the comments section.

http://www.channel4.com/news/200-dead-in-thailand-floods

http://www.channel4.com/news/thailand-21-die-as-floods-cause-chaos-and-strand-tourists

(some links are older than others)

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