2010/11 End of Season Review; Leicester City Edition

Our latest look back at the season that was focuses on the pride of the East Midlands...no not, Derby but Leicester City. Long time CollinsBeans associate (and long suffering Leicester fan) James Cowley takes you on the journey of the last campaign at the Walkers though his eyes and the return of Sven to English Football.

1. If your clubs season could be summed up perfectly by likening it to a celebrity who would that be?

Jordan – The running of the club in both footballing and fiscal terms has been as turbulent and tumultuous as her private life. New owners, new manager, new chief exec, new finance director, new chairman.

At least she manages to stick with one of her appointments for longer than 18months.

2. Like everyone who’s anyone (and Darron Gibson) Collins Beans is on Twitter. Give an appraisal of your season in 140 characters or less

Pearson out :’-( Sousa In :-I Sousa out :-D Eriksson in :-S

3. How’s your [delete as appropriate]; Manager/Head Coach/Caretaker/Director of Football/Sporting Director/Head of Player Recruitment/Technical Adviser/Strategic Soccer Coaching Co-ordinator/Executive Director (Football) performed this season? Happy for them to continue?

Sousa had big boots to fill, so he decided to not bother. When things started to go wrong at the start of the season I read a Swansea fan website and they did not sing his praises. One day a week training and unfit players whom he motivated via means of bragging about his Champions League successes and the prospect of being picked up by bigger clubs and earning more money. Prick.

Eriksson immediately addressed the problem of us conceding from every single cross / corner / wide set piece by recruiting some full backs and we improved immediately. Had a good run against mediocre teams in February, but then he tried to commit hari kiri at the back end of the season by putting the back 5 through on a spin cycle every week. No consistency in team selection cost us big time.

Happy for him to stay on and have the benefit of a pre-season. He’s only got one year on his contract left so I’m unsure as to whether he’ll be starting as our commander in chief in 14months time or not.

4. Who are your teams star men this time out?

Kyle Naughton and Andy King. Naughton has been in inspired form, probably showing Harry the potential that led Commoli to sign him up in the first place. Doubt we’ll be able to prise him away for another season so looks like we’ll have a fourth right back in 4 seasons.

King, top scorer from centre mid. Linked with a few premiership clubs. Scored some absolute pearlers, and others where I have no idea who let him get that far up the pitch. Did disappear sometimes and Eriksson reigned him in. Thought he was in the team just to score goals rather than orchestrate.

Curtis Davis was good before he signed for Birmingham and became immediately shit, not just because he didn’t sign for us though. Looked a completely different player. I’d have him off Birmingham if they’re regretting their purchase.

5. And who would you pay to have an all expenses one way loan trip to MK Dons?

Bruma and Ricardo. Both absolute clowns. Bruma scored a couple of screamers in one game, but he is not a centre back. Every time he played he was getting himself into trouble conceding penalties, dangerous free-kicks, own-goals or just plain old getting sent off. He keeps getting linked with Hamburg and us. If it means me getting on a push bike and a pedalo I will pump my flabby legs up and down all the way to the northern Germany. I think Arnesen has realised he got away with doing a job at Chelsea and now rather than work twice, he’s just going to sign the same players that he did there….Bruma, Mancienne, Van Aanholt.

Ricardo is a joke. We dropped a perfectly good keeper and put him in for his “experience.” I’d peddle him to the Pritt Stik factory.

Paul Gallagher is also utterly useless. He takes and average set piece and can’t take a penalty without doing a stupid run up. The rest of the time he is like flotsam as the game passes him by. He’ll pull out one screamer a season and miss umpteen sitters.

6. Indulging in some Fantasy Football, who are the name(s) that would take your team to that magical ‘next level’ next season?

Word on the street is Nugent is coming in. Not sure whether he’d be prolific enough to get us out of the league on his own. Yakubu wants too much money and only scores in bursts of two, or sometimes three.

We need full backs and centrebacks. Maybe a new winger. Two new strikers. Sven has a lot of work to do over the summer being as his squad was pretty much loaned last year. I’d say get Naughton back in. Van Aanholt too if we can. The other loanees didn’t really do it for me. I wouldn’t mind a bit of Bellamy if we could get him at a reasonable amount. Can’t see him back at Cardiff anytime soon.

7. Which opposition players caught your eye when you played them this season...and who had a bit of an Ali Dia?

David McGoldrick and Lewis McGuigan at Forest both looked not bad and I’ve heard on good authority that McGoldrick is the best player in the league.

I’d personally say that Taraabt was. The “new Zidane” started to show some potential, even if it was against Preston and Doncaster. Think he’ll be the Charlie Adam of next season.
As for being a bit crap, I’m going for Max Gradel. He was prob Leeds best Player last season, and he did score one and make one against us last year, but he is shit. He gets bullied off the ball and has a terrible temperament.

I feel obligated to add some Premiership p[layers to this mix too though, although we haven’t played them (luckily). Suarez looks to be an awesome signing. Good feet, quick and good vision. Watched him a few times and he’s been man of the match. Awesome against Man United too. David Silva and Yaya Toure started to look well worth the money too. Best newcomer has to be Wilshere though. Cemented his place in the team, plays with passion, the only player in an England shirt that I don’t want to perforate his own spleen. Also was the only English player not to look out of his depth against Xavi and Iniesta. Get Daniel Sturridge in the team to join him.

Worst player……Bothroyd in an England Shirt? Gael Clichy in any shirt (defending is an option for him, not a role).In fact add any of the Arsenal defence in to that. I think the worst player though is Gomes. How many chances has he had at Spurs? I think he’s probably going to be made to walk the plank by Captain Arry now.

8. Finally, in 12 months time your club will be...In Malaga trying to sexually harass the locals and setting fire extinguishers off.

Or perhaps We’ll be in exactly the same place we are now. The Leicester Mercury keeps professing to how we are widely rated as favourites by the bookies. Eriksson needs just too many players in his first team. I wouldn’t be surprised if only 3 made the starting XI next year, and then they’ll probably be sold by Christmas.

Come back Nigel. We all still love you.