I can clearly distinguish a lot of differences between this Leicester City team and the one I was a part of when the team was last relegated from the Premier League about 20 years ago.
We were aware that the upcoming season would be long and challenging because we had recently been promoted. All of this has come as a bit of a shock to this Leicester team. Many people, including the athletes, were unprepared.
A large number of players were added by Micky Adams prior to the 2003–2004 season. It was a full squad. The most of us, including Paul Dickov and Les Ferdinand, were towards the end of our careers despite having a lot of Premier League experience. We had a lot of good, reliable players, but few match-winners.
We had an outstanding player, as he frequently does, in Muzzy Izzet. In a team that was being demoted, he finished the season with 14 assists, the highest in the Premier League that year. That requires some effort, especially considering that we used to be the side that engaged in intense combat. In front of goal, Les and Paul performed admirably.
Although not at the same level as some of the contemporary boys, such as James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, the ability was there.
So, there was a persistent feeling from the beginning that perhaps this wasn't going to be our season, but it had no impact on the team's spirits. We rarely won games, but we were almost always in them. We simply got into the habit of giving up goals late.
We resembled the Nigel Pearson-led Leicester team that rose to the top and remained there more than anything else. A similar narrative unfolded for the first three-quarters of that season. We were unable to reduce the margins. They did, and the Great Escape was the result. It was a step too far for us. I joined Ipswich on loan so I missed the finish. But ultimately, demotion appeared to be unavoidable.
The "La Manga affair," in which Dickov, Frank Sinclair, and Keith Gillespie were wrongly accused of sexual assault while we were on a training camp at the Spanish resort, will also always be associated with that season.
At the time, that was enormous. Even though we weren't super stars, we played in the Premier League. Every news channel and main page featured it. Eight of us spent two and a half days in a cell before the other three boys who were charged spent an additional week there, bringing home to us the severity of the situation. I shared a cell with Gillespie, Dickov, and Lilian Nalis. James Scowcroft, Sinclair, Danny Coyne, and Nikos Dabizas were in another. Also interrogated but later released was Stefan Freund.
was dungeon-like. gloomy, chilly, and dank. ceiling to floor bars. Bread and water were provided to us. Because it was so cold, we slept in our clothes.
I recall that at 6.30 am, we were driven in a meat wagon to a holding area at the court. All day, there were eight of us in a cell intended to hold four. While the other three were charged and given an extra week in jail, we were all freed one at a time. Later, all charges against the other three were withdrawn.
Micky Adams deserves some of the credit. In the face of difficulty, he tried to use it to unite us. While the three guys were still incarcerated, we did defeat Birmingham.
was frigid, damp, and dungeon-like. Floor to ceiling bars. We were given water and bread. We slept wearing our clothes since it was so chilly.
I remember being taken in a meat wagon to a holding place at the court at 6:30 in the morning. We spent the entire day in a cell that was meant to house four people. We were all released one by one while the other three were charged and given an additional week in jail. Later, all allegations made against the other three were dropped.
A portion of the praise should go to Micky Adams. He attempted to utilize it to bring us together in the face of difficulties. We did defeat Birmingham when the three guys were behind bars.
It's challenging to pinpoint exactly what went wrong with the current Leicester team. It combines a number of factors. Recruitment—or the lack thereof. Some of Brendan Rodgers' messages weren't helpful.
For a long time, Leicester played in a way that wasn't effective. Against teams that wanted them to play a certain way, they would perform as they pleased. At set pieces, in open play, and at the back, they have been too exposed. They continued to make the same errors, fall into the same traps, and incur the same costs. You start to slide, which is quite challenging to stop.
Due to Leicester's elite roster, there has always been a sense that things will improve. However, a few of those top players haven't played as well as they could have, and perhaps we're seeing a reflection of some of the others' genuine abilities.
I'm a little astonished that Leicester still has a chance to change their destiny.
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