In the startling hush of the Premier League break, the Leicester City bandwagon sits, exhausted from all of its tooting and grinding, horns muted and wheels chocked – for the moment at least.
As FA Cup ties and Champions League contests rumble on without them, the Foxes are sprawled out on a beach somewhere – not in Thailand, obviously – readying themselves for a vigorous final furlong.
Although, really, the finish line is only barely in sight; with 12 matches remaining – just under a third of the season – medals are not being preemptively engraved just yet. No, there is still a vast track of daunting thicket through which Claudio Ranieri’s team must thrash, countless sinkholes in which to lose a brand new Nike Hypervenom Phantom II, before they burst, squinting like babes, into that sublime clearing to drink from the oasis of title triumph.
The break has also given us the opportunity to pause and assess what, in fact, a Leicester City title would mean for the Premier League. Leading as they are by two points, the Foxes’ prospects of winning are as real and alive as any of their rivals’, and so it may be useful to remind ourselves of the historical gravitas this hypothetical title would carry.
Were Leicester to win, they would be the first Premier League champions not to finish in the top four the season prior. Leicester have never won the English top flight, and so would be the first maiden winners since Nottingham Forest in 1978. In Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez they have a one-two punch that cost less than 1.5 million pounds, and has contributed 33 goals and 14 assists so far this season, more than Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani have combined for, as they effortlessly stroll to another Ligue 1 title. The PSG pair cost around 85 million euros, for the record.
With the weight of a quarter-century of history bearing down, a Leicester City title triumph would joyously cast off every Premier League convention we’ve come begrudgingly to accept. As many have noted, with a sort of wistful-yet-disgruntled tone; this is what first division seasons used to be like, before the straitjacket of Murdoch money, financial bottom lines and nefarious oligarchs was applied. Teams would make remarkable, season-long runs from humble places, the league table was far more fluid, and the FA Cup was more important that shirt sales in Asia (we’re looking at you, Manuel Pellegrini).
This is the reason why this Leicester City season is so refreshing; it is an intoxicating cocktail of warm, welcome nostalgia and searing, unexpected immediacy. Another round, thank you barman, on me.
A title tilt built on an apt tactical approach, reinforced by no small amount of luck and timing; even if they finish second, or third, the impact of Leicester’s 15-16 season will reverberate long after the season itself is over. Leicester, at around this point last season, had one more point than Aston Villa do now. Villa will not be leading the league – the Premier League, at least – this time next year, but there will be other desperate teams in the seasons to come that will need an intravenous jolt of inspiration, and will, groping back in time, find themselves feeding off the example Ranieri’s unlikely band have set for us.
But, if we can divorce ourselves from these sentimental projections for a moment, the impartial verdict on this situation isn’t as glowing as all that. This is a gripping, entertaining title race to be sure, but it does reflect poorly on the strength of the English league. The general decline over the last five years of the influence English teams have had in the Champions League is well known, and having one juggernaut team roll to the domestic title is not the solution to this problem.
But even compared to last season, where every English team was eliminated from Europe’s elite competition before the quarter-final stage, this season is weaker. Leicester are seven points off Chelsea’s league total at this time last season, and are two points off then-second-place holders Manchester City’s. But it isn’t just the title contenders that have dwindled; the gap from fifth to 11th at this stage last season was 11 points. This season it’s six points. The fact that only eight points separate 14th from sixth indicates that the top of the league has sagged slightly, bleeding into the mid-table fare. Like a handful of Vaseline flung at a wall – which is art, by the way – the league is now sliding downwards in a wholly unappealing manner. And, as much of a verbal wet blanket it is to say it, it’s this slide that has, in some ways, allowed for this Leicester City title challenge to occur.
But why not crawl back inside the slightly inferior, but nonetheless satiating, Premier League bubble and, for the moment, leave the European nights to Barcelona and Bayern Munich? When you look at the arduousness of all the contenders’ league run-ins, Leicester’s is the least severe by some margin. They lost only narrowly to Arsenal before the hiatus, and will return from their holiday refreshed and refocused. Vardy will continue to run relentlessly and Mahrez will continue to dance devilishly. Ranieri will do what he has done all season, maintaining morale in his own curiously avuncular way.
To hell with what the European footballing aristocracy will say, as they snicker at how pitiful England have allowed plucky little Leicester to do so well. For now, and for the next 12 games, the pen hovers above a fresh page of Premier League history.
dk horse
Guest
I'm a keen follower of the EPL. I've always been a champion for the underdog. Liecester city are now my team for life. It's warms the cockles of my heart that sometimes money and riches can come a distant second to grit, determination and an incredible desire to fight for one another. It harks back to the days when sport was about loyalty and passion over money. It's truly one of the greatest sporting feats in the history of sport. Leicester City prove that the impossible can be possible if you dare to dream.
gerry
Guest
how can leicester not go on to be a top team iff thy win the title . dont forget trhy will get big payment for wining titlev plus the new money coming in nxt season . surely thy will strenghten for sure and attract good plyrs who want chmps lg football
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
Potentially the biggest championship upset ever. Bigger than Forest 78 or Ipswich 62. Go Leicester! Wish it was the Hammers, but we're not far off either. Hope this is a change that sticks, seeing the likes of Saints, Stoke, Watford etc challenging for the title.
Anthony Martinez
Guest
I'm a Man U fan but I hope Leiscter win the title . It will be great for the league .Manager should be coach of the year if they do .
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
I believe it was Rovers that started the really big spending, splashing out huge amounts and breaking the transfer record on Shearer, then Sutton. Even before then they had a reputation for spending big, and bought a number of players from their closest rivals during their push for promotion to the Premier League in the 91-92 season. Swindon Town fans still talk of "The Other" Shearer, Duncan, who was a prolific goal-scorer for them in that season as they competed with Rovers for the top spot in Division 2. He was signed by Rovers for the then large sum of £800,000, only to see out the rest of the season on their bench. The talk in Swindon was that he was bought just to hinder Swindon's chances of promotion.
clipper
Guest
You're going to find more people that cite that their grandfather, uncle etc were fans of Leicster city, even though they have never mentioned it before, and have now magically become fans themselves.
SVB
Guest
I was a kid at the time and a Man Utd supporter, and I was filthy because they pinched the title of Man Utd at the end. I remember them as a very competitive team with a big tall striker called Lee Chapman who couldn't stop scoring for them. However the top teams from what I remember were Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal. I remember Blackburn who won the title a few years later as big spenders with the likes of Shearer, Sutton and Hendry. I think Leeds had a lot of good young players at that time, but perhaps they also had a bit of cash to spend. Anyway Man Utd bought Cantona of them the following season and the rest is history ;)
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
It certainly has been a great season of surprises. I can't say I saw this coming and will be the first to admit I thought Leicester would have dropped off by now. There's still a lot of games to go; and generally speaking, greater financial resources will usually win out - especially over 38 games. I'd still be ultra surprised if Arsenal don't come over the top of them, especially when they bow-out of the UCL in the coming weeks. If this was an American competition, I'm sure Jerry Fu4kheimer would already have already made a hollywood wa4k movie by now.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
Leeds United's win in 1992 was a bit different, in that they were one of the bigger teams at the time; difficult to believe now, I know. Although they'd spent most of the 80s in the old Second Division they were still considered one of English football's giants and their era of dominance was still in many fans' living memory. They were also quite an expensively assembled squad, by the standards of the day, remember that Eric Cantona was a Leeds player back then.
SVB
Guest
I remember in the 90's a team like Leeds winning the title. This has a similar feel about it. Although I'll say it would even be more challenging today due to the money the bigger clubs spend. I think it is a little bit of complacency as well, and the bigger clubs putting too much focus on the UCL as the main prize.
SVB
Guest
In the end what he wanted is exactly what he didn't want.
Tyler Galea
Roar Rookie
As much as I want to see Leicester win the PL I find it highly unlikely they would be able too. Massive respect to Claudio Ranieri and the Leicester squad in general. The fact that they have made it this far is already a statement about the club's character. The combination of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy is one of the best that has ever been seen in Premier League history... Guys like Robert Huth, Kasper Schmeichel, Christian Fuchs and Danny Simpson (just to name a few) have kept Leicester's defensive record very respectable. Wins against both Manchester sides and other big oppositions shows their class. The consistency in form from the regular starters like Ngolo Kante, Danny Drinkwater and Shinji Okazaki is also applaudable. But still... It would have to be out of their reach
Ian
Guest
"Hard to have an EPL where the top teams are building into European football contenders, and have an EPL where a lower level team can go on an unexpected run." It's refreshing to read about the difficulties you are experiencing with your Holy Grail of football leagues. Unexpected because Leicester must have been playing better football than their opposition? How dare a smaller club win games regularly!
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Great post fussball. "When football champions were decided by smart coaches, dedicated players, a strong work ethic & belief in the team ethos." All the money in the world may not necessarily deliver this. Chelsea and united are testament to this...and shanghai SIPG for that matter.
FIUL
Guest
What could it mean? Maybe, it could mean you don't need to sign superstar marquee players to play entertaining, enterprising & successful football? Maybe, people will realise how it used to be 'back in the day'. When football champions were decided by smart coaches, dedicated players, a strong work ethic & belief in the team ethos. Not by the market value of a player. Above all, it could mean there are unpolished football gems running around in the semi-professional football leagues around the world. Blokes who may not have taken the game seriously when they were 17 years old, but are 100% committed as an adult & have the technical & physical attributes to succeed as footballers.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
Speaking as a Sunderland supporter I thought it hilarious! I remember watching it with my mouth agape.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
I think it would be brilliant and refreshing to see Leicester City win the EPL this year. They will have done it via smart transfer market activity and on a fraction of the cost the Man U, Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal have been operating on for the past 10 years. Additionally by winning the league they will go straight into the Champions League main draw for next season which gives them a great advantage to retain crucial members of the team and perhaps add others from other leagues that want CL Football. Does it mean that the EPL is changing? No Will all of Man U, Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal be back next season for a crack at the title? Yes Variety is a good thing and it is good to see the EPL spiced up somewhat this year compared with other recent seasons. If Leicester can’t hang on to top spot then I wouldn't mind seeing Tottenham grab the title.
Franko
Guest
Ah Keegan’s rant, an absolute classic. Was reading an article about it the other day: “Keegan, however, was raging with the kind of righteous indignation so rarely exhibited by a public figure. The slightest probing from Keys led to wild eyes and angry gesticulations. He forgot his job and the fact that he was on television and came across like a man who had been cut up on the A1; a human being.”
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Indeed we will ;)
Peter Cotton
Guest
Vale Brian Clough & Peter Taylor.