Opinion
Despite the astonishing highlights of this season’s Premier League which included the historic Manchester City treble, Newcastle United’s awe-inspiring top-four finish and the ultimate transformation of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, arguably the greatest surprise was the unforeseen relegation of former champions, Leicester City.
It was a mere seven years prior when the Foxes would eventually charge towards the most astonishing league triumph the sporting world has ever seen, led by now club icons, Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante.
Fast-forward to the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, Leicester had their most decorated stay in the top flight brought to an abrupt end, through a series of errors, miscalculations and hardships culminating over the past few years.
One controlling factor in the club’s sudden decline sparked from an abundance of poor transfer and squad mismanagement in recent summer and winter windows.
After a less than desirable ending to their 2021-22 Premier League season, Foxes fans were inclined to believe the club would revamp and strengthen, in the hope of returning to the heights of European qualification seen in prior campaigns under Brendan Rodgers.
However, once the transfer window officially opened, supporter morale had already taken a hit, as club legend and captain at the time, Kasper Schmeichel made his sudden departure for French side, Nice.
This isolated the East-Midlands club without an established leader in the dressing room, and a first-team calibre goalkeeper. Instead, management placed their blind faith in the inexperienced, and ultimately unequipped former backup, Danny Ward.
During his spell in between the sticks, Ward conceded a whopping 45 goals in only 26 appearances, forcing caretaker manager Dean Smith to throw the also unqualified youth academy product Daniel Iversen into the starting 11 to see out the remaining fixtures.
Leicester’s backline also managed to diminish in quality, after failing to replace another club star and controlling ‘rock’ Wesley Fofana, who departed for Chelsea during the same window.
The Foxes received a substantial fee for the promising French centre-back (£75 million), but were evidently unable to properly replace the impact and role played by the young starlet, conceding a total of 68 goals over the 38 game season (a goal every 50 minutes approx.).
Whilst the Foxes still had remnants of creative firepower and goal scoring prowess in James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes, Leicester’s leaky defence caused through transfer window mismanagement, ultimately was the difference which sent the club down on the final day.
Moreover, Leicester’s lingering disappointment of previous campaigns may also have had its impact on the club’s sudden demise.
As for the majority of both the 2020 and 2021 league seasons, Leicester had occupied a top-four spot, having fans and the press almost certain the club would return to the Champions League for the first time since their historic title campaign.
But they would finish both years in similarly heartbreaking fashion, ‘bottling’ qualification on the final day and missing out on those lucrative positions in the table.
Harvey Barnes reacts as the Foxes are relegated (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
These frustrating instances of what ‘might-have-been’ may have taken a toll on the belief of the existing players, hurt from the fact that they couldn’t achieve that elusive goal two seasons running. This in turn, possibly influenced the increasingly-disappointing performances in the following campaigns.
Whilst the club had made various errors culminating in their relegation, Leicester had to struggle through the sudden, tragic passing of club owner, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 2018.
The successful Thai businessman led the Foxes from the second tier all the way to the Premier league title in only six years, despite his side being neglected and touted as relegation favourites.
Now, as Leicester City move into the upcoming weeks and months of a new season, fans may find a small shed of hope and positivity through the appointment of new manager, Enzo Maresca.
The young Italian coach moved from treble-winning Manchester City this summer, aiming to lead the foxes straight back up to the promised land. With bags of tactical experience gained under decorated manager Pep Guardiola, as his assistant, Maresca will hope to entice a displeased fanbase with an improved, positive play style and ultimately succeed in one of the toughest leagues in European football.
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