View attachment 159861
A Story of Ultimate Glory
As we all know, Leicester and Sir (or at least he should be) Claudio Ranieri have taken the world by storm. Will Leicester hang on? That’s the big question now. Will they be able to keep Tottenham at bay? Only the Gods know that at this point.
We can say it’s that it’s been both an unexpected and amazing turn of events, especially if we add this to Chelsea’s downfall, Man U’s disappointing season, and the overall instability of the PL this season (hint, hint, Arsenal).
Given these circumstances, I’ve decided to attempt the very same. Granted, I will impose my own style and use whatever resources I have to bring in some players of my own, but the goal will be the same: achieve BPL glory with the Foxes, surprise the world, and later take my chances at European competitions.
Tall task, I know, but isn’t that the point?
So… Let’s get going!
* * *
View attachment 159899
Breaking: Ranieri forced to abandon Leicester post
Due to personal illness and family issues, Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has been forced to abandon his managerial duties without having one training session with his squad. In a brief but emotional press conference, the former Roma FC manager told us:
View attachment 159860
“I was very excited with this opportunity, and had my sights sets on objectives far beyond avoiding relegation. I believe this squad can surprise a lot of people and I believe that whoever steps in will have a great group to work with and will be able to accomplish big things. Before I leave, many thanks to Ms. Whelan and Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha for their patience and understanding. I leave with a heavy heart and hope to return someday to fulfill the job I was initially appointed to do”.
These events have left the Leicester board scrambling, and among confusion and lack of established candidates (like Ranieri), Srivaddhanaprabha has opted to go in an unorthodox direction: hiring former Chilean international and completely unproven manager Javier Ramírez. Even though he lacks experience as a manager, he comes in with a reputation of practicing attacking football with a reputation of favoring the fusion of European and South American footballing principles.
What will this move mean to Leicester? We wait with bated breath.
* * *
So… The press has spoken. Now the pressure is on me to make something special happen.
We've settled in, gotten to know the players, staff, and gave a tremendously lengthy press conference (convering everything from my inexperience to the aesthetics of my football). We have a pending meeting with our owner to make specific requests, but before this happens, there are certain things we need to do immediately:
Assess our squad - Best players
Jamie Vardy
View attachment 159884
Without a doubt Jamie's our best option upfront. If he has a good season, so will our entire team. He will have good company, but clearly his performances will dictate our overall performance.
Riyad Mahrez
View attachment 159883
Our best player overall? He'll likely have the toughest task, because he'll be asked both to score and assist. Given the class of such a player, I believe he can be the perfect partner for Vardy and link to our midfield.
N'Golo Kante
View attachment 159881
No one will cover more ground than this monster. At the same time, our tactic will require him to dictate tempo as much as he can. Will he be up for the task, given the responsiblity to be both the destroyer and creator?
Mayke
View attachment 159876
In every single save I've had, Mayke's been the missing link. He's a constant threat pushing forward. His crosses (from anywhere in the pitch) are always on target, and his assists numbers are always astounding. Obviously he makes the cut for these most important players. Buying him for the price we got him from was a no brainer, especially after teams like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Leverkusen were after him. His wages aren't what you'd call "friendly", but he's too important to pass up.
Key transfers:
Aside from Mayke, we brought in specific players to play key roles. Let's take a look at them:
Gabriel Barbosa
View attachment 159841
What can be said about this kid? We all know him by now. We all know what he brings. We all know what he goes on to become. I had to race several teams to get him (and I certainly suffered offering high wages), and thankfully I got my target. If he doesn't have a great season, I've no doubt that he'll make up for it in years to come. Has anyone ever been disappointed with this kid?
Eder Alvarez Balanta
View attachment 159868
Yes, we all know how injury prone he is, but at such a cheap price, a player that's ready to step into starter's shoes is hard to pass up on. If he does get injured, we have backups in Huth and Morgan (which aren't my favorite defenders, let's put it that way). Of course we hava to take a chance on the Colombian.
Jannik Vestergaard
View attachment 159859
It's pretty clear that I'm not a fan of Huth or Morgan. Despite their tremendous performances this season, I just don't see them as the defensive tandem I need. They'll likely play cup games, but they won't be my first options from the start. They need to earn their spot.
Hakim Ziyech
View attachment 159866
For some reason, I always ignore this kid. Don't ask my why. This time around, I didn't. All my other targets were too expensive (Tielemans, Goretzka, Kimmich, Ward-Prowse) or just weren't interested in coming. His stats are incredible, should make for an unbelivable AP and likely our main assist man. Here's to hoping!
Óliver
View attachment 159862
He's immediately available on loan, and he's a world class player. Given our lack of depth at that midfield, acquiring him was not a difficult decision. He's creative, quick, and can finish if given the chance. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he ended up earning a starting role.
Next step.... Now we evaluate our key youngsters (if we think we have any). Here we'll include some transfers as well that may not get immediate action.
Demarai Gray
View attachment 159863
This kid can be placed in every category. Not only is he a potential star, but I believe he can start straight away. As a matter of fact, it's my idea to give him the first try, even though I have Barbosa. That's how much faith I have in the kid.
Lewis Cook
View attachment 159858
I love this kid. He's mentally strong, and even though technically he's not tremendously developed, he's still very reliable. I don't know how many minutes he'll be getting given those who are ahead of him, but he'll get his chance in Cup games.
Bartlomej Dragowski
View attachment 159857
Quality keeper immediately. World Class after 2 years. Could not pass up on him. Given that I don't even trust Schmeichel, I can foresee already giving Bartlomej the starter job before expected.
Andrija Zivkovic
View attachment 159856
For some reason, this kid never works out for me. I can't really explain why. In any case, he's so cheap and has so much potential that I can't help acquiring him. He'll mostly see minutes playing cup games, but I hope to give him opportunities at PL minutes so we can see what he's got straight away.
Richairo Zivkovic
View attachment 159855
He's a monster. Very simple. Tall, strong, quick. A great combination. Add to that lethal finishing skills even at a young age, and it makes for a can't miss prospect that can start in Cup games immediately. Two years from now Vardy's likely to lose his spot for Zivkovic, but for now he'll make for the perfect tutor.
* * *
As we can see, I've invested mostly on youth and a few immediate starters. I believe our first 11 is a fairly obvious one, but we needed to add depth, potential, and provide immediate help. I believe this transfer window certainly addressed this for us. My staff and I want to develop a reputation for being able to develop youth and we hope to have this is a club ideal, so this is an important and ideal first step.
I also needed to let go certain players to avoid surpassing our wage budget as well as generating some much neede funds that helped us bring in all the mentioned player.
All in all, our transfer window looks like this:
View attachment 159839
* * *
The Tactic:
View attachment 159840
Developing a tactic that makesthe best of what we have to work with isn't an easy task, but I have to be stubborn (even though I have a great team so really I believe I'm being difficult).
This sexy beast gets me results and astyle of football that I enjoy -while it draws plenty of praise from the media andfans alike. We’ll take our chances with and our squad.
For reference, it takesBanton’s basic principle mixed with plenty of tweaks of my own based on my ownstyle, and of course, years of playing this masterful game.
Obviously we're likely to make adjustments if results aren't there, I belive this tactic will give us the results we're looking for.
Now on to our friendlies!
* * *
A Story of Ultimate Glory
As we all know, Leicester and Sir (or at least he should be) Claudio Ranieri have taken the world by storm. Will Leicester hang on? That’s the big question now. Will they be able to keep Tottenham at bay? Only the Gods know that at this point.
We can say it’s that it’s been both an unexpected and amazing turn of events, especially if we add this to Chelsea’s downfall, Man U’s disappointing season, and the overall instability of the PL this season (hint, hint, Arsenal).
Given these circumstances, I’ve decided to attempt the very same. Granted, I will impose my own style and use whatever resources I have to bring in some players of my own, but the goal will be the same: achieve BPL glory with the Foxes, surprise the world, and later take my chances at European competitions.
Tall task, I know, but isn’t that the point?
So… Let’s get going!
* * *
View attachment 159899
Breaking: Ranieri forced to abandon Leicester post
Due to personal illness and family issues, Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has been forced to abandon his managerial duties without having one training session with his squad. In a brief but emotional press conference, the former Roma FC manager told us:
View attachment 159860
“I was very excited with this opportunity, and had my sights sets on objectives far beyond avoiding relegation. I believe this squad can surprise a lot of people and I believe that whoever steps in will have a great group to work with and will be able to accomplish big things. Before I leave, many thanks to Ms. Whelan and Mr. Srivaddhanaprabha for their patience and understanding. I leave with a heavy heart and hope to return someday to fulfill the job I was initially appointed to do”.
These events have left the Leicester board scrambling, and among confusion and lack of established candidates (like Ranieri), Srivaddhanaprabha has opted to go in an unorthodox direction: hiring former Chilean international and completely unproven manager Javier Ramírez. Even though he lacks experience as a manager, he comes in with a reputation of practicing attacking football with a reputation of favoring the fusion of European and South American footballing principles.
What will this move mean to Leicester? We wait with bated breath.
* * *
So… The press has spoken. Now the pressure is on me to make something special happen.
We've settled in, gotten to know the players, staff, and gave a tremendously lengthy press conference (convering everything from my inexperience to the aesthetics of my football). We have a pending meeting with our owner to make specific requests, but before this happens, there are certain things we need to do immediately:
Assess our squad - Best players
Jamie Vardy
View attachment 159884
Without a doubt Jamie's our best option upfront. If he has a good season, so will our entire team. He will have good company, but clearly his performances will dictate our overall performance.
Riyad Mahrez
View attachment 159883
Our best player overall? He'll likely have the toughest task, because he'll be asked both to score and assist. Given the class of such a player, I believe he can be the perfect partner for Vardy and link to our midfield.
N'Golo Kante
View attachment 159881
No one will cover more ground than this monster. At the same time, our tactic will require him to dictate tempo as much as he can. Will he be up for the task, given the responsiblity to be both the destroyer and creator?
Mayke
View attachment 159876
In every single save I've had, Mayke's been the missing link. He's a constant threat pushing forward. His crosses (from anywhere in the pitch) are always on target, and his assists numbers are always astounding. Obviously he makes the cut for these most important players. Buying him for the price we got him from was a no brainer, especially after teams like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Leverkusen were after him. His wages aren't what you'd call "friendly", but he's too important to pass up.
Key transfers:
Aside from Mayke, we brought in specific players to play key roles. Let's take a look at them:
Gabriel Barbosa
View attachment 159841
What can be said about this kid? We all know him by now. We all know what he brings. We all know what he goes on to become. I had to race several teams to get him (and I certainly suffered offering high wages), and thankfully I got my target. If he doesn't have a great season, I've no doubt that he'll make up for it in years to come. Has anyone ever been disappointed with this kid?
Eder Alvarez Balanta
View attachment 159868
Yes, we all know how injury prone he is, but at such a cheap price, a player that's ready to step into starter's shoes is hard to pass up on. If he does get injured, we have backups in Huth and Morgan (which aren't my favorite defenders, let's put it that way). Of course we hava to take a chance on the Colombian.
Jannik Vestergaard
View attachment 159859
It's pretty clear that I'm not a fan of Huth or Morgan. Despite their tremendous performances this season, I just don't see them as the defensive tandem I need. They'll likely play cup games, but they won't be my first options from the start. They need to earn their spot.
Hakim Ziyech
View attachment 159866
For some reason, I always ignore this kid. Don't ask my why. This time around, I didn't. All my other targets were too expensive (Tielemans, Goretzka, Kimmich, Ward-Prowse) or just weren't interested in coming. His stats are incredible, should make for an unbelivable AP and likely our main assist man. Here's to hoping!
Óliver
View attachment 159862
He's immediately available on loan, and he's a world class player. Given our lack of depth at that midfield, acquiring him was not a difficult decision. He's creative, quick, and can finish if given the chance. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he ended up earning a starting role.
Next step.... Now we evaluate our key youngsters (if we think we have any). Here we'll include some transfers as well that may not get immediate action.
Demarai Gray
View attachment 159863
This kid can be placed in every category. Not only is he a potential star, but I believe he can start straight away. As a matter of fact, it's my idea to give him the first try, even though I have Barbosa. That's how much faith I have in the kid.
Lewis Cook
View attachment 159858
I love this kid. He's mentally strong, and even though technically he's not tremendously developed, he's still very reliable. I don't know how many minutes he'll be getting given those who are ahead of him, but he'll get his chance in Cup games.
Bartlomej Dragowski
View attachment 159857
Quality keeper immediately. World Class after 2 years. Could not pass up on him. Given that I don't even trust Schmeichel, I can foresee already giving Bartlomej the starter job before expected.
Andrija Zivkovic
View attachment 159856
For some reason, this kid never works out for me. I can't really explain why. In any case, he's so cheap and has so much potential that I can't help acquiring him. He'll mostly see minutes playing cup games, but I hope to give him opportunities at PL minutes so we can see what he's got straight away.
Richairo Zivkovic
View attachment 159855
He's a monster. Very simple. Tall, strong, quick. A great combination. Add to that lethal finishing skills even at a young age, and it makes for a can't miss prospect that can start in Cup games immediately. Two years from now Vardy's likely to lose his spot for Zivkovic, but for now he'll make for the perfect tutor.
* * *
As we can see, I've invested mostly on youth and a few immediate starters. I believe our first 11 is a fairly obvious one, but we needed to add depth, potential, and provide immediate help. I believe this transfer window certainly addressed this for us. My staff and I want to develop a reputation for being able to develop youth and we hope to have this is a club ideal, so this is an important and ideal first step.
I also needed to let go certain players to avoid surpassing our wage budget as well as generating some much neede funds that helped us bring in all the mentioned player.
All in all, our transfer window looks like this:
View attachment 159839
* * *
The Tactic:
View attachment 159840
Developing a tactic that makesthe best of what we have to work with isn't an easy task, but I have to be stubborn (even though I have a great team so really I believe I'm being difficult).
This sexy beast gets me results and astyle of football that I enjoy -while it draws plenty of praise from the media andfans alike. We’ll take our chances with and our squad.
For reference, it takesBanton’s basic principle mixed with plenty of tweaks of my own based on my ownstyle, and of course, years of playing this masterful game.
Obviously we're likely to make adjustments if results aren't there, I belive this tactic will give us the results we're looking for.
Now on to our friendlies!
* * *
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