The final part of this article focuses on players who have spent some – or all – of the 2010/2011 Championship season on loan at another club and whether or not they are likely to fit into Sven-Goran Eriksson’s plans next season.
Conrad Logan
Age: 25
11 appearances at Bristol Rovers this season
Verdict
Although Conrad Logan has been at Leicester City since 2004, he has spent the majority of his career away from the Walkers Stadium on loan at other clubs. The Irish goalkeeper played just seven times for Leicester this season before losing his place in the team and joining Bristol Rovers on loan in February until the end of the campaign.
Logan is unlikely to regain the number one spot with both Chris Weale and Ricardo still at the club – but they may well depart in the summer based on the fact that Ricardo was a short-term signing and Weale has not enjoyed the greatest form towards the end of the season. However, Sven could sign a high profile goalkeeper over the summer which would limit Logan’s opportunities and thus seek first team football instead.
Stay or Go?
Go. Logan is unlikely to feature in Sven’s plans next season and deserves to play regularly.
Jack Hobbs
Age: 22
13 appearances at Hull City this season
Verdict
Jack Hobbs is one of the few remaining Leicester City players from the Nigel Pearson era. After a successful season-long loan from Liverpool in 2008, Hobbs signed a four-year contract with Leicester and established himself not only as a fan favourite, but also as a fantastic developing centre-back and part of a solid defensive unit. But Eriksson’s arrival left the former England U19 international out of favour and he subsequently joined Hull City on loan.
Jack Hobbs is a talented player who will very probably spend the majority of his career in the Premier League. If Sven opts against signing Miguel Vitor, Ben Mee or Jeffrey Bruma, Leicester are left with very few centre backs following the departure of Michael Morrison last year. As an established Championship defender, Hobbs is a talent too good to go to waste. Other clubs will be interested in him over the summer, but he could be the one to steady Leicester’s defensive ship.
Stay or Go?
Stay. Hobbs is a rock at the back when at his best – as Leicester fans will tell you.
Franck Moussa
Age: 21
12 appearances and 2 goals for Doncaster Rovers this season
Verdict
Franck Moussa only signed for Leicester City in August 2010 but never really established himself as a starter since that time. After finding his playing time limited, Moussa joined Doncaster Rovers on loan in February this year – scoring twice in a dozen appearances.
This is an interesting situation because Moussa’s contract was extended this season, which indicates that Sven does see potential in the youngster. Also, Leicester are relatively thin on central midfield players, and the Belgian adds depth to that position in a 4-3-3 formation. He may struggle to break into the starting line up, but Moussa is a very useful player to have in the squad.
Stay or Go?
Stay. Doncaster may show interest over the summer but Sven should keep him at the club.
Dany N’Guessan
Age: 23
3 appearances and 1 goal for Scunthorpe United/6 appearances for Southampton this season
Verdict
Another survivor from the Nigel Pearson era, N’Guessan established himself as a firm fan favourite when he came off the bench during his first game for the Foxes to score the winning goal in a 2-1 victory in a season opener against Swansea City. Throughout the remainder of that season, his performances were inconsistent; dominant at times, yet lethargic at others. He struggled to establish himself under Sven-Goran Eriksson and joined Scunthorpe on loan in November 2010 – before joining Southampton for the remainder of the season in January.
Although he has a year left on his contract, the Frenchman would find it difficult to perform to a consistently high level so as to break into the starting line up ahead of the likes of Paul Gallagher and Darius Vassell. He is a good Championship footballer, but likely to leave in the summer.
Stay or Go?
Go. N’Guessan should establish himself at another club where he has the opportunity to prove himself.
Robbie Neilson
Age: 30
15 appearances for Brentford this season
Verdict
Robbie Neilson joined the Foxes in 2009 after a thirteen year stint at Scottish club Hearts, but struggled to maintain his starting place at right back – with Nigel Pearson preferring Michael Morrison at that position. Despite scoring his first senior goal in over five years in a 4-3 cup win over Macclesfield Town, Neilson remained out of favour this season and joined Brentford in February where he played regularly.
Sven-Goran Eriksson looks set to sign a right-back over the summer – be it Kyle Naughton or somebody else. It seems that Neilson would not be able to establish himself as Sven’s first choice next season.
Stay or Go?
Go. He is not the right fit for Sven’s style of football.
Jeffrey Schlupp
Age: 18
9 appearances and 6 goals for Brentford this season
Verdict
This is a really interesting situation. Although a product of the Leicester youth academy, Schlupp has never played a senior game for the Foxes. After joining Brentford on loan in March 2011 and scoring six goals in nine games, heads at the Walkers Stadium started to turn.
Some may be building Schlupp up too quickly by saying that he could be our number one striker next season. But his loan spell proved that he is a rare mix of power, speed and great finishing. He is contracted to the club until 2013 and Sven may see something in the youngster which might allow him the opportunity to prove himself at this level. His development will be really interesting.
Stay or Go?
Stay. Amidst all the transfer talk of Premier League strikers coming to the Walkers Stadium next season, Schlupp is a breath of fresh air and certainly one to watch.
Tom Kennedy
Age: 25
6 appearances at Rochdale/14 appearances at Peterborough United this season
Verdict
You really have to feel for Tom Kennedy. He could not have joined Leicester City at any worse a time. He joined the Foxes last summer while Nigel Pearson was still in charge, but Pearson parted with the club shortly afterwards which left Kennedy’s career in limbo. He played just one game for Leicester before joining his former club Rochdale in November on loan – and then Peterborough United in January for the remainder of the season.
Peterborough are thought to have expressed interest in making Tom Kennedy a permanent signing and as Sven is likely to sign a new left-back in the summer, Kennedy looks set to leave Leicester in the transfer window.
Stay or Go?
Go. Kennedy should find regular first-team football at another club.
Showing posts with label Jack Hobbs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Hobbs. Show all posts
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Thursday, 7 October 2010
Sven-Göran Eriksson: can the former England boss take Leicester City to the top?
It is without question that the dismissal of former boss Paulo Sousa, followed by the somewhat hasty signing of former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, has rocked the boat at Leicester City. His unsuccessful stint as the director of football at Notts County left little to be desired, resulting in Eriksson leaving the club within a matter of months last season. Therefore it is unsurprising that Foxes fans are hardly bowled over with this new managerial appointment.
However, I believe that there is reason to be more optimistic. I agree with Milan Mandaric’s justification behind the sacking of Paulo Sousa last week. Sousa is a classy guy and he did have potential. Leicester City played exciting, attacking football under him which was very refreshing to see, and the argument can quickly be made that nine league games is not a long enough time period for any manager to make his mark on a football club (bearing in mind he also won three cup games in the two months he was at the Walkers Stadium). But the defence was uncharacteristically bad. 22 goals were conceded in nine games. Last season under Nigel Pearson, Leicester only conceded 45 goals all season with essentially the same group of defenders. While some players were excelling under Sousa’s attacking style of football, others such as Jack Hobbs and Michael Morrison began to look increasingly uncomfortable, resulting on too much pressure being put on more attacking players to overcome an almost inevitable deficit in every game.
How long can a chairman sit and wait before the season becomes seriously damaged – considering the expectations after last season? If Milan Mandaric had waited until Christmas before finding a new manager - with Sousa’s style showing no signs of improvement – he would have been criticised by the fans for waiting too long. Mandaric was in a very difficult situation, and he had to make a difficult decision. As cruel as it may be, it is easier to replace your manager than it is to replace a large number of players – especially when said players have such talent and potential, as has been demonstrated over the previous two seasons.
But the decision to bring Eriksson in seems as though it could have been in the pipeline long before Sousa’s final two games in charge against Portsmouth and Norwich, which is unfair. Sousa had a plan for this club, and Mandaric was well aware of that plan when he offered him the position. But Mandaric has said on countless occasions that he is willing to do whatever it takes to bring success to Leicester City, and sitting at the bottom of the Championship after almost a quarter of the season is not a good place to be. Although there is still a long way to go in this Championship campaign, a change had to be made to bring success to this season.
Like many others, I don’t strictly disapprove of the appointment of Eriksson. As mentioned earlier, he has managed at international level, and in the Premier League, and thus has a great deal of experience in English football. Mandaric has also been criticised for his selection, it being labelled as a publicity stunt by fans and the media. However, Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn and the other members of the Thai-based consortium who own the club would have had as much input regarding the hiring of Eriksson as the chairman did. If that is the case, then this is not so much a publicity stunt as it is the owners showing intolerance to failure, and an expectation of good results. Whilst Mandaric has demonstrated a track record for showing impatience with managers at times, if the decision had been purely down to him, Paulo Sousa probably would have been given more time at the helm. The possibility, therefore, that the new ownership could once again in a quick turnover of managers – as experienced during the 2007/2008 season – is a realistic one.
I also worry that Eriksson could flood his backroom with outside names, having already brought in Derek Fazackerley, whom he worked with during his time at Manchester City. This could potentially force out coaches, and current stand-in managers, Chris Powell and Mike Stowell. This would be a huge mistake. As can be demonstrated by the way Leicester bounced back against Scunthorpe United at the weekend, many of the players have a great connection with both of these coaches, and the club itself is lucky to have them as part of the backroom staff. Both have also expressed their interest in staying at the club, and Eriksson would do well to keep them around to help with the development of the first team players, and also to gain the trust and support of the Blue Army faithful.
Life is never dull as a Leicester City supporter, and once again the club appears to be headed for uncertain times. However, fans should not necessarily be pessimistic. The squad is still very strong, and as far as league position goes, the only way is up. If Eriksson can get the best from these players then he could be on to a winner. If they don’t respond, then his time at the Walkers Stadium – like Paulo Sousa – could be short lived. The jury is still out on this appointment, but Eriksson certainly has the potential to bring this football club back to winning ways.
However, I believe that there is reason to be more optimistic. I agree with Milan Mandaric’s justification behind the sacking of Paulo Sousa last week. Sousa is a classy guy and he did have potential. Leicester City played exciting, attacking football under him which was very refreshing to see, and the argument can quickly be made that nine league games is not a long enough time period for any manager to make his mark on a football club (bearing in mind he also won three cup games in the two months he was at the Walkers Stadium). But the defence was uncharacteristically bad. 22 goals were conceded in nine games. Last season under Nigel Pearson, Leicester only conceded 45 goals all season with essentially the same group of defenders. While some players were excelling under Sousa’s attacking style of football, others such as Jack Hobbs and Michael Morrison began to look increasingly uncomfortable, resulting on too much pressure being put on more attacking players to overcome an almost inevitable deficit in every game.
How long can a chairman sit and wait before the season becomes seriously damaged – considering the expectations after last season? If Milan Mandaric had waited until Christmas before finding a new manager - with Sousa’s style showing no signs of improvement – he would have been criticised by the fans for waiting too long. Mandaric was in a very difficult situation, and he had to make a difficult decision. As cruel as it may be, it is easier to replace your manager than it is to replace a large number of players – especially when said players have such talent and potential, as has been demonstrated over the previous two seasons.
But the decision to bring Eriksson in seems as though it could have been in the pipeline long before Sousa’s final two games in charge against Portsmouth and Norwich, which is unfair. Sousa had a plan for this club, and Mandaric was well aware of that plan when he offered him the position. But Mandaric has said on countless occasions that he is willing to do whatever it takes to bring success to Leicester City, and sitting at the bottom of the Championship after almost a quarter of the season is not a good place to be. Although there is still a long way to go in this Championship campaign, a change had to be made to bring success to this season.
Like many others, I don’t strictly disapprove of the appointment of Eriksson. As mentioned earlier, he has managed at international level, and in the Premier League, and thus has a great deal of experience in English football. Mandaric has also been criticised for his selection, it being labelled as a publicity stunt by fans and the media. However, Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn and the other members of the Thai-based consortium who own the club would have had as much input regarding the hiring of Eriksson as the chairman did. If that is the case, then this is not so much a publicity stunt as it is the owners showing intolerance to failure, and an expectation of good results. Whilst Mandaric has demonstrated a track record for showing impatience with managers at times, if the decision had been purely down to him, Paulo Sousa probably would have been given more time at the helm. The possibility, therefore, that the new ownership could once again in a quick turnover of managers – as experienced during the 2007/2008 season – is a realistic one.
I also worry that Eriksson could flood his backroom with outside names, having already brought in Derek Fazackerley, whom he worked with during his time at Manchester City. This could potentially force out coaches, and current stand-in managers, Chris Powell and Mike Stowell. This would be a huge mistake. As can be demonstrated by the way Leicester bounced back against Scunthorpe United at the weekend, many of the players have a great connection with both of these coaches, and the club itself is lucky to have them as part of the backroom staff. Both have also expressed their interest in staying at the club, and Eriksson would do well to keep them around to help with the development of the first team players, and also to gain the trust and support of the Blue Army faithful.
Life is never dull as a Leicester City supporter, and once again the club appears to be headed for uncertain times. However, fans should not necessarily be pessimistic. The squad is still very strong, and as far as league position goes, the only way is up. If Eriksson can get the best from these players then he could be on to a winner. If they don’t respond, then his time at the Walkers Stadium – like Paulo Sousa – could be short lived. The jury is still out on this appointment, but Eriksson certainly has the potential to bring this football club back to winning ways.
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