Leicester City to conquer Europe?

08 February 2016 10:03

Can the Foxes do what most football fans, players and pundits believed was almost impossible in this modern age of super star studded squad’s and immaculate pitches and become the English league champions and then go on and conquer the Champions League?

Claudio Ranieri’s small squad of hard working and determined player’s is taking the 2016 premier League season by storm. Jamie Vardy has been a sensation breaking goal scoring records. After a career spent mainly in the lower leagues, the Leicester man’s incredible form has come out of the blue.

His goal at Leicester’s King Power Stadium against Manchester United in November was the 11th game in a row that he had found the net beating Manchester United’s former super star Ruud van Nistelrooy’s long-standing record of 10 in a row. Vardy’s price tag has risen from £2.2m at the start of the season to £18m in January.

But Vardy’s meteoric rise is not the only surprise from the Foxes this season. Riyad Mahrez, the Algerian international winger, has been sensational this season. Not only Leicester fans, but the whole football world cannot believe that he only cost £400,000 from Le harve in 2014. But the whol squad have over performed all season.

After walloping title rivals and favourites Manchester City 3 – 1 away this afternoon they are 6 points ahead of second placed City with 13 games to go. Team morale under Ranieri is massively influencing the way they play for each other and the work rate is wearing defences down.

Can they emulate those other Midlands under dogs that took English and European football by storm in the late 70’s under Brian Clough? Of course I am talking about Nottingham Forest, a side that won promotion to the top flight in 1977 and shook the world up.

In their next season Forest won the League Cup, beating Liverpool 1–0 in a replay at Old Trafford, and were crowned champions of Division One, finishing seven points clear of nearest challengers Liverpool. This made Clough the first manager since Herbert Chapman more than 40 years earlier to win the English league championship with two different clubs. He had done it with unfancied Derby County in 1972.

If this wasn’t surprising enough, over the next two seasons, Nottingham forest, a small provisional club went on and to win the European Cup and amazing the football community with their style of play and positive attacking carpet football.

Leicester City have a long way to go still, but if they can continue their league form they could be crowned champions in May and begin to start dreaming of being the 21st century version of Clough’s Forest. They are already the underdogs that every neutral fan would love to take home the title. So far they have never won an English top flight title or the FA Cup.

There next game is against title contenders Arsenal on Valentines day and hopefully 3 points would almost guarantee European football for the Foxes next season and break their title winning duck. Come on you blues.

Source: DSG