Leicester City sacked boss Claudio Ranieri with the champions just one point above the relegation zone
Last season’s Premier League triumph by Leicester City was a remarkable one-off.
From relegation material to Premier League champions. It is something that is hardly ever seen in the modern money-dominated era of football.
Arguably, Leicester have returned to their natural position in the table this season.
The Foxes sit just one point above the relegation zone. The Foxes dire campaign led to charismatic Italian boss Claudio Ranieri losing his job on Thursday. The decision came as a shock to everybody in the football community.
Success has gone to the player’s heads
In truth, the Leicester players have simply let down their boss. Claudio Ranieri has always been a nice guy and a decent boss. Until last season, though, he had won little of note in his managerial career.
Some questioned his ability to be tough with his players in the past. Nice guys finish last and all that. However, last season he was not too nice when the Foxes won the league. The old term he lost the dressing room has been rolled out like the red carpet at the Oscars since his dismissal.
The sad reality is that the players appear to have gone all big-time Charlie on their boss. Like their boss, most of them had endured very little success in their football careers. Many of them were lower league players a few seasons ago.
However, through a crazy mixture of over performing, luck and the big-spending teams enduring nightmare campaigns little Leicester nipped in and won the title.
The success turned the likes of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez into big stars. One successful season does make a career, though. This season they have been poor, but so have the majority of their teammates.
Winning the league has catapulted these players into a category that most never dreamed of. It looks like it may just have gone to their heads. Suddenly you have the likes of Vardy in lifestyle magazines and other high-profile publications. It will certainly be new to most.
According to reports, senior Leicester players told the club owners that they were unhappy with Ranieri after the defeat against Sevilla. However, I think the players need to take a long hard look in the mirror and not blame the boss for their errors.
Leicester owners have panicked
The Leicester owners have said sacking Ranieri was done with a heavy heart. That may be so, but it a good example of the cold hard world of football. There is no room for sentiment. Leicester are back amongst the strugglers after one extraordinary campaign.
The squad of players available to Ranieri should be higher in the table, but not that much higher than they currently lie. They were never going to stay in the top-six, let alone challenge for the title. It was unrealistic.
A midtable finish and a decent run in the Champions League would have been regarded as a successful season for the Foxes. The owners have panicked because they know that the club will lose a lot of revenue if they are relegated this season.
Leicester’s Thai owners may be mega-rich, but they have not spent a shedload of their own money by Premier League standards. Summer spending was massive by Leicester’s standards, but most of that will have been financed by what the club brought in through television rights and prize money.
Would many neutrals be bothered if Leicester were now relegated?
For many a neutral Leicester became their second team last season. Part of that was the likability of Ranieri. The Foxes are now odds of 7/4 to be relegated this season and the sacking of the affable Italian has caused a major change of heart from neutral fans.
Many neutrals would have liked Leicester to stay up after last season’s heroics. However, due to the way in which they have dealt with their title-winning boss, I doubt many fans would be bothered if the Foxes were now relegated this season.
Football is a very fickle game and Claudio Ranieri surely deserved the chance to see out the campaign. He brought the club its biggest ever moment in its history but has now been consigned to the Premier League scrapheap. Shame on you Leicester!
Were Leicester right to sack Claudio Ranieri?
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