Record Breaking Leicester Push On

Article by e-Leicester Correspondent Jonathan Smith

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The words Leicester City and Champions are rarely mentioned in the same breath. This season could be an exception. The Foxes find themselves ten points clear of second placed QPR, although they have played a game more than their promotion rivals. Arguably more important than the ten point gap is the thirteen points that separate Leicester from Burnley in third. Like QPR, Burnley have a game in hand. As sweet as it would be to be named Champions of the Championship, City would take a top two finish to ensure Premiership football for the first time since the 2003/04 season. If they were to hold onto their top spot it would be the first time that they’ve won the second tier of English football since the 1979/80 season.

It was great to win the League One title back in 2009 but there was a sense of relief amongst supporters rather than euphoria on that occasion. It felt as if the club had achieved what was expected. Job done. Going into the current season there was talk amongst some supporters of a relegation struggle. There was a genuine fear that the squad hadn’t been strengthened and the players had shown that they were incapable of maintaining a promotion challenge following last season’s dramatic fall from the top of the league. There was some talk of another Play-Off finish from the more optimistic followers of the Foxes but there were very few who were predicting a top two spot or even a title challenge. I’m sure even Nigel Pearson is slightly surprised by how well the players have reacted this season. The fear would have been that the squad might suffer a hangover from the way last season ended but there have been no signs of that being the case.

Leicester are on a record-breaking run at the moment that has seen them win nine league games on the bounce and five away games in a row. Their latest victory, a 1-0 win at Bournemouth, came courtesy of a Kevin Phillips goal; his first for the club and a goal that gave him the honour of becoming City’s oldest ever goal scorer. Their longest run of league games without a win this season has been three with the longest run of consecutive league defeats standing at just two. It’s hard to see Leicester suffering a massive dip in form between now and the end of the season with just seventeen games left to play and a useful knack of winning games by a single goal when not always playing at their best. Obviously, football is a ‘funny old game’ and anything can happen but there’s a feeling that if it was going to happen, it would have by now. The regular starting eleven has an average age of just over 26 which is promising if promotion is achieved this season. Four of those regular starters are 23 years old or younger so their best years are still ahead of them.

Without becoming over confident or arrogant, it’s times like this that supporters have every right to get excited. As a club, we’ve never won the top division of English football or lifted a European trophy. Reaching the top tier and competing when we get there has to be our realistic aim and if we can get there by being the best team in the Championship, that’s an added bonus.

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