By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
Incredible, unbelievable, amazing, these are some of the words that have filled the response to Leicester City’s triumph in England. If their story at the start of the season was a Hollywood script, then the directors would need to rewrite the plot all over again. Because they have written a script of their own, they are the Barclays Premier League Champions.
There story was a complete fairy tale; here is a team that spent 140 days last season in the relegation zone, whose entire team was just a little over 50 million pounds at the start of the season and who hired a manager that had woefully failed at his last job which was with the Greece national team. All the odds were stark against them, even to stay up in the league.
This is a club that has been relegated or promoted 22 times. Their entire history, they did not look to go anywhere, too big to stay down, too small to stay up. And yet they pulled this off? How?
Hail! King Claudio
There isn’t a one sentence answer to this but it has been a series of episodes unfolding. And the catalyst behind it all has been the ‘TINKERMAN’, Claudio Ranieri. Soft spoken, intelligent, shrewd and funny, it is hard for anyone not to like him.
He came in with an impressive CV, but the Greece job was a dark spot on it. Greece is one of the top national teams in Europe, they do not have mega stars, but they always manage to qualify for major tournaments. But after four months in charge, Ranieri failed to take Greece to the newly expanded Euro 2016 in France.
Legends like Gary Lineker expressed their skepticism. One former Leicester legend twitted about the hiring of Ranieri, the twit read “Gone by December”. By the same December, Leicester was leading the Premier League table.
In the march towards the title, he moved from mastering counterparts like Mourinho to crushing Pellegrini. Such is the style and flamboyancy that he won the league with.
He tamed the famously fierce English press, starting his press conferences with a handshake and usually ending them with a joke.
Ranieri is the new master of mind games, even when his team was flying away on top form he hardly admitted that they are title favorites. He managed everyone’s expectation, at every point redefining his teams aim.
He started with a message that they just want to get the 40 points mark and stay up, it later changed to an aim to get a European spot. At one time when he was pressed about them being favorites for the title he joked and said: “I could say Yes We Can, but I am not Obama.” He only got to admit that they could actually win the title with 4 more games to go.
Now the man José Mourinho described in 2008 as having “the mentality of someone who doesn’t need to win” has a Premier League title on his CV. Master stroke!
The trying moments
As impressive as the end of this season has been for them, but they did not had a steady rollover of a season. They had the whole global media describing them as place holders for the top teams, describing their astronomical rise as a bubble or a fluke. Mentally they themselves were not sure what they were moving on to.
But they kept on winning, that their own part. By February, they had only lost two games; to Arsenal and Liverpool. On Valentine’s day, February 14, they were leading second place Arsenal by 5 points ahead of the two teams meeting at the Emirates. A win for them on that day could have seen them extend the gap to 8 points whiles Arsenal face other big matches to come.
They scored first and lead Arsenal at their turf for more than 70 minutes. Even when they got a red card on the hour mark, they kept on hanging to their lead with 10 men. Arsenal though,were persistent and finally broke Leicester to win by a 95th minute header.
That defeat was cruel. Their lead was cut to two points, they had a reality check and their souls were sour. All eyes on them they had to make a response. Almost all pundits across UK were forecasting their downfall. But their response after that defeat was emphatic, winning 7 of their last 10 games and drawing 3. For the record, Arsenal has just won 4 of their last 11 league games, drawing 4 and loosing 3.
What a response?
After the celebrations
Everyone would be wondering, whether Leicester City’s triumph in the England is a one off or a start of a revolution led by small teams to bulldoze the hegemony.
Leicester City achieved such fit because of slip ups and under performance by old guards in the league- Arsenal, Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs. But take no credit away from them, because even when these teams falter, they had to be ready to step in and show the attributes of a champion. They did so with great style.
When the fog of celebration would have wiped away, they will ask themselves if they can defend the title next season. With all the money that is washing through the football, it is hard to see them accomplish the same next season. For a start their players would be poached away by bigger clubs. And who could blame the boys? This is the best season in their careers.
Are they going to be drubbed every fortnight in the Champions League? Yes, they might be drubbed, but who cares, they are there and they will just enjoy the moment.
It will be interesting to see what target Ranieri will set for his team next season, but most people are sure that he will always be moderate.
All this aside, glory, glory, glory, the Foxes are the Champion and the fairy tale is true.
(C) Politico 10/05/16
