2016 was a remarkable year, most notably for Leicester City football club, who against all the odds, won the English Premier League. But what has happened since and why are they where they are today? Let us find out.
How they were able to do it
In the 2015/16 season Leicester won the Premier League with 81 points with second placed Arsenal finishing on 71 points. CNN summed up what happened as "the fairytale that has gripped the imagination of millions around the world". It is important to remember that they were priced at 5,000/1 to do it at the start of the season.
But the first question to ask is, how did they do it? There are a few reasons as to why. One key reason was the "team spirit" that was created, former Leicester player Matt Elliott told CNN. In addition to that spirit was the "will to win". The body of the team were players who were deemed "not good enough" for the Premier League. A prime example is Marc Albrighton, who was released from Aston Villa in 2014. It was also the case because all the players stood up to the challenge. all over the pitch the players performed when it was needed the most. As the defence kept the opposition at bay and the front players continued to deliver, it helped them most notably in the season-defining matches. These included Robert Huth's late header in a 1-0 win over Tottenham, the 3-1 victory over Manchester City and the 2-0 victory over Liverpool, the team knew how to stand firm and ensure that victory was attained.
Another key reason as to why they won the league was the inconsistency of the teams around them. As reported on the Sloshpress website, the 2015/16 year was "Arsenal's season for the taking" but as Luke Fletcher noted, "they bottled it". Chelsea also stumbled badly in their defence, which saw Jose Mourinho sacked after a poor start.
With Manchester United struggling under Louis Van Gaal, an "up and down season" for Liverpool, and a season that never really took offer for Manchester City, it was really only Tottenham who pushed Leicester all the way. Although they eventually finished third behind their rivals Arsenal, they did themselves no harm and deserve credit for the progress that they made.
What has gone wrong this season?
So what has gone wrong this season? One key issue is the performance and attitude of the players. Roy Keane blamed it on the fact that they "have lost track of what they're about. Their DNA, their work rate, it's gone" as revealed in the Mirror newspaper. This has not been helped by the rewards that they have received. Both Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy received lucrative new 100,000 pounds sterling a week wages in the summer. It is as a result of this that "appetites appear to have been sated". There is also the problem that they sold N'Golo Kante. He was instrumental for Leicester last year, protecting the back four and starting attacks. His absence has been so sorely missed as his impact at his new club Chelsea has shown.
Another key factor in their failings this season has been the performances of the big six. With new management at Manchester City, United and Chelsea, and improvements made to Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham, it seem like order has been restored and Leicester have been left in limbo.
It is undeniable that what Leicester achieved last season will go down in the history books, but it is clear that as stated, they are not what they were and may never do it again. The big six I am sure will not let that happen.
