Weclome to What The Fox, this is a generic weekly discussion thread about anything Blue Army or related matters! As usual, don't chat shit or you'll get banged and this is not a vehicle for fans from other clubs to troll or otherwise push their bias.

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Weclome to What The Fox, this is a generic weekly discussion thread about anything Blue Army or related matters! As usual, don't chat shit or you'll get banged and this is not a vehicle for fans from other clubs to troll or otherwise push their bias.

Any articles, images, or the like should still be their own posts. Lastly, if a conversation becomes large enough, we may lock that particular thread and recommend it become a post in it's own right.

If you have any issues, do flag to the mod team, and we'll resollve ASAP.

Weclome to What The Fox, this is a generic weekly discussion thread about anything Blue Army or related matters! As usual, don't chat shit or you'll get banged and this is not a vehicle for fans from other clubs to troll or otherwise push their bias.

Any articles, images, or the like should still be their own posts. Lastly, if a conversation becomes large enough, we may lock that particular thread and recommend it become a post in it's own right.

If you have any issues, do flag to the mod team, and we'll resollve ASAP.

Weclome to What The Fox, this is a generic weekly discussion thread about anything Blue Army or related matters! As usual, don't chat shit or you'll get banged and this is not a vehicle for fans from other clubs to troll or otherwise push their bias.

Any articles, images, or the like should still be their own posts. Lastly, if a conversation becomes large enough, we may lock that particular thread and recommend it become a post in it's own right.

If you have any issues, do flag to the mod team, and we'll resollve ASAP.

Weclome to What The Fox, this is a generic weekly discussion thread about anything Blue Army or related matters! As usual, don't chat shit or you'll get banged and this is not a vehicle for fans from other clubs to troll or otherwise push their bias.

Any articles, images, or the like should still be their own posts. Lastly, if a conversation becomes large enough, we may lock that particular thread and recommend it become a post in it's own right.

If you have any issues, do flag to the mod team, and we'll resollve ASAP.

Now that the sun has set on another season it’s time to reflect on our performance throughout and look forward to how next season could go.

TLDR; Much improved season but game management has cost us throughout. Continued strong recruitment for next season especially at Manager position.

Let’s begin with the raw stats.

We finished 10th for the second successive season but amassed our highest points total of 18 in the WSL alongside our best goal scoring season with 26 goals for and our best defensive season conceding 45 goals against. An improvement of 11 more goals scored and 3 fewer goals conceded than last season.

We finished third in our Continental Cup group losing only one game to Manchester United which ultimately cost us progression to the knockouts.

Furthermore, we reached the FA Cup semi final for the first time in our history, dominating lower league teams along the way.

Our top 5 goal scorers (in all competitions):

Rantala - 10

Cayman - 7

Petermann - 6

Tierney - 4

O’Brien/Whelan/Rose - 3

Top 5 assist providers (in all competitions):

Rantala - 7

Momiki - 5

Petermann - 4

Tierney - 4

Takarada - 3

End of season awards winners:

Player of the Season - Rantala

Players player - Rantala

Goal of the Season - Goodwin vs Liverpool

Academy Player of the Season - Kiera Bell

Congratulations to all. Now on to the review proper.

We start with the positives. Recruitment has been great this year. The additions of Petermann, Rantala and Cayman have increased our goal scoring output and the acquisitions of Lietzig, Kop, Thibaud, Rose, Momiki and Takarada has added greater depth and quality to our squad and made us a more competitive team throughout the season.

We very rarely sat in against teams, aimed to play out from the back and press opposition back lines which served us well and earned plaudits from around the league especially early on in the campaign.

Additionally we have a very solid tandem of goalkeepers in Leitzig and Kop that have shown they can be rotated in for each other and not effect the confidence of the team in front of them which is a great bonus.

Finally, we continue to see success in our youth academy with them winning the double of the PGA Plate and County Cup as well as academy players continuing to get minutes in the senior team.

Now, unfortunately, the negatives.

Elephant in the room is the managerial situation. After Kirk’s dismissal for unprofessional conduct and Foster stepping down as interim manager with the conclusion of the season we are now searching for our fourth manager in three seasons in the WSL.

Something is very clearly not right behind the scenes when our last 2 male managers have crossed professional boundaries with players and our last permanent female manager was unceremoniously dismissed hours after a giving a pre match press conference. Questions have to be asked about how our next manager is going to be recruited, monitored and assessed by the higher ups. This inconsistency has been reflected in our on pitch performances and the players must be commended for how they have handled the off pitch turmoil.

To be optimistic, whomever the next manager shall be they need to keep pushing the progressive, attacking football we have developed under Kirk whilst making us a less porous side defensively and able to manage games better and see them out especially when we have the lead.

Which very neatly leads me to our biggest downside this campaign, our game management.

All of our 4 league victories this season came against two teams (Bristol City and Everton) half of those came in the opening two games of the season (where we were briefly top of the league 🙌🏻) and the other 2 came in three games at the end of January/beginning of February. That is a long time to go without success without it effecting not only our league standing but the morale of the team.

It has been a reverse of our previous seasons where instead of seeing us floundering at the bottom to pop up at the end of the season we have seen us have an electric start only to slowly but surely watch our league position erode away.

The story of our season was giving up leads and losing points from winning positions happening 7 times in the league. The most defining examples is being 2-0 up at halftime at home to Arsenal, being the better side only to be decimated in the second half and lose 6-2. Drawing 1-1 in stoppage time to a 10 player West Ham and both games against Brighton. First surrendering a two goal advantage in the final 10 minutes of the away fixture to draw the game and then taking the lead at home to only go 2-1 down, fight back to level the tie but lose to another goal conceded in the last 5 minutes.

Of those 7 leads and potential 21 points lost, if we win against West Ham and Brighton, that’s 9 points in our favour and we would be celebrating a much stronger finish to our season.

With regards to looking forward to next season I do feel we have very strong foundations to build upon and become even more competitive not only in the league but have strong cup runs as proven by our results in a tough Conti Cup group and our semi final appearance in the FA Cup.

As for personnel we have a squad full of internationals with at least half a season of chemistry with each other, excellent training facilities and the privilege of playing at the King Power for home league games.

Obviously we need a quality manager to lead us. I would have jumped at the chance to take on Carla Ward but she is taking time out to spend time with her family. Aside from her I am not so well versed in the women’s managerial landscape to make an educated suggestion. Maybe Melissa Phillips, formerly of Brighton who seemed to have good respect from her players and a decent track record with London City Lionesses and Brighton.

For players I would like to see another striker brought in. When Petermann isn’t available we lack a focal point up top and Siemsen hasn’t been relied upon much when fit.

Cover at full back would be a priority as well. Bott is outstanding and we can always rely on the experience of Cayman but depth is definitely an issue. Ale did a decent job towards the tail end of the season but is only on loan and Nevin has seemingly dropped down the pecking order.

Further depth in the middle with the departure of Whelan and a younger, more modern centre half (think Plumptre) to complement the guile and physicality that we have in place.

A third experienced keeper wouldn’t go amiss to cover for injury to Kop or Leitzig.

I’m genuinely excited to see how we play with a fully fit complement of wingers next year as that is where we are stacked with promise: Rantala, Rose, Cain, Goodwin, O’Brien and Momiki (on occasion) offer a truly dangerous outlet for us and pose any defender a headache.

One final note. Thank you to Whelan for her services as our club Captain for the last two seasons. She has led by example, never kicked up a fuss not being a starter this season and always given 100% on the pitch. May she enjoy her retirement from football.

Feel free to add your own thoughts and opinions and we look forward to improving further in the off season.

COYF 🦊

Weclome to What The Fox, this is a generic weekly discussion thread about anything Blue Army or related matters! As usual, don't chat shit or you'll get banged and this is not a vehicle for fans from other clubs to troll or otherwise push their bias.

Any articles, images, or the like should still be their own posts. Lastly, if a conversation becomes large enough, we may lock that particular thread and recommend it become a post in it's own right.

If you have any issues, do flag to the mod team, and we'll resollve ASAP.

For those discussing on this match thread, the rules are as follows:

1. This is Leicester City sub, therefore we are all rooting for the Blue Army
2. No abuse or derogatory comments towards anyone for any reason
3. Do not create spin off threads about your thoughts on the ongoing match
4. If you see any violation of the above or sub rules, please flag for us Mods to address.

For select areras, you can watch the match on The FA Player

If you want to join the wider discussion or Live Chat, please come join us on Discord.

Location: Filbert Way, King Power Stadium

Time: 1500BST, 28/04/24

Channels: The FA Player

Team News

(Out / Unlikely / Suspended )

Leicester:

• Cain
• Draper

Liverpool:

• Matthews
• Fahey
• Van de Sanden
• Lundgaard

NB: Accurate as of 1451BST 15/05/24

Weclome to What The Fox, this is a generic weekly discussion thread about anything Blue Army or related matters! As usual, don't chat shit or you'll get banged and this is not a vehicle for fans from other clubs to troll or otherwise push their bias.

Any articles, images, or the like should still be their own posts. Lastly, if a conversation becomes large enough, we may lock that particular thread and recommend it become a post in it's own right.

If you have any issues, do flag to the mod team, and we'll resollve ASAP.

Weclome to What The Fox, this is a generic weekly discussion thread about anything Blue Army or related matters! As usual, don't chat shit or you'll get banged and this is not a vehicle for fans from other clubs to troll or otherwise push their bias.

Any articles, images, or the like should still be their own posts. Lastly, if a conversation becomes large enough, we may lock that particular thread and recommend it become a post in it's own right.

If you have any issues, do flag to the mod team, and we'll resollve ASAP.