The true secret of Leicester City's success / doping thread merged

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

There are many examples of highly unlikely title winners. A few are the following.
1984/85 Verona, Serie A. Juventus had Platini, Inter had Rummenigge, Roma had Falcao and Napoli had Maradonna.
1990/91 Sampdoria, Serie A. Only formed in 1946 they beat all the usual subjects, as did Verona. Both of these were at a time when Serie A was the equivalent of the PL now.
Nantes in 94/95 went from likely relegation candidates to champions. Wenger thinks this is very similar to Leicester. Nantes were begging to loan players, manager moaned to Wenger they were certain to go down but they went 32 games unbeaten.
Deportivo won La Ligue in 2000/01 beating Barca and Real, as did Atletico in 13/14.
The Turtle took AZ Alkmaar to the title in Holland in 08/09 with a 28 match unbeaten run. Beating PSV, Ajax etc.
Whilst Leicester are unusual they are by no means unique and should get maximum credit for taking their opportunity when it came.

 

[aguero93:20]

If people like collymore and wenger are so confident that the use of PED's is rife then they should start naming names. If even collymore knows it is going on then it won't be that hard to prove.

Collymore doesn't have any names, he has far too big a mouth to keep them to himself.

 

[Cityfan]

No the European teams weren't drastically better than our teams...if you remember Forest beat the might of Malmo in the final,that shows you there wasn't a vast gulf in class at that time.It was also a straight two legged knockout competition so easier to win.

Spurs have always been there or thereabouts in the top four for a few seasons now and have spent a fortune,West Ham have spent a fair amount of cash too and have been established in the premier league for a few seasons now.

We are going to have to agree to disagree on this point. Leicester winning the premier league this season will go down as one of the shocks of all time,it is incredible.Even more unbelievable they have won it almost at a canter,it could even be as much as 10 points or more if results pan out that way.From escaping relegation the season before to comfortably winning the hardest league in the world with a minimal cash outlay in player additions....as I said....incredible!

I agree that its an unlikely result which in my opinion makes it a very creditable one.
But Occams razor suggests that if there is no evidence of an increase in physical prowess drugs are an unlikely explanation.
Until I see proper evidence rather than coo gosh his eyes looked big afterwards I will continue to give Leicester credit. If evidence emerges to suggest otherwise I may change my mind.

 

[Worst Case Ontario]

The best thing about Leicester winning league is that bitters even after finishing above us, United, Chelsea, Arse, Liverpool still managed to lose title :D

 

[ultimateharold]

Clearly it's the groundswell of hardcore support carrying them to the title. From the BBC:

Leicester City are on the brink of pulling off one of sport's greatest fairytales - even the bookies thought there was more chance of finding the Loch Ness Monster than the Foxes winning the Premier League. But what impact have they had on the people of the city?

Ash Patel, 40, had been a lifelong Liverpool fan until Leicester City were promoted to the Premier League.

The father-of-two from Leicester is now a season ticket holder at the King Power Stadium and regularly takes his sons, who were previously Chelsea fans, to the games.

"When I was younger all my friends supported the bigger teams," he told BBC Asian Network.

"I didn't think about supporting my own city because we wanted to watch the bigger players and it was all about winning matches.

"I never saw Leicester getting there to the top."

 

[Walking on the blue moon]

There are many examples of highly unlikely title winners. A few are the following.
1984/85 Verona, Serie A. Juventus had Platini, Inter had Rummenigge, Roma had Falcao and Napoli had Maradonna.
1990/91 Sampdoria, Serie A. Only formed in 1946 they beat all the usual subjects, as did Verona. Both of these were at a time when Serie A was the equivalent of the PL now.
Nantes in 94/95 went from likely relegation candidates to champions. Wenger thinks this is very similar to Leicester. Nantes were begging to loan players, manager moaned to Wenger they were certain to go down but they went 32 games unbeaten.
Deportivo won La Ligue in 2000/01 beating Barca and Real, as did Atletico in 13/14.
The Turtle took AZ Alkmaar to the title in Holland in 08/09 with a 28 match unbeaten run. Beating PSV, Ajax etc.
Whilst Leicester are unusual they are by no means unique and should get maximum credit for taking their opportunity when it came.

Don't know about Serie A in the 80s and 90s, but tbh the two examples you raise about La Liga are not really highly unlikely title winners. Whilst certainly not favourites, they were very strong sides with a lot of excellent skillful players (far better than Leicester's). Deportivo at that time were known as "Super Depor", weren't they? And historically Atleti has always been one of the largest clubs in Spain, along with the likes of Barca, Real Madrid, Valencia and Bilbao. One or two years before winning La Liga, they won the Europa League.

Now look at Leicester's rise to top this year. Pre-season they were the favourites to be relegated, which says something about their players' quality. Although they should get some major credits for their achievements this year, I can't help but question if by normal means one could perform such a miracle, particularly if you look at how physical their style is and how they seem to not want the ball for a majority of the match. Coupled with their incredible luck in the fitness department, I guess doubts would always remain in my mind, unless investigations prove their innocence.

So I'm really not that happy to see Leicester win the league, but then Spurs fans (at least the ones I met) aren't very likeable.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Don't know about Serie A in the 80s and 90s, but tbh the two examples you raise about La Liga are not really highly unlikely title winners. Whilst certainly not favourites, they were very strong sides with a lot of excellent skillful players (far better than Leicester's). Deportivo at that time were known as "Super Depor", weren't they? And historically Atleti has always been one of the largest clubs in Spain, along with the likes of Barca, Real Madrid, Valencia and Bilbao. One or two years before winning La Liga, they won the Europa League.

Now look at Leicester's rise to top this year. Pre-season they were the favourites to be relegated, which says something about their players' quality. Although they should get some major credits for their achievements this year, I can't help but question if by normal means one could perform such a miracle, particularly if you look at how physical their style is and how they seem to not want the ball for a majority of the match. Coupled with their incredible luck in the fitness department, I guess doubts would always remain in my mind, unless investigations prove their innocence.

So I'm really not that happy to see Leicester win the league, but then Spurs fans (at least the ones I met) aren't very likeable.

Whilst it's fair enough to state that Atletico and Depotivo were not rising from nowhere, the fact remains that Deportivo had never won it before and have never won it since and, before 2013/14, Athletico had won it twice in 38 years. Where there are interesting parallels with Leicester are the Deportivo title. That year they won it with 69 points from 38 games. Then came Barca and Valencia with 64, Zaragoza 63 and Real 62. As it wasn't Depors fault in 99/2000, it's not Leicesters fault this year, that none of the usual suspects have turned up. They will probably win it with less than 81 and could be the winners with the second lowest points total.
In 2008 Chelsea and Arsenal got more and finished 2nd and 3rd. In 2009 Chesea got 83 and Liverpool 86, good enough for 2nd and 3rd again. 2010 rags got 86 which secured runners up spot. 2012 saw them second again with 89! 2014, 2nd and 3rd got 84 and 86 points. What this shows is, the real anomaly is not really Leicester but everyone else.
Finally, they don't need an investigation to prove their innocence. The whisperers and conspiracy theorists need one to prove their guilt.

 

[Walking on the blue moon]

Whilst it's fair enough to state that Atletico and Depotivo were not rising from nowhere, the fact remains that Deportivo had never won it before and have never won it since and, before 2013/14, Athletico had won it twice in 38 years. Where there are interesting parallels with Leicester are the Deportivo title. That year they won it with 69 points from 38 games. Then came Barca and Valencia with 64, Zaragoza 63 and Real 62. As it wasn't Depors fault in 99/2000, it's not Leicesters fault this year, that none of the usual suspects have turned up. They will probably win it with less than 81 and could be the winners with the second lowest points total.
In 2008 Chelsea and Arsenal got more and finished 2nd and 3rd. In 2009 Chesea got 83 and Liverpool 86, good enough for 2nd and 3rd again. 2010 rags got 86 which secured runners up spot. 2012 saw them second again with 89! 2014, 2nd and 3rd got 84 and 86 points. What this shows is, the real anomaly is not really Leicester but everyone else.
Finally, they don't need an investigation to prove their innocence. The whisperers and conspiracy theorists need one to prove their guilt.

What you are saying is true, but it isn't the entire story. Actually I thought the trajectory of Deportivo was a bit similar to City, though the ending was of course much more tragic. They had been in top 3 regularly for the decade before they won the title. And afterwards they constantly finished 2nd or 3rd until the resource of their owner was overstretched. So comparing Deportivo with Leicester is not fair to either club.

Whilst everyone else has been an anomaly this season, Leicester itself is rather abnormal too. When the big clubs perform badly, you would expect some other teams like Spurs and West Ham to take advantage, but not Leicester. I have no doubt of their player's commitment and hard work, but perhaps if their style is less physical (they themselves admit that too), I would be more convinced. And many of their players (e.g. Vardy, Huth and Morgan) are not young either.

Regardless of their innocence, I think an investigation of the whole league is long overdue. It is not conspiracy theory, but one only needs to take a look at the scandals over the years to know that football is not the cleanest sport in the world.

 

[Pell]

There are many examples of highly unlikely title winners. A few are the following.
1984/85 Verona, Serie A. Juventus had Platini, Inter had Rummenigge, Roma had Falcao and Napoli had Maradonna.
1990/91 Sampdoria, Serie A. Only formed in 1946 they beat all the usual subjects, as did Verona. Both of these were at a time when Serie A was the equivalent of the PL now.
Nantes in 94/95 went from likely relegation candidates to champions. Wenger thinks this is very similar to Leicester. Nantes were begging to loan players, manager moaned to Wenger they were certain to go down but they went 32 games unbeaten.
Deportivo won La Ligue in 2000/01 beating Barca and Real, as did Atletico in 13/14.
The Turtle took AZ Alkmaar to the title in Holland in 08/09 with a 28 match unbeaten run. Beating PSV, Ajax etc.
Whilst Leicester are unusual they are by no means unique and should get maximum credit for taking their opportunity when it came.

There was also Montpellier in 2012. Lower half finish last season (13th I think), one of the smallest budgets in France, and had to compete with newly bought PSG, who had Ancelotti in charge, plus Lyon who had reached the CL semi's just 2 years ago. Another unlikely league winner was Rubin Kazan in Russia, the first time in years a team outside Moscow won it, they then went on to beat Barcelona in the Nou Camp the next season in the CL. Their former manager now has Rostov second, just 2 off the top.

 

[Malty]

I can't wait until Leicester City Football Club win the league so the sooner we can move on and it will be yesterdays newspaper as it is getting nauseating hearing about it. Especially with the massive glamour European Championships in a month's time. And after that will be the new season straight after where everyone starts from zero. Let them have a few weeks to celebrate before the Euro's where everyone's attention will be on that.

The reality will finally hit: Leicester in the Champion's League!? pot 1?! your having a laugh !

It's a great achievement and nobody can take it away from Leicester City football club, but it actually creates more problems in the long term as every "little" club's fans will now be saying "why can't we do a Leicester?" and creates unrealistic expectations.. when in reality it is a freak season and every top team (including ourselves) should be ashamed to let it happen. Of course I could be proved wrong and "plucky" Leicester City will boss the league again next season aswell as CL LOL