Life in the Premier League can be difficult even at the best of times, because it’s such an everchanging landscape. A few years ago the same teams were finishing in the same positions year in and year out, but these days, things are a little bit more unpredictable. You could try and make the argument that the top six is solid and will be for a long time to come, but the likes of Leicester City have proven that it doesn’t matter how much money you have – because the underdog can always come back to bite you.
Speaking of Leicester, we want to talk a little bit about the Foxes and what the future holds for them. This past season has been a pretty turbulent one to say the least, from the tragic loss of their chairman to a solid top half finish in the Premier League. They’re still just a few years removed from their unbelievable title win, and whilst many fans thought they may drop back down into the relegation battle, they’ve proven themselves to be more than capable of holding their own in the top flight.
Head in the game
In the last few months of the campaign they were particularly impressive, and that actually came under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers of all people. Rodgers has had one of the most intriguing career trajectories we’ve seen in years when it comes to management, and that’s no exaggeration. During his days at Swansea it always felt like he was pretty underrated, and upon signing with Liverpool, it looked like he was truly going to fulfil his potential by guiding the Reds to their first ever Premier League title.
He couldn’t quite manage to get them over the line, though, and after being dismissed for poor performances later on, it certainly seemed like the wheels were falling off a little bit. Fans had started to turn on him and mock him, despite the fact that he’d had a lot of success up to that point.
A different challenge
Then came his tenure with Celtic which, as we’ll all remember, was littered with a series of trophies and cup finals. Some will say that Scottish football is pretty simple and while there may be something to that idea, it’s still pretty unfair to push his many achievements to the side like that.
Thankfully, upon his return to English football with Leicester, it seems as if the laughter and jokes have subsided. Why? Because he’s got Leicester playing like genuine contenders for a spot in Europe again. We’ll have to wait and see whether or not this is nothing more than a surge of positive momentum, but even if it is, Leicester supporters should just try and enjoy the ride while it lasts.
The bookmakers seem to believe they could be in the hunt for a top half spot once again and it’s hard to argue against that, but the real test is going to be how Rodgers deals with what is sure to be a busy summer transfer window.
