We can all agree the English Premier League has become one of the most competitive leagues in the world. The main reason for this is the TV revenues have now become astronomical and all the football clubs in the EPL will be getting huge chunks of revenues derived from BT Sport, Sky Sports, and foreign broadcasters. This has meant that the stranglehold of the traditionally big clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal; who all finish at the top of the table at the end of every season is now a thing of the past.
The Miracle
Nothing has proven this as much as witnessing the rise of Leicester City and they’re near perfect accession to the top of the Premier League last season; when the club under Claudio Ranieri, won the English Premier League title.
Leicester City’s fans and some learned sporting gurus were expecting the club would at least be in the top ten this season; especially when it was learnt that players like Jamie Vardy pledged their loyalty to The Foxes and fans. However, the dream of Leicester competing with the big guys came crashing down pretty quickly; and truly became a nightmare with the sacking of Claudio Ranieri on 23rd February 2017, as the club hovered one point above the relegation zone.
The New Boss
The Italian was then replaced with 53 year old Craig Shakespeare; and as luck would have it, immediately had a positive impact on the team’s performance. Under this caretaker manager, Leicester City won their two games since the departure of Ranieri; and are now looking much more likely to stay up, as they are currently in 15th position in the table with 27 points to their name.
Twists and Turns
However, the season still has some twist and turns; any club’s fortunes can change in a couple of games. So, the players will need to focus and with Craig being rumored to be staying till the end of the season; one would hope that everyone has a vested interest in regaining some self respect and a decent place in the EPL table.
There is belief that Leicester look poised for a comeback, however the reality is that they are only five points off the bottom three. Plus, they have yet to register an Away Win in the Premier League, rumors rife of unrest in the dressing room and recognizing that no match in the toughest league in the world is easy; all translates into an exciting end to the season, at least for the neutral fans!
