Football Daily | Are Leicester tumbling towards a painfully awkward anniversary party?

13 hours ago 2

FALLING FOXES

Out there in the extended WhatsApp metaverse, an exclusive group of footballers send each other memes, jokes and probably much else besides. What goes encrypted stays encrypted but it was only last week that Christian Fuchs, reliable left-back turned Newport County manager, revealed his appointment to the Welsh club had set the notifications buzzing on the “Champions” group, made up of the 2015-16 Leicester City players. Ten years ago today, a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick at Swansea sent the Foxes to the Premier League summit. Jamie Vardy was denied a goal but had just completed a record-breaking streak of scoring in 11 consecutive matches. The following Monday, a 2-1 win over Chelsea sent José Mourinho through the Stamford Bridge door marked Do One. “I want to stay and I hope Mr Abramovich and the board want me to stay because I want to stay,” squealed José. “All at Chelsea thank José for his immense contribution …” came the reply.

That season, everyone trailed in the wake of a Vardy, Mahrez and N’Golo Kanté-charged wrecking ball. Next summer there will doubtless be a 10th anniversary celebration. Their story continues to defy belief. No tactical manual or chalkboard wonk ever divined the sheer inspiration of Claudio Ranieri’s “dilly ding dilly dong” motivational techniques. The problem with football is that you can never truly bask in the past. Just look at Manchester United’s constipations or the deleterious fall of Liverpool, actual champions whose performances have turned even the cheeriest Anfield fan into a Samuel Beckett tragicomedy. Though if you are mining for misery look no further than Leicester in 2025. There is the possibility that the 10th anniversary party will take place in League One.

Did the downfall begin the very next season? Where did it all go wrong, Mr Vardy? An opening-day loss at Hull, a team with no manager, was soon followed by Ranieri’s defenestration: dilly ding, dilly gone. Since then, there’s been tragedy in the 2018 helicopter crash that killed Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the club’s owner. And good money thrown after bad: Leicester have walked a financial tightrope that may lead to docked points soon, plunging them into the Championship’s relegation zone. When Vardy departed for Cremonese last summer, the last of the immortals departed the tower. The doom has doubled. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s failure to find any fight against relegation last season has been replicated by Martí Cifuentes.

Leicester lost their last two matches conceding three goals, to managerless Southampton and to Sheffield United, led by Chris Wilder, passed over for Cifuentes in the summer. In the stands of the King Power, fans who enjoyed such riches lament a team who, as the song goes, are not fit to wear the shirt. On Saturday near-neighbours and rivals Derby – who have lived out a similar fall from grace outwith a title celebration – will welcome the Foxes, while also hoping to add further misery to the sad coda of the Premier League’s greatest fairytale.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join our crack team for updates now from the Geopolitics World Cup 2026 draw, plus news around the ~~Donald Trump~~ Fifa peace prize and more.

The World Cup trophy on a sightseeing tour of DC

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We have Kobbie Mainoo” – Ruben Amorim uses a player who has not started a Premier League game all season as proof that he does trust Manchester United academy players.

Kobbie Mainoo getting ready to sit on the Manchester United bench, earlier.

Re: Phil Taverner’s letter o’ the day on Wednesday. Keith are unlikely to be lucky enough to end up in the same division (Lewis & Harris Football League) as us (Harris) but we would be delighted to welcome them over for a friendly to make the Orville derby happen! It’s what that duck would have wanted – and no one liked to see him cry. Win, lose or draw I’m sure there would be ‘Cuddles’ afterwards” – Andy Morrison, treasurer of Harris FC.

Further to Toby Blake’s mum and her ‘Keith’ remark: in early-September 1967, I was heading with a couple of mates to cheer on my local Irish League side Derry City and asked my ma to check for me how Spurs got on that afternoon – pre-mobile phones and internet days obviously. We returned late evening, well after the beloved teleprinter football results had been done and I ask: ‘Well, how did Spurs do.’ They got one,’ she says. I said: ‘Yes, but what about Burnley?’ ‘Oh, didn’t look at that’ was the reply. ‘You only asked me to check Spurs.’ Footnote: Burnley 5-1 Spurs” – Gordon McGilp.

I can’t believe you didn’t award Ken Muir Thursday’s prize for letter o’ the day. In a world where nothing makes sense any more, and where VAR awards penalties simply because a defensive midfielder allows a 6ft 7in defender to fall on top of him (yes, I’m a bitter Spurs fan), we should be rewarding someone like Ken for trying to establish order. The incorrect use of ‘comprised of’ made me sick to my bones” – Christian Goldsmith (and no others).

It was with scepticism that Chelsea signed Alejandro Garnacho from United – seemed a weird transfer. But with his new hair he’s transformed from looking like the evil ant in a Pixar film (at Manchester United) to Gary Numan (at Chelsea). Something Pat Nevin, with his new-wave/indie leanings, will no doubt appreciate. Hopefully he’ll travel on the District line and be a part of the tube-way army to Stamford Bridge” – Kai Jeans.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Kai Jeans, who wins our final copy of Mary Earps: All In. It caused a bit of a stir, you may remember.

Need a gift for that special football-obsessed person in your life? Well the Big Website Bookshop has loads of great reads available. You can even just treat yourself. Get shopping here!