Premier League 15/16 II: Let's All Try (and Fail) to Hate the Foxes

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Last thread was at capacity.

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[Blender]

It's impossible to hate the best story in sports.

 

[ProPAIN]

I just can't hate Leicester. Especially with Ranieri as manager. They epitomise team work and even though they have valuable players like Vardy, Mahrez and Kanté, it's evident that it's a team effort. They work their ***** off and don't revert to dirty tricks or boring tactics to win games.

They weren't even considered a top 6 team in the EPL at the start of the season which makes this an even more impressive feat. This isn't like a Tottenham, Lyon, Atletico, Roma or Dortmund winning the league.

Hats off to them.

 

[Blender]

I just can't hate Leicester. Especially with Ranieri as manager. They epitomise team work and even though they have valuable players like Vardy, Mahrez and Kanté, it's evident that it's a team effort. They work their ***** off and don't revert to dirty tricks or boring tactics to win games.

They weren't even considered a top 6 team in the EPL at the start of the season which makes this an even more impressive feat. This isn't like a Tottenham, Lyon, Atletico, Roma or Dortmund winning the league.

Hats off to them.

Their goal this season was to avoid relegation, and instead they are on track to win the title. It's crazy.

 

[Pouchkine]

What about the doping allegations? That would explain lots of things...

 

[ProPAIN]

What about the doping allegations? That would explain lots of things...

The story coming from a fraud doctor? It was debunked. A pathetic attempt to put stir something up and put pressure on them.

 

[Evilo]

And what about the league investigating their money accounts?

That does seem a WHOLE LOT like the league doesn't want Leicester to win.

 

[East Coast Bias]

And what about the league investigating their money accounts?

That does seem a WHOLE LOT like the league doesn't want Leicester to win.

What's going on with this? I didn't see anything about it. What are they investigating? FFP type inquiry?

 

[spintheblackcircle]

http://www.theguardian.com/football...ball-league-financial-fair-play-investigation


One owner of a club in the Championship in the 2013-14 season, who did not want to be named because he said the league investigation has to run its course, said: “What Leicester did looks like financial doping by the owners, while other clubs were complying with the rules we all agreed.” A senior director of another 2013-14 Championship club, who also did not want to be named for the same reason, said he believes the Trestellar deal looks like a means of cheating the FFP rules.

Damian Collins, the Conservative MP on the House of Commons culture, media and sport committee, said: “Leicester should answer the questions publicly, to explain this arrangement, which looks unusual to say the least, to reassure people it was not an attempt to evade the FFP rules.”

 

[VEGASKING]

Leicester were 5000 to 1. Got to be the biggest upset in the history of sports.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Leicester were 5000 to 1. Got to be the biggest upset in the history of sports.

Agreed, nothing short of a miracle. If not the biggest, certainly up there.

 

[Chimaera]

I don't think cooking the books, if that's what happened, should be allowed to go unpunished, but let us not act like this practice isn't happening around the continent in multiple places.

 

[Pouchkine]

It's not even close to be an all time greatest upset thing in all of sports. In soccer yes it's a pretty big one but overall not at all. People showing an incredible lack of historical knowledge. What surprise.

 

[maclean]

I don't think cooking the books, if that's what happened, should be allowed to go unpunished, but let us not act like this practice isn't happening around the continent in multiple places.

Plus, if they were helping themselves out financially somehow, it doesn't really change the fact that they've done a lot more with less

 

[Blender]

It's not even close to be an all time greatest upset thing in all of sports. In soccer yes it's a pretty big one but overall not at all. People showing an incredible lack of historical knowledge. What surprise.

Not many teams go from dead last to first in a highly competitive league in less than a year. This is shaping up to be a historic feat, and how it's judged all time is pretty subjective.

 

[East Coast Bias]

It's not even close to be an all time greatest upset thing in all of sports. In soccer yes it's a pretty big one but overall not at all. People showing an incredible lack of historical knowledge. What surprise.

It's a massive upset.

They were 5,000 to 1 to win it.

Preseason NHL, the worst to win the cup were Arizona at 250-1.

MLB the Phillies are 500-1 to win the WS.

No North American sport has had 25 years of only 4-5 teams having any chance of winning it. The same 4-5 teams that is.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

It's not even close to be an all time greatest upset thing in all of sports. In soccer yes it's a pretty big one but overall not at all. People showing an incredible lack of historical knowledge. What surprise.

By all means, enlighten us.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

I've read that Nottingham Forest winning the league in 1977-1978 was more unlikely.

 

[Blender]

I've read that Nottingham Forest winning the league in 1977-1978 was more unlikely.

Don't know what the odds were, but according to wikipedia they won the league in 77-78 a year after winning promotion to the league. They are the last team to have done that, but Leicester will accomplish the same thing if they win the league this season.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

....no, Leicester was in the top flight last year. Nottingham was not in the top flight the year before they won.

 

[Blender]

....no, Leicester was in the top flight last year. Nottingham was not in the top flight the year before they won.

You're right, I misread it. They won promotion in 76-77 and won the top league in 77-78.

 

[hatterson]

So assuming that ManU or West Ham don't catch up to City this year, it looks like the top 4 will head to the CL as usual, along with the FA cup winner and seeds 5 and 6.

That's because City's spot in the Europa (via league cup win) is redistributed if they earn a Champions League spot.

If West Ham or ManU win the FA cup (and you have to assume whoever wins tomorrow is the favorite), you could have seed 7 make the Europa too which gives an outside shot to a team like Stoke although Stoke has to play Spurs and ManCity this week and next which might put that spot out of reach. Southhampton (currently 7th) has Everton and then Villa and should be favored in both, especially the 2nd. Liverpool (currently 8, but only 2 points back with 2 less games) has Bournemouth, Everton and Newcastle in the next week and a half.

 

[ProPAIN]

Chelsea had an outside shot too, but they royally ****ed it up this past weekend.

 

[Pouchkine]

When I think about the biggest upsets I look at teams winning coming from lower divisions and or amateurs beating pros. Or how amateur players from USA won olympic gold in hockey. This is the kind of stuff that should be a the top of every list.

And let's no pretend like this Leicester team wins a league in front of Bayern Barcelona Real quality teams. It's been a disastrous season for every big team in England and the weakest epl field in years.

 

[hatterson]

Yea, Chelsea had an outside shot. But with that loss and the fact that they have a rough schedule, they're likely too far back unless Southampton slips a lot.

Three of Chelsea's last 6 are against top 4 teams. Although th Leicester game is the last week and they'll likely have the title wrapped up, so they might get an easier game there.