Foxes fall is no worry for fans

All good things must come to an end and in the case of Leicester it appears that is very much true.

16th in the Premiership, two points above safety and without a league win since October.

It’s not exactly how many champions follow up their most successful season but at the end of the day, who will really care?

Those who have endured years of agony watching the Foxes flounder in the lower leagues would have bit your hand off for a season like last year.

It’s clear that Claudio Ranieri has switched his side’s priority this year away from the domestic scene.

The gamble has paid off because Leicester are now through to the last 16 of the Champions League as winners of their group.

They have the joint best defence – having conceded only one goal in five games – and are unbeaten.

Their campaign comes to an end tonight against Porto in arguably their toughest match.

But it’s irrelevant as they are guaranteed to play a second-place team.

Back in May 2015 – after Leicester had escaped relegation – if you had offered any Foxes fan the following two-season plan I think they would have accepted it.

You could win the league, make the last 16 of the Champions League and get relegated from the Premiership.

The highs far outweigh the lows and no wonder Leicester fans are enjoying the ride while it lasts.

So when you see them losing to Sunderland as they did on the weekend it doesn’t register as much of a shock.

In reality, it’s where you expect a team like Leicester to be.

Much has been made about what Ranieri’s side are missing and it’s no denying that N’Golo Kante has been a huge miss this year.

But if this is truly a team who are in free fall then that makes their European performances all the more impressive.

At a time when Tottenham failed to qualify for the last 16 it is no given that the English ‘powerhouses’ waltz into the next round.

In fact, as it stands on Tuesday night before the last round of games, Leicester will be the only British team to top their group.

Arguably they have a slightly easier group but

The highs far outweigh the lows for Leicester

the achievement remains impressive for European debutants.

On the flipside, we can also look at our champions in Europe’s premier competition and see the clear gulf.

Celtic were handed a terribly tough group of Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach.

On course for two points it’s not a great indictment of our champions albeit in a hard group.

But had Celtic been in Leicester’s group, would they have made it look so easy? I don’t think so.

Leicester will continue to struggle in the league whilst they’re in Europe.

And not one supporter should care.