No sign of Foxes’ run stalling at Newcastle
WHEN Newcastle United were top of the Premier League 20 years ago and chasing the title they became everyone’s secondfavourite team.
There are a lot of similarities with the Leicester City side going for the title now. I think the majority of football fans want them to do it.
If results go their way this weekend, Leicester could be eight points clear of Tottenham, who would have just one game in hand.
And who would bet against them? They are still playing with the same belief they had in the first few weeks of the season and with the same intensity and energy.
You keep expecting there to be a reality check or a sign of nerves, but there is no stopping them.
No doubt there were a few concerns among Leicester fans and coaches when Riyad Mahrez pulled up last week but it looks like he will be fit to face Newcastle.
He has been my player of the season and Claudio Ranieri will be desperate to have him for the final run-in.
Not that Ranieri would give much away if Mahrez was seriously injured. He still looks relaxed, still looks like he is enjoying every second of it and, because of his little eccentricities, he’s got everyone behind him.
Contrast Leicester with tomorrow’s opponents Newcastle United and you can only see one outcome when they meet at the King Power Stadium.
The way that treated Steve McClaren this week was absolutely despicable.
Football is supposed to be about treating people properly and with respect. It isn’t about stats and numbers but personalities and characters.
Why it took so long to get Rafa Benitez into St James’ Park, only Newcastle will know. But it has been completely unfair on McClaren, and cannot have been helpful to the players in the build-up to this game.
This is a totally different experience for Benitez who is used to coaching teams and players at the top end of leagues across Europe. To go from managing Real Madrid in the Champions League a few weeks ago, to keeping Newcastle out of the Championship is incredible.
He is known for being cold, calculated and tactically quite defensive. The mess they’re in, he might be just what these under-achieving players need.