PICK YOUR FAIRY-TALE
FROM relegation strugglers to title favourites in less than a year, Leicester City’s remarkable rise has been the story of the season, with many neutrals hoping they can clinch the English Premier League title in May.
As the team most likely to stop them, Tottenham Hotspur have become the pantomime villain in the Foxes’ fairytale. But with the chance to win their first league title in 55 years, their story is just as remarkable as that of Leicester.
Last season Tottenham finished fifth in the Premier League — 23 points behind champions Chelsea — and conceded as many goals as relegated Burnley.
In less than 12 months, their improvement has been remarkable. Not only are they the top scorers in the league, but they also now have the best defence. Only in terms of taking their chances have Spurs failed to improve, despite Harry Kane having another excellent season.
Ranked as sixth favourites for the title at odds of 150-1 by many bookmakers at the start of the season, Tottenham could become the first side to finish outside the top four one season and win the title the next since their archrivals Arsenal in 1989.
Achieving that feat would see them win their first top-flight title since 1961 and only the third in their history, moving them level with the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town.
It is 20 years since former Scottish football player and BBC TV pundit Alan Hansen’s famous claim that “you can’t win anything with kids” was disproved by a title-winning Manchester United side brimming with talented youngsters such as Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Gary Neville.
However, if Tottenham do win the title this season, they would outdo even that side to become the youngest champions in Premier League history.
Although there is concern over the number of English players in the Premier League, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has placed great faith in them, with Kane, Eric Dier, Dele Alli, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose heavily involved in Spurs’ title challenge.
Only four Premier League teams have given more minutes this season to English players than Tottenham, while the three title favourites at the start of the campaign — Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal — have, along with Newcastle United, given the least.
The understanding between Alli and Kane is actually the most prolific in Europe’s top five leagues this season, with the midfielder setting up seven of the striker’s goals — a fact that will please England manager Roy Hodgson heading into Euro 2016.
If the club’s English players continue to play such an integral part and help them win the league, Tottenham would be the champions with the most English representation since Manchester United lifted the trophy in 2001.
One of the reasons why Leicester’s title challenge is so remarkable is that they are outdoing the big-spending clubs of the Premier League.
But while Tottenham have spent £256million on players over the past five seasons — still significantly less than the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Liverpool — they have sold an incredible £293-million worth of talent, meaning they have actually brought in more money than they’ve spent in that time.
Even Leicester in their two seasons back in the Premier League have a net spend of £48-million compared to Tottenham’s £7-million.
In an era in which it is often claimed that English players are too expensive, it is worth noting that Rose, Alli and Dier cost a combined £10-million.
It is well known that Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri is yet to win a major league title in his managerial career, but Tottenham’s title challenge is being led by a man who is yet to win a trophy of any kind as a manager.
Ranieri has experience of winning the Coppa Italia with Fiorentina and the Copa del Rey with Valencia. However, Pochettino would become the first manager for whom the Premier League trophy would be his first silverware if Spurs were to be successful in May.
In any other Premier League season, a club going from title outsiders to title challengers by shrewdly assembling a squad of young players with a strong English core under a manager yet to win a trophy would be the story of the season. That it is not makes Tottenham the Cristiano Ronaldo of this season’s Premier League — a fantastic story in their own right, but just unfortunate that an arguably even better one is taking place at the same time.
Leicester’s story is undoubtedly incredible, but Tottenham lifting the trophy in May would arguably also be the most remarkable title win in Premier League history. — bbc.com LEICESTER City moved closer to the English Premier League title yesterday without kicking a ball.
Their closest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, who were five points behind the Foxes, dropped points in a frantic 1-1 draw at Liverpool. Harry Kane struck in the 63rd minute, to cancel out Philippe Coutinho’s opener for Liverpool.
Leicester host Southampton today, and a win could virtually seal the title.
With the pressure off, Arsenal and Manchester City each breezed to onesided 4-0 victories yesterday as they kept their Premier League title hopes flickering.
Nigerian teenager Alex Iwobi scored for the second game running as Arsenal crushed their FA Cup conquerors Watford, while Kevin De Bruyne netted on his return from injury as City eased to victory ENGLISH CLASS: Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, top, and Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur have set the Premier League alight with their exploits in front of goal at Bournemouth.
Both teams remain some distance behind Leicester: City trail by 12 points, with Arsenal four points better off in third place.
“I am very happy because it was a good performance,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. “It gives us a chance.”
West Ham United dropped points in the race for Champions League qualification after Cheikhou Kouyate was sent off in a 2-2 home draw against London rivals Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United were left six points adrift of safety after Martin Olsson’s dramatic 93rd-minute strike earned Norwich City a potentially pivotal 3-2 win in a relegation tussle at Carrow Road.
Watford’s 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium last month ended Arsenal’s two-year reign as FA Cup holders and Wenger’s
CLAUDIO Ranieri has revealed the secrets behind Leicester City’s remarkable season, insisting the English Premier League’s surprise story “gives hope to everybody”.
In a wide-ranging interview, Ranieri offered an intriguing insight into Leicester’s unlikely challenge for the title by opening up about tactics, diet and even days off.
They play Southampton today in their charge towards the title.
Ranieri’s appointment in July was seen as a huge gamble but the Italian has guided Leicester to the top of the league and gate-crashed the established elite.
He is refusing to shift from his cautious persona, at least publicly, but has given a detailed account of his approach, starting from the first day of pre-season training in Austria.
“When I arrived in August, I started to look at the videos of all the games from the previous season. When I spoke with the players I realised that they were afraid of the Italian tactics,” he said.
“They did not look convinced, and neither was I. I have great admiration for those who build new tactical systems, but I always thought the most important thing a good coach must do is to build the team around the characteristics of his players. So I told the players that I trusted them and would speak very little of tactics.
“It was important to me that they all ran hard, just as I’d seen running towards the end of last season.”
Ranieri had not operated in English football since his departure from Chelsea in 2004, enduring a miserable experience in his last post before Leicester as manager of the Greece national team.
But the Italian has adapted his methodology since returning to the Premier League, giving his players “at least” two days off a week in a strategy that appears to contradict the relentless grind of Italian football.
He said: “My boys are training a lot, but not too many times. In England, the game is always high intensity and wipes people out. They need more time to recover. We play on Saturdays and then Sunday is free for everyone. We resume on Monday with light training, the way they do it in Italy.
Sergio Aguero added a third goal in the 19th minute with a header from Navas’s cross before Aleksandar Kolarov slammed home a fine fourth in stoppage time.
West Ham are now three points below City in fifth after dropping points against Palace, who went ahead through Damien Delaney’s 15th-minute header.
Manuel Lanzini swiftly equalised before Dimitri Payet put West Ham ahead with another sublime freekick, but Kouyate was then contentiously dismissed for a high foot on Dwight Gayle, who netted Palace’s equaliser.
Rafael Benitez’s mission to steer Newcastle to safety received a serious setback at Carrow Road. Twice Norwich went ahead, through Timm Klose’s header and Dieumerci Mbokani’s rasping strike, only for substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic to equalise on each occasion, the second time
“Tuesday is hard training, Wednesday absolute rest. Thursday another hard workout, Friday is preparation for the match, Saturday another game.
“I make sure the players have at least two days off from football each week. This is the pact I made with the players on the first day: I trust you. I’ll explain a little football ideas every now and then, as long as you give me everything.”
It appears that Ranieri’s relaxed approach even stretches to the training ground canteen, even though his introduction was a shock.
“Sometimes we sit at the dinner table and I am frightened at how much they eat. I’ve never seen players so hungry! The first few times I was surprised, then I learned to smile. If they run this hard, they can eat what they like,” he said.
“In England they are aware they’re young, healthy and in a great job. It would be stupid to waste all that. When they train, they always put in the same effort as a match. I never once had to tell someone off for being lazy.”
Leicester have won admirers for their energy and commitment, with talented stars such as striker Jamie Vardy and winger Riyad Mahrez supplemented by the solidity and discipline of midfielder N’Golo Kante and defender Robert Huth.
They also seem to be thriving on the challenge of upsetting the odds, with Austrian international Christian Fuchs even recently admitting: “We’re just having fun.”
And Ranieri, 64, has admitted that a relaxed dressing room is the key to their astonishing campaign.
“They so need to be relaxed and not harassed. They expect calm and respect in the dressing room, so if you want to be a prima donna, they won’t forgive you for it,” he said.
“I always tell my players to find the fire within themselves. A chance like this will never come round again. Seek that fire, don’t be ashamed of it. And they are not ashamed, if anything they demand to dream.” So can Leicester win the title? “I don’t know, but it’s fantastic that we’ve earned the question. When I arrived the chairman asked me for 24 points by Christmas — we got 37 or 39, I can’t remember how many. And we are still up there now,” said Ranieri.
“In an era when money counts for everything, I think we give hope to everybody.” — © The Daily Telegraph, London with an 86th-minute penalty.
But deep into added time Olsson drove home from Jonny Howson’s lay-off to earn Alex Neil’s side a vital victory.
“Now it is more difficult, but we have to keep confident that we can still do it,” Newcastle manager Benitez said. “If we start winning games, we still have time.”
Newcastle are now six points below Norwich, albeit with a game in hand, while northeast rivals Sunderland are two points above them after drawing 0-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion.
Bottom club Aston Villa are 15 points from safety after their wretched season continued with an abject 4-0 home defeat by Chelsea.
In the day’s remaining game Gylfi Sigurdsson and Alberto Paloschi scored as Swansea City came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Stoke City. — AFP