The Fosse Way

To distract ourselves from one half of the things making us nervous this summer (who needs a manager or pre-season friendlies or kits?), we asked our writers about the other half; points deductions. Specifically, how would we feel if we were hit with the more extreme end of the punishment by a -12 point deduction?

A Zombie season

Iain Wright

Frankly, it’s ridiculous that we’re still speculating on the size of the deduction. This should have been sorted by now so we (and everyone else) know where we stand. Although we probably have played a part in the delay by being a little uncooperative/fighting our corner (there’s probably truth in both statements), we need this out the way soon so we can work out where we stand and budget accordingly.

Let’s be serious here, even without a deduction, and with all the best will in the world, it’d be tough to stay up, as is the case for any promoted team. But blimey, if it is as high as some have been speculating (double digits), then surely we shouldn’t even try as we’re staring down the barrel at a zombie season?

In that situation, sign Abdul Fatawu, as we’ve agreed that deal and he’s a superstar in the making, sell a few fringe players (we can hope!) and then go with what we’ve got. Hopefully that’ll mean we can turn a profit (hoping again) and stop the spiral.

Where that leaves us when the EFL get their hands on our 23/24 accounts and on us in 2025, who knows?

But this takes me back to my original point; we need to know. A 4-6 point deduction and we’re in our ‘happy place’; underdogs, fighting the establishment and so on. Any figure much higher than that, I’d say we need to be pragmatic and stop this vicious cycle.

Therefore, I look forward to the Premier League setting a date for us…and of course Chelsea’s and Man City’s charges (even more wild hope!)

Man the battle stations

James Knight

The cut off point between ‘siege mentality’ and ‘what’s the point’ is about -8. Less than that and you can wipe it out pretty quickly, any more and that feels like you’re planning for the next Championship season.

The flip side is that the higher the points deduction, the more unifying it might be. Something as high as -12 would feel draconian given the way that everyone else has got a couple of points here and there, and with Manchester City avoiding any punishment at all.

So if we did get that many it would feel like relegation is inevitable but it might be a unifying force – we’d feel cheated out of a chance to compete, and the protests would be more against the Premier League than the club.

Is that another chance to stick our heads in the sand, I hear you cry?

Cloudy with a chance of tennis balls

David Bevan

I’m having a very strange summer so far. Normally I’d be glued to updates about a new manager, new players and a new director of footb… okay, maybe just the first two. But at the moment I’m absolutely unbothered by any of it, and I think the looming points deduction is to blame.

The squad already looks very lightweight to me, which has always been a frustration of all this financial nonsense – it’s not like we’ve been loading every position with world class players and now we’re paying the price. We didn’t even buy anyone worth taking the points deduction for. No, we got relegated instead. It’s the worst of both worlds.

This should be a happy time, relishing taking on the English football elite (and Notts Forest) again. I’ve probably said I’ve lost my love of football a hundred times and heard the phrase from others a thousand times and more.

Perhaps this is what it feels like, apathy brought about by everything you’ve thought football was reduced to some vague, bendable rules off the pitch rendering what happens on it essentially meaningless until we get some clarity.

And if it’s -12, I’m going full on Reading FC and loading my pockets with tennis balls before taking the trip down Filbert Way.

Buckle Up

Helen Thompson

I’m not sure the deduction, huge or similar to an Everton amount, changes my feelings about the season ahead. Our first action as a club back in it having enjoyed a year without VAR adding one more thing to ruin it for the match going fans was to…vote to keep VAR. Brilliant. I prefer to consider myself an optimist, and maybe I just need this break, it’s tough right now to remain one.

It’s tough generally to drum up excitement for all of the drama that comes with Premier League life and has so little to do with actual football. Pawns in the game of the elite. The wins are few and far between, which isn’t the main problem but we’ll face an uphill battle with the atmosphere again and there are just so many unknowns, not least from Maresca deciding that Chelsea is a safer bet. We didn’t look hugely prepared before that.

This season looked like a slog even when we were in full HMS Cruise mode back in December last year. The squad looked powered and then some for the Championship but sketchy for Premier League football and even if we can conjure up some cash, or risk further punishment by spending more anyway, would there be a point if we started on -12?

The going rate for survival this year was 25 points, not so bad. Except we’d need 37 minimum to be up there (if this scenario came to pass) and you could argue that at least one of, if not both, of the teams coming up with us are better equipped than Luton and Sheffield United.

There’s an argument for siege mentality, but it’ll need the right managerial appointment. Somebody to galvanise players who may lose their stomach for the fight if we face the season rooted to 20th place and trying to chip away at a big deduction. We’ll be looking relegation straight in the eye and we need a board who can plan for both outcomes.

A deduction just makes an already tough task that much tougher. Buckle up, I suppose.

Straight back down, Leicester City

Becky Taylor

I’m expecting a complete disaster of a season, irrespective of the level of points deduction we get. This early acceptance of doom provides me with some solace that I’ll be able to grasp the moments of joy with both hands. “We’ve gone back down, but that Fatawu worldie followed by karate kick on Bruno Fernandes was iconic and joyous.”

The stark difference of this promotion to the Premier League from the last is expectation. I can’t see our fans providing the underdog roar of encouragement after conceding, that became synonymous with our atmosphere and spirit in 2014/15.

The underlying contempt at those off the field will inevitably have more vocal backing, which will cause rifts between fans as blind loyalty for the powers at be continues from some. I predict the highest level of ‘blue on blue’ action we’ve seen.

On the field, it’s a mystery. We’ve got no manager, expect to have to sell some of our top players and we’ve thrown Jannik Vestergaard a 3 year contract. Have they got the fight to work past a points deduction? It’s hard to describe it as anything other than ominous.

This all comes from someone who was convinced we’d go back down again after relegation was confirmed in May 2023, so maybe we’re on for another pearler? It is Leicester City after all.