Leicester City fans’ big pre-season predictions: finishing position, top scorer, key man and more…
How’s your optimism? Fluctuating wildly between ‘rained off in a monsoon’ and ‘Enzo’s bringing sexy back’, if the summer predictions of our writers are anything to go by…
10-word mood summary
Joe Brewin: Nice try, Vesty – but we’re gonna win the league. Attack!
James Knight: This could be the greatest team the Championship has seen.
David Bevan: 50/50 right now. Enzo: yes. The club: not so much.
Becky Taylor: We could finish in any position from 1 to 24.
Jamie Barnard: Not enough change at the sharp end to be confident.
Iain Wright: Worried about the starting point, excited about the finished article.
Matt Jedruch: Our squad is unbalanced and underprepared, but I'm still optimistic.
Andrew Smith: Praet, Castagne, Soumare, Faes need to go. And where’s Souttar?!
Adam Hodges: Excitement turning to trepidation – another ride on the LCFC rollercoaster!
Where will we finish?
Joe Brewin: 1st.
James Knight: 1st.
David Bevan: I’m revising down from 1st to 2nd based on pre-season. Leeds and Southampton are stronger than people think.
Becky Taylor: I genuinely have no idea how to answer this question, because I wouldn't be surprised by any position. 13th
Jamie Barnard: 3rd.
Iain Wright: In a place that obtains promotion. Possibly through the play-offs.
Matt Jedruch: 3rd. Our summer business started very positively and abruptly stalled. The other two relegated teams have more balanced squads with proven managers at this level.
Andrew Smith: 10th.
Helen Thompson: I'm trying not to expect too much after just how bad last year was, so somewhere between 7th and mid-table and then build on it? I assume this will be the most negative of the answers and I'd love to be laughed at for how wrong this is…
Jamie Thorpe: 1st. Screw it, why not be optimistic?!
Adam Hodges: 10th.
Who’ll be our most important player?
Joe Brewin: It looks like a lot hinges on Harry Winks to keep a system smooth and keep us out of trouble in midfield.
James Knight: An as-yet-unsigned midfield player. I'll go with Cesare Casadei out of hope that we remember to sign him.
David Bevan: It still has to be Conor Coady, despite quite literally getting off on the wrong foot. Not much leadership to be found elsewhere.
Becky Taylor: Coady, providing his injury doesn't keep him out for too long.
Jamie Barnard: Ricardo, if he can stay fit. Surely there’s nothing left for him to break now?!
Iain Wright: Ricardo. As long as we don't shoot ourselves in the foot and sell him – and if (a big if) he stays fit.
Matt Jedruch: Winks. He should start every league game and was clearly signed in Maresca's vision. Let's hope he stays fit.
Andrew Smith: Kelechi Iheanacho – he could score a hatful at this level.
Helen Thompson: This could be a real chance for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to cement himself as a possible captain.
Jamie Thorpe: Harry Winks. It’s clear to see he’ll be the creative cog through which our entire system flows.
Adam Hodges: Harry Winks.
Who’ll be top scorer?
Joe Brewin: The yet-to-be-signed Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. Bookmark for when he gets injured at Seagrave holding his pen.
James Knight: Patson Daka.
David Bevan: It has to be Jamie Vardy really, doesn’t it? He’s the only goalscorer guaranteed to be here.
Becky Taylor: Vardy – one last dance.
Jamie Barnard: GOAT to do GOAT things.
Iain Wright: Not sure at this point. Possibly Joel Piroe if we move Iheanacho and Daka out.
Matt Jedruch: I’ll go Iheanacho.
Andrew Smith: Iheanacho.
Helen Thompson: If we could hang onto him, you'd think Kelechi could have a shot – but more realistically, you'd imagine Vardy should step up.
Jamie Thorpe: Given I’m only sure that one of our current strikers will be at the club come the end of the window, Vardy. He will have limited game time and likely rotated often, but he is more than good enough for this league. Expecting the old JV9 back.
Adam Hodges: Stephy Mavididi looks like he’s got the eye for goal.
What are you most excited about?
Joe Brewin: A swashbuckling style under Enzo Maresca that should produce plenty of goals.
James Knight: Watching a team win games again. And not feeling a sense of existential dread before every match.
David Bevan: Finally ticking off Rotherham to complete the set of Championship grounds! Oh, and the sexy football of course.
Becky Taylor: Going back to away grounds I've not been at in a while.
Jamie Barnard: No VAR…
Iain Wright: What? In the Championship? Getting promoted out of it!
Matt Jedruch: Enjoying football matches again.
Andrew Smith: Looking forward to games rather than dreading them.
Helen Thompson: A fresh start after a horrible 12 months. The chance to see some younger players coming through.
Jamie Thorpe: A fresh start. This feels a significant moment: lots of deadwood out the door, some new, exciting players in, and a manager with a clear identity. It gives us the chance to recapture what we’re about as a club.
Adam Hodges: Maresca's attacking style.
What are you most worried about?
Joe Brewin: Not actually landing the top targets who’ll actually be able to transform that promise into actual points. That, and a slow start which could put the whole Maresca reign in jeopardy.
James Knight: That the club hierarchy still think our old players are much better than they are, so won't sell them or sign enough new ones.
David Bevan: Everything as usual - physicality, leadership, goals. But most of all: conceding stupid goals from overplaying at the back.
Becky Taylor: Lack of creativity and multiple players I expected to leave still being here.
Jamie Barnard: If Maresca doesn’t start well, the board will have to make him the fall guy to detract from the attention/scrutiny on them.
Iain Wright: August – patience needed with Enzo, as his great refresh is barely halfway completed.
Matt Jedruch: The first month of the season. The squad is in transition while learning a new playing style – all on the back of a comical pre-season.
Andrew Smith: A poor start – we seem underprepared and the required rebuild is currently just a minor refurbishment.
Helen Thompson: Injuries, a bad atmosphere at home games continuing on – the usual Leicester things…
Jamie Thorpe: The fans. This refresh won’t happen overnight – this isn’t FIFA and transfers don’t just happen overnight. It’s absolutely crucial that even if we wobble to start with, the fans stay fully behind the team, manager and club.
Adam Hodges: A lack of attacking signings to put Maresca's tactics into action. We’re yet to sign a playmaker who can replace James Maddison and will need another striker.
Which linked player do you least want to see leave?
Joe Brewin: Ricardo Pereira – though the links back to France seem weak. Either way: he’s about as close as you’ll get to essential this season.
James Knight: Kelechi Iheanacho.
David Bevan: Kelechi Iheanacho for me. I’d start him every game.
Becky Taylor: Kelechi, especially with him being linked to Forest and Everton.
Jamie Barnard: Ricardo – on ability, he’ll be the best player in the league and so crucial to the tactical approach.
Iain Wright: Ricardo. Ludicrous to sell/loan based on new set up.
Matt Jedruch: Iheanacho. He's the current striker most suited to Maresca's style and could be the difference between us going up or not.
Andrew Smith: Kelechi.
Helen Thompson: Iheanacho – too good for the Championship in reality, but I think he'd be up for staying. We all know that if he's on form, he's on form!
Jamie Thorpe: Big Ian Nacho. We’re going to have the ball. A lot. And his ability to drop into space and play with his back to goal could be important.
Adam Hodges: Iheanacho…
Who would you most like to boot into a skip?
Joe Brewin: Sadly it seems we might need Jannik Vestergaard – so next-best scenario is seeing Boubakary Soumare pretending to be happy with his new Ligue 1 shirt.
James Knight: It's obviously Vestergaard, but Timothy Castagne's endless cries for attention about leaving have annoyed me.
David Bevan: Dennis Praet, just to put an end to the most boring transfer saga of all time.
Becky Taylor: The obvious answer is Vestergaard but I think he might actually feature this season. Danny Ward for me – I just don't want to see his face after last season.
Jamie Barnard: Soumare – currently finding the exit with the same laboured and languid style he’s shown on the pitch.
Iain Wright: Castagne. I'm sick of his sour face and constant daydreaming on the pitch.
Matt Jedruch: Ward. He’s the embodiment of the farce of 2022/23 – plus, we may actually need Vestergaard.
Andrew Smith: It’s a close race between Praet and Soumare…
Helen Thompson: Ward. There's nothing here for you, Danny.
Jamie Thorpe: Ward. Nothing against him – just think that the decision to stick with him was one of the single most ridiculous personnel selections I have seen.
Will Enzo Maresca still be manager this time next year?
Joe Brewin: God, I hope so. But yes – I’m confident that his style will eventually lead to some serious substance.
James Knight: Yes, though the big six vultures will be circling after we win the league with 100+ points.
David Bevan: Yes. We have to stick with this. It’s a proven formula which may take time. Now ask me again if it doesn’t work immediately…
Becky Taylor: I hope so… but I fear not.
Jamie Barnard: No – that would be too sensible/boring for the Leicester City rollercoaster.
Iain Wright: Yes. But he may need to survive a Twitter storm through the first quarter of the season.
Matt Jedruch: Yes, even if we don't get promoted. I think we will have a positive season and the club is clearly behind Maresca's philosophy long term.
Andrew Smith: I hope so – we need to revamp the way we play and he represents our best chance of achieving that.
Helen Thompson: Yes...I hope so anyway because fingers crossed it means it's working (not just that we can't afford to sack him)
Jamie Thorpe: Yes. He’ll be returning from a late pre-season trip to the Far East with zero games played and 16 press conferences attended – but excited to take on his first season as a Premier League manager.
Adam Hodges: Yes, but I can see him becoming frustrated if he isn’t backed by the board and may take up a Premier League job following an early sacking next season.
