Terror on the Thames and the Enzo revolution: the story of Leicester City’s 2023
2023 saw both some of the darkest days in Leicester’s recent history, followed by a record-breaking return to glory. Becky Taylor and Helen Thompson pick a moment from each side of the divide to sum up a rollercoaster year.
The low point
Fulham (A), April 2023
Here we had it. With four games to go of a truly horrid season, Leicester travelled south to the shores of the Thames to take on Fulham. A final 'big day out', and a bank holiday trip to London, which started early with train beers for many.
The hosts were without arguably their three most important players (captain Tim Ream, Andreas Pereira and Aleksandar Mitrovic) and it felt like a lifeline had been thrown to us. Admittedly, the lifeline was a needle thrown into a haystack, but it was there.
It's the hope that kills you, isn't it? I'd been adamant we were staring at relegation for many months prior but admired the optimism of fellow fans. Lots of people were still telling me that we could and we would stay up.
I admitted survival was a possibility, but if it happened it'd be from other teams’ failures rather than us doing much good. This was our last big chance to get three points, having failed to beat relegation rivals Leeds and Everton in the previous two games.
It was almost immediately apparent it just wasn't going to be a nice day on the field. A half-strength Fulham played us off the park and there was absolutely nothing forthcoming from those in blue.
Brendan Rodgers had left the club six games before this, but it felt like the epitome of the final 18 months of his tenure. He'd spent the last year belittling the club and throwing his players under the bus, all that had finally finished them off.
It was the first time ever that I'd not gone back up after half time. That Leicester were 3-0 down in the first half of a must win relegation 'fight', a word I simply cannot associate with the Foxes over the second half of that season, was unforgivable. Utterly pathetic.
The game finished 5-3 but the damage was done, we never should have allowed it to play out the way it did. Dean Smith shared how he 'didn't see that coming' and that some of the players were struggling mentally with the challenge. Fabulous.
Mr. PR himself, James Maddison, followed that up with his post match interview where he proclaimed that he and his teammates 'weren't hungry enough'. Considering he's someone who likes to be the main man at a roast dinner you'd have hoped he might be hungry for it!
There should have been riots in the away end come full time but I've got no doubts they were politely clapped off because we were in League One once.
I'd been pretty nonchalant to the prospect of relegation but Fulham away brought out the rage. I was furious at everything that had led to us getting to that point.
We drowned our sorrows with expensive tequila in a pub close to the ground. Spending our time singing the painfully accurate 'we never win at home and we never win away...' chant, some of us were so loud even our friends chose to leave us.
If nothing else it did inspire the 'invitation to rant' series here on The Fosse Way which I hope was as cathartic to everyone who participated as it was for me.
I'm not sure I'll ever read back my Twitter rants from the train home that day, but the article I managed on feeling disconnected from the team, written when a lot more sober, and slightly calmer, seemed to resonate with some around why this was quite so bad.
It's one of those days that will go down in history within our friendship group if not the wider fanbase, for all the wrong reasons. Even those with hope of survival joined me on the 'dark side', what a ridiculous day.
Becky Taylor
The high point
Enzo Maresca’s arrival, June 2023
On June 16th 2023, Leicester City appointed Enzo Maresca, perhaps the highest point of the year given what has followed. For a club that had hit pretty close to rock bottom, had a squad of half-interested players and others whose confidence had been entirely shattered, and a very disillusioned fanbase, the managerial appointment was going to be key. As 2024 looms, six months into the Enzo evolution, you have to credit the board for getting it spot on as things stand.
The other linked names didn’t inspire and it was hard to be disappointed or too excited by Maresca’s arrival. Most Foxes’ fans wouldn’t have been familiar with his work at West Brom or Parma, so would be judging on the basis of his role alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City alone. This lack of baggage and reputation arguably helped him with the fans, who just wanted somebody, anybody who could rebuild the club and deliver a determinable identity again after watching his predecessors slowly wear it away and then just flail. It genuinely felt like a fresh start and true restart.
The Italian doesn’t seem one to waste words with the media, but those few words we did first hear were encouraging. It was clear Maresca was coming in with a plan and strong ideas. Whether he’s fully to credit, or it’s a team effort, but the early signings landed and again looked very savvy, balancing experienced heads (with Premier League calibre) alongside exciting younger loan prospects. Pre-season games can’t be a true judge but the blueprints were on show, and the Foxes looked like a club with a clear identity once again.
Despite Enzo’s warnings that we’d be a work in progress, his side hit the Championship running and, one or two stutters aside, haven’t really let up. The Italian doesn’t have every fan onboard with his new way of playing yet, but compare the fanbase in its current mood compared to the early months of the year, and it’s a much happier place to be. There’s a sense of excitement for the most part, an acknowledgement that we aren’t perfect yet and despite that, we’ve looked really good in moments and games. Add some consistency, cut out some of the silly mistakes we’ve seen late into games and this Maresca side has much more to come.
Much of the focus has been on the players that were brought in, or the tactical overhaul for the style of play. What Enzo deserves the most credit for is the switch in mentality. This isn’t an entirely new set of players who weren’t impacted by the relegation and last season’s woes. But you wouldn’t know looking at them now. Setting out his stall early on of ‘I only want you if you really want to be here’ was the perfect squad cleanser. His work with individual players too, like the complete rehabilitation and transformation of Jannik Vestergaard and Wilfred Ndidi, or managing to keep Patson Daka motivated and hungry despite being out in the wilderness for months.
This is a manager who celebrates goals, wants to get the crowd going and clearly has a huge affection and care for his players. It’s refreshing and if he’s like this in public, you imagine it’s amplified in training. He seems to be able to tow the line of being both a good coach and man manager. He’s restored some pride and sense of togetherness, not just within the squad but by winning over our somewhat fickle fanbase (for the most part).
As things stand, it seems the only way on the Marescalator is up. 2024 will bring fresh problems for the Italian to ponder and fix; not least losing key players to AfCoN and the impact that will have on our midfield. After such a successful summer transfer window, it’ll be interesting to see how Maresca tackles the tricky January window as the Foxes look to retain the top spot in the race for promotion.
Helen Thompson
