Through the frenzied flurry of activity typical as the transfer window for Premier League closes, as it did Monday, a few teams – for the most part – sailed calmly through thestorm.
Those without cash to splash sat out through necessity, others secure in their spots also stayed pat. And what of the surprise success of the season so far, little Leicester City,the relegation survivor of last May that topped the standings as of the New Year and after a brief blip has regained the lead?
As bigger clubs bought and theirambitious brethren tried to keep pace, Leicester City added a few players – none of blockbuster stature – and sent several others out on loan. In other boardrooms, some major names changedhands, other deals fell through, and the team it leads by three points atop the Premier League, Mancester City, was rocked Monday by a long-awaited confirmation that Pep Guardiola will takeover for manager Manuel Pellegrini at the end of season. Louis Van Gaal is under the gun at Manchester United, and Arsenal’s recent home loss to Chelsea sparked a fresh fusilladeof scathing criticism at Arsene Wenger.
Leicester stayed steady. Fears amongst the fans that an eight-figure transfer offer would lure away star striker JamieVardy or winger Riyad Mahrez proved groundless. Away from the buzz and bombast, manager Claudio Ranieri and his players focused on an upcoming run ofgames that will dramatically alter their season.
Following a home match against Liverpool Tuesday, the Foxes play at Manchester City Saturday and Arsenal aweek from Sunday. (Valentine’s Day, by the way). Projecting how many points they “need” is pointless, since after these three games three more months remain in the regular season. Nocontender looks strong enough to pull away from the others and the Guardiola news only ratchets up the pressure on Pellegrini, who is tortured enough patching together lineups as he waits forVincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero to get healthy.
The Foxes are the only team in the quest for the title or a chase for a Champions League place notburdened by crushing demands and oppressive expectations. Their mettle was revealed last season when they won seven out of their last nine games to escape relegation, and they have respondedenthusiastically to the arrival of Ranieri, hired in the wake of a fierce dispute with team ownership that ushered out Nigel Pearson.
Ranieri’s first stintin the Premier League, at Chelsea, ended in 2004 despite leading the team to a runner-up league finish and reaching the Champions League semifinals. A few quirky personnel decisions, whichcrystallized his nickname of ‘The Tinkerman,” was enough for Russian baron Roman Abramovich to cut him loose and unleash a torrent of transfer spending and managerial upheaval thatcontinues to this day.
Since leaving Chelsea, Ranieri has bounced from job to job without significant success. Valencia, Parma, Juventus, Roma, Inter Milan, Monaco andthe Greek national team make for an impressive resume. But a list of big clubs without trophies is a list and not much more when expectations are high.
Vardy, whoplayed non-league soccer after being released at age 16 by Sheffield Wednesday, his hometown club, lit up the Premier League by scoring in a record 11 consecutive games, which broke the previousrecord of 10 set by Ruud van Nistelrooy as a Manchester United player. Mahrez, an Algerian international, joined the Foxes two years ago and sparked them to theLeague Championship title that edged them into the Premier League. They have scored 29 of City’s 42 goals and to supplement them Ranieri tried to negotiate a deal for striker Loic Remy,but Chelsea refused to deal. Coincidence?
Under Ranieri, who shrewdly retained Pearson’s coaching staff to generate trust and maintain continuity, Leicester City hasrallied through a few rough spots to climb back into first place. He’s proved to be a master manager of personalities and egos as well as tactics. When Vardy broke van Nistelrooy’s record,Ranieri recalled the feats of ex-Argentine international Gabriel Batistuta, who scored in 11 straight games when the manager was in charge of Fiorentina.
Vardy and Mahrez are buttressedby an array of longtime servants and more recent arrivals. Former Chelsea defender Robert Huth anchors the back line in front of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, the sonof Manchester United and Denmark legend Peter Schmeichel. Huth, acquired a year ago, headed his first goal for the Foxes Jan. 13 in a 1-0 win at Tottenham. Schmeichel played his205th match for the club Jan. 23 in a a 3-0 thumping of Stoke City that regained the Premier League lead. Signed by Man City in 2002, he went out on loan five times and endured one-seasonstints with Notts County and Leeds United before joining Leicester in 2011.
After the rout of Stoke Ranieri couldn’t help taking a subtle dig at his former employer and lastyear’s champion, which underwent its own managerial shift in December. “This league is crazy,” he said. “Last season it began with Chelsea and ended with Chelsea. Now everyoneis fighting. What we are doing is fantastic. This is something special and we want to fight for something special.”
No longer does Premier League buzz revolve around The SpecialOne. This season it has a special team.
Been a Leicester fan for 20 years, since Kasey keller was there… been a dream season.