By Daniel Mathie
At number four on my countdown of best title wins is a truly remarkable tale of how unpredictable the beautiful game can be sometimes! Re-live the drama below footie fanatics…
In 1995, Blackburn defied the odds by becoming champions. Despite losing 2-1 at Liverpool on the final day, they edged out Fergie’s Man United due to the Red Devils being unable to win at West Ham’s Upton Park. Even with prolific marksmen Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton at the helm, it was a fairytale ending feeling to an incredible season.
Most associated with football had the perception that something like that could not occur again and giants such as Arsenal, Man United and Liverpool would be more on guard the next time a ball was kicked. As the years rolled by into the new millennium, this seemed to be true. However, just over 20 years on from Rovers’ shock triumph, the so called ‘Big Clubs’ were about to be outfoxed…
At the tail end of the 14/15 season, whilst Chelsea were coasting to their first League title in five years, Leicester City had a more desperate situation on their hands. With only just under a dozen games left of the season, the Foxes die looked cast.
However, out of nowhere, some inspiration from forward Jamie Vardy helped them go on an incredible run which saw them win seven of their last nine remaining games, their only defeat coming at the hands of runaway champions Chelsea. This survival success ignited their own fairytale for the following season.
5000/1? No problem, as The Foxes flummox their frenemies.
As the 15/16 season beckoned, the bookies and pundits alike were quick to give their usual suspects for title and relegation. Both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham were in that bracket for glory. Meanwhile, after getting over the line the previous season to stay in the division, Leicester’s odds of lifting the ultimate domestic honour were a staggering 5000/01!
This did not put off someone from putting a bet on them odds for the Foxes to win the Premier League. Whether it was a dare from friends and/or family, or from a moment when the individual had one too many to drink, who knows? However, their bet would, in the long run, see them enter sport folklore…
Leicester had a new manager at the summit, albeit a familiar face to the Premier League. Claudio Ranieri was the new man in charge, replacing Nigel Pearson as manager. ‘The Tinker Man,’ known to many, due to his ability to change line-ups to bring about success, was harshly judged pre-season though by pundits such as Paul Merson and Matt Le Tissier.
As the first month of the season drew to a close however, Ranieri’s side were unbeaten and showing early quality way beyond even the last couple of months of the last campaign on their front.
By the turn of the calendar year they were more than holding their own against the likes of Arsenal and Man City. There were murmurs starting to surface: they couldn’t do it could they?!
Plus when they went to the Etihiad in February and shocked City 3-1, some pundits started to think again.
Jamie Vardy was scoring for fun and breaking records in the process. He went on an 11 game scoring streak, overtaking Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of 10. Ironically, the moment he broke the record was at home to the Red Devils, drawing 1-1. Only United and Arsenal avoided defeat to Leicester that season.
Vardy’s meteoric rise from non-league football to the best League in the world is so staggering he has threatened to crack Hollywood.
It was not just The Foxes’ attacking prowess that made their impossible dream a reality, it was their defence also. After all, if you have the best striker in the world up-front but a weak defence, your clubs chances of reaching the top will be unlikely. Leicester had the strong, resolute and ever present captain Wes Morgan at CB alongside another powerful CB Robert Huth. After drawing at Old Trafford with Louis Van Gaal’s United, Tottenham had to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge the following day. They blew a two goal lead and made every person associated with Leicester feel like Christmas had come early. This was not a last day win as well, they won by TEN points from Arsenal. A real David and Goalith story.
The reaction
Firstly, my reaction to that incredible day in May 2016 was one of both disbelief and respect for Claudio Raneri’s team. I’m a Man United fan myself, so I know all too well when miracles can occur, in reference to the 1999 treble season for the Red Devils. People can say that the usual ‘big teams’ were having an off season but as Liverpool legend Kenny Daglish stated on Sky Sports ‘nobody gets you points’. Vardy was on fire, Morgan and Huth were solid, Mahrez was dazzling plus Kante and Schemeichal were rocks. Their possession stats left a lot to be desired but it does prove that at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is the score.
They have respect everywhere for that achievement, even from their closest challengers that year, Tottenham. Gareth Bale, who is now at Real Madrid, admitted ‘he was gutted for Spurs but congrats to LCFC for amazing season. Love football’. While rock stars Kasabian revelled in their club’s success online, declaring ‘Even if we get relegated and were in the Conference in 10 years, I won’t care. We’ll still have that’. So there is pure emotion from it all and it even produced something hilarious in the form of Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker forced to present live in his underpants after losing a bet following a tweet that came back to haunt him.
Will it happen again?
Who knows? People probably thought no after Blackburn’s 1995 win despite Shearer still being there at the time, so anything’s possible. In football, you can have all the talent in your squad, but your luck can run out eventually if a big club is not managed correctly. Chelsea in 2016 being a prime example (they won the League the year before but only finished mid table the next year).
It is worth noting too that since their shock success in 2016 they have finished 9th the next two seasons and are currently 3rd this season. This might indicate they are not as in sync as they were in 2016. However, they have arguably this season under former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers got a more all rounded squad than back then. Liverpool do look miles ahead currently but with the right investment and man management, The Foxes could make Liverpool think again in future seasons.
Sports Scoop 
Well done Dan 😎👍Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
LikeLike