VIEW FROM THE ENEMY: Leicester fan on PL glory, Mourinho & beating Van Nistelrooy’s record

Manchester United’s season kicks off with the Community Shield against Premier League champions Leicester City this Sunday. Ahead of the game, we caught up with Leicester fan and blogger, Chris Forryan, who runs the popular website, Leicester Till I Die.

We asked Chris a few questions to get his thoughts and opinions on all things Manchester United and Leicester City, as the build-up to the big game continues.

Check it out here:

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: First of all, how long have you been following Leicester, just how brilliant have the last twelve months been for you?

Chris@ LTID: Well I’m 55 now and I got in Leicester City first when I was about 14. None of my family were into football so I was a late starter.

On a scale of 1 – 10 it was a 20!! Lets be honest it doesn’t get any better. It was sweeter following straight on from a season when we had done the greatest of great escapes. Everyone wanted a piece of Leicester, we became ever body’s favourite second team

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: How do you reckon this season will pan out? What would be deemed a success?

Chris@ LTID: It’s always harder to defend what you have rather than get it in the first place, and this season we will have the, albeit welcome, distraction of the Champions League.
Last season was our perfect storm year. All the big players underperformed and we had only the title to worry about, that will not happen this season.
We need to qualify for Europe again in whatever form although personally performing better as defending champions than Chelsea managed last season (the worst performance as defending champions in PL history) would be our main target.

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: Onto United. Thoughts on Mourinho as our manager?

Chris@ LTID: Football’s worst kept secret. Would have been more surprised if it hadn’t happened. It depends which Mourinho you get. The Mourinho of last season will be a disaster for you, but if the old Mourinho turns up has to be an improvement on the last 2 incumbents of the managers chair. Will the crowd demand free flowing football ala Ferguson though? Mourinho doesn’t always supply this.

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: What do you make of our transfer business so far?

Chris@ LTID: Expensive!! Whilst Pogba will be a great signing he HAS to be. Letting him go for the amount you did and signing him back for a slightly bigger amount will be the transfer joke of the season if he doesn’t perform. I think Leicester proved last season signings have to be right, not just names. The so called big six do not seem to have learnt this.

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: If you could sign one Manchester United player for Leicester City, who would it be and why?

Chris@ LTID: This may be a surprise but Schweinsteiger. Rumours are that you will be letting him go and I think he would be good in our Champions League team with his experience of this competition.

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: Where do you think United will finish this season?

Chris@ LTID: I think you will finish second or third. I can see (sorry for this) Manchester City winning it, with either yourself or Chelsea finishing as runners up, although watch out for The Foxes !!!

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: Jamie Vardy famously broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s consecutive PL games with a goal record by scoring against United. Just how big of a boost is it that he’s staying?

Chris@ LTID: You cant judge this highly enough. With the big money now available to ALL Premier League teams the tide is turning against the big 6. Even as recently as a couple of seasons ago could you image a Leicester City striker turning down a move to a team like Arsenal. Wages, well we as good as matched what Arsenal were offering but was the slight extra enough for a player to go to a club that would not play to his strengths and suit his style, and I think he realised that Wenger would not change the teams style to accommodate him. Look at Hodgson and Vardy’s England experience.

Kante going was a player with no loyalty looking for the bigger bucks, certainly not CL football in the near future,  and now the dust has settled on that good luck to him. But the main benefit of Vardy staying is the message it sends out to the rest of the team should they be thinking of a move.

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: Champions League football is coming to the King Power this season, how do you reckon it’ll go?

Chris@ LTID: Having just seen PSG put 4 past us a bit worrying. That said it was a pre season friendly with multiple substitutions and not to be taken as a marker. Teams can struggle in their season in the CL, look at Blackburn & Man City. If we finish 3rd and qualify for the Europa League I will be happy.

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: The Community Shield takes place this coming weekend, do you consider it as a major piece of silverware?

Chris@ LTID: Yes, probably more so than yourselves. You have been there so many times if you lose it will be no big deal to you. If we lose I will be disappointed tbh. For Leicester, it would be great to get another trophy whatever it is.

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: Finally, give us a score prediction for the game.

Chris@ LTID: Can see us playing out a draw tbh. Vardy should be back and the new boys more settled, so I’ll go for a 2-2 draw.

Jordan@ Old Trafford Faithful: We’ll go for a slightly more biased 3-1 to United. Enjoy the match!

Check out Leicester Till I Die here, or follow them on Twitter here.

 

Follow Old Trafford Faithful on Twitter for more Manchester United news.

About Jordan Street 19808 Articles
Mancunian. Red through and through. Season Ticket holder block E332.

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