Tuesday, 31 July 2012
City youth draw to York as pre-season continues
Monday, 30 July 2012
2011/12 Analysed: Player-by-Player - Part Two (Belated)
Beckford expected to depart Leicester
On the move: Jermaine Beckford in training |
With Beckford's career at the King Power Stadium making a faltering start - despite claiming the golden boot in last season's FA Cup he failed to excel in the league - there have been many vocal critics of the 28-year-old forward and it seems that Nigel Pearson may have lost patience with Sven Goran Eriksson's £4 million signing.
As reported here at the start of the close-season, Leeds United are most likely to capture their former front man, who scored on 72 occasions for the Elland Road side. Beckford accrued just nine league goals for Leicester in his 39 appearances and, despite a hat-trick in the FA Cup against rivals Nottingham Forest, has failed to find favour with the famously fickle Foxes' fans.
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Foxes lose to Shrews but launch new keeper kit
Green: The new keeper kit |
Black: Kasper Schmeichel |
"I think Shrewsbury played pretty well but we were nowhere near the level that we should be," said the City manager, "They've scored a goal in each half - the first goal was a super finish. All in all we didn't really create enough opportunities today.
"When you look at the number of offensive players that we have it's particularly disappointing. In lots of ways I'm not happy that we've lost but it's certainly an exercise that I will take the positives out of in terms of how we now prioritise who gets games."
"We learnt a lot today - it was a bit of a wakeup for one or two within the squad so it may turn out to be not a bad thing," said Pearson, "I'm not going to try and gloss over that because it was a very lacklustre performance. It gives you a better indicator so there's still a long way to go."
Friday, 27 July 2012
Knitters lose to Foxes in front of record crowd
Number 10: Former PM Blair receives his City shirt with Susan Whelan (Leicester City Chief Executive), Raksriaksorn and Keith Vaz MP. |
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Zak Whitbread linked with Leicester move
Foxes' Open Training Session: Picture Special
Kit launch: Some 5,000 fans packed the Family Stand this morning |
Training: City's players are put through their paces |
New boy: Jamie Vardy shares a joke with new teammate Danny Drinkwater |
Only new boy Richie de Laet failed to complete the full hour, citing later that a quadriceps niggle saw him sit-out the latter stages. Meanwhile, fellow newcomer Jamie Vardy impressed as he was sharp in the box and at ease with his new teammates.
Fans flock to open training session
Leicester City supporters have arrived in their thousands at the King Power Stadium for the launch of their new 2012/13 home strip.
Some queued from 6am to be the first to get their hands on the new kit, whilst thousands lined Filbert Way eager to enter the stadium.
And Of Fosse and Foxes will host an exclusive picture special featuring images from this morning's session later today.
Friday, 20 July 2012
New Leicester City 2012/13 kit revealed
Royal blue: City's new Puma home kit |
Spotted by city fan Bert, who posted this picture to twitter, the kit is the first designed for the club by Puma and features the German sportswear company's trademark shoulder stripe in white, against an otherwise entirely royal blue shirt. City will wear white shorts with blue trim to accompany the new home shirt, with the socks apparently in the same royal blue as the shirt.
The new kit will be officially unveiled tomorrow when the first team train wearing it at an open training session at the King Power Stadium. Fans will be able to watch Nigel Pearson's men in action - including his four new signings Matty James, Richie de Laet, Jamie Vardy and Marko Futacs - from the family stand, with admission from 10:00-10:45am for an 11:00am start.
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Pearson delighted with Futacs signing
Training: Futacs joined his new team-mates for the first time yesterday and will appear at this Saturday's open session at the King Power Stadium. |
The 22-year-old Hungarian under-21 international penned a three-year deal at the King Power Stadium yesterday and the City manager was quick to talk up the young forward's prospects at the club.
"Marko has only been in English football for a year, but has shown all of the physical and mental attributes to be successful at this level and we are delighted to have added him to the squad," said Pearson, "He is another player we faced considerable competition to sign, which only serves to highlight how impressively he performed for Portsmouth last season."
"His height naturally offers some variety to our attacking options," added Pearson, "But he is a very gifted player whose technical strengths should not be underestimated."
Morgan handed skipper's armband
Nigel Pearson had revealed his new captain for the 2012/13 season as defender Wes Morgan.
Having joined Leicester City in January last season from rivals Nottingham Forest, Morgan starts his first full season with the Foxes next month and will do so wearing the skipper's armband.
Pearson is pleased to have revealed Morgan as captain and explained why he has chosen Morgan - veteran of over 450 league games - to lead City's promotion posh next term.
"Wes has shown great leadership qualities throughout his career and his experience and strength of character have been real assets to the squad since he joined us in January," said Pearson, "As well as being an exceptional player, he is an individual everybody in the squad respects greatly and a very good communicator on the pitch. I am sure he will thrive on the responsibility of leading the team next season."
Morgan was honoured to be handed the role.
"It's a tremendous honour and something I'm extremely proud to be asked to do, because there are a number of my team mates that would be just as capable of doing the job," the Foxes' new captain said, "I'm fortunate that I'm part of a talented squad that is full of leaders and big characters, which should stand us in good stead as a group for the new season."
Saturday, 14 July 2012
Of Fosse and Foxes' Notes No.2
Futacs is fourth arrival at King Power Stadium
Friday, 13 July 2012
Leicester favourites in Futacs talks
Target man Futacs scored five goals - including one against the Foxes - during a year with Pompey, having signed on a season-long deal from Werder Bremen last summer. With the relegated South coast side unable to offer the 22-year-old a new contract, Futacs is available as a free agent and has attracted a number of clubs.
Fellow Championship clubs Watford and Barnsley are also tracking the Hungarian under-21 international but as current league title favourites - and some funds available - City could be the most attractive option for the player.
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Leicester City kit launch at open training session
Monday, 9 July 2012
Foxes return to training and offer glimpse of new kit
Warming-up: new Foxes striker Jamie Vardy |
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Pearson rebuffed by Bruce over Hull players
Faked: City fans were not fooled after this image of James Chester signing for Peterborough in 2009 was re-posted today |
"We've had four or five enquiries I'm told, but no bids," said Bruce, "If there's anyone serious they'll come and knock on my door. The one thing I don't want to do is lose my better players.
"I haven't come to sell my better players, I've come to have a good crack at getting where we want to be. Whether that's this year or next year, we've got to try and get in that big league if we can. You can't do that by selling your best players so we'll be doing our utmost to keep our better players."
Pearson's Leicester City have been heavily linked once again with James Chester following the move of Matt Mills to Bolton Wanderers earlier in the week but Bruce insists he is yet to hear from the Foxes' boss.
"I've not spoken with Nigel and I'd have thought if there's anything at all, he'd call me," Bruce added, "I've seen all the speculation in the papers and on the TV but I've had no contact with Nigel, who's someone I've known for a long time. Any interest would be met with a firm 'no' because they're not for sale."
Meanwhile, Cameron Stewart has himself stated that he has no ambition to leave Humberside in the near future. The Tigers' winger's form dipped in the latter half of the season following the rejection of two bids for the player from Leicester but 21-year-old Chester insists that his head was not turned.
"It was frustrating for me because people don't know me. That's not what I'm about. I never wanted to leave, I never asked to leave and I never asked for Leicester to put in a bid. It was all out of my control. Then it became a matter of me trying too hard or over-thinking things when people were on my back. Really, I should have just focused on my football and not on other people.
"I've heard rumours floating around different websites and newspapers, but I'm only concentrating on Hull City. I've got two years left here and I'm really happy. I've got no intentions of going anywhere else."
Friday, 6 July 2012
Beckford next on exit list?
Jermaine Beckford could be the next man to leave the King Power Stadium, if rumours tonight are to be believed.
Sources close to Leicester City have suggested that the former Everton and Leeds United striker could be placed on the Foxes' transfer list, whilst others have suggested that his contract may be cancelled.
Beckford had failed to find favour with City fans since his deadline-day move from the Toffees last summer, despite an heroic hat trick against Forest in the FA Cup in January. Indeed, he win last season's golden boot in that tournament and the striker's 9 goals in all competitions put him amongst City's top scorers last term.
Nonetheless, Beckford's future in the East Midlands remains uncertain with these rumours undenied by the club.
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
Terms agreed for Mills' Bolton move
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Bolton close to Matt Mills deal
Mills has not featured for the Foxes since February, following a dramatic row with manager Nigel Pearson amid increased competition in defence. Mills was signed by Sven Goran Eriksson a year ago to lead City's back line but never managed to live up to his reputation. After Pearson signed Wes Morgan in January, Mills' chances were limited and he became frustrated having lost the club captaincy.
25-year-old Mills is set to sign a permanent deal with Bolton but Leicester are unlikely to recoup the fee - approaching £5 million - they paid for the centre half twelve months ago.
Pearson has already lost defender Sol Bamba to Turkish side Trabzonspor and is known to be keen on signing Hull City's James Chester as a replacement. Pearson knows Chester well, having managed the centre half during his spell with the Tigers.