Hoos departs

Time up: Lee Hoos has left the Foxes

Leicester City Football Club's chief executive, Lee Hoos, has left the club.

BBC Sport revealed the news this evening, noting also that chief finance officer Mark Johnson is also set to depart.

Hoos joined the Foxes in 2008. It is not yet known who will replace the American, or if indeed a replacement has already been found.

Mail links Foxes with Rangers defender

Linked: Ranger's Madjid Bougherra

The Daily Mail has today linked Leicester City with another defender from a Scottish club, leading fans to dub the potential signing 'Sol Bamba Mark II'.

The Mail tips Sven Goran Eriksson for a £1million bid for Rangers striker Madjid Bougherra, a 28-year-old central defender. The French-born Algerian international has hinted that he is ready to leave Ibrox and with just a year left on his contract he would be a bargain signing for the Leicester City manager.

Meanwhile, the Mail have strengthened rumours of Emile Heskey making a return to his boyhood club, quoting a cut-price £500,000 deal for the ex-England man, who made regular appearances for the national side under Eriksson.

The report also mentions a potential bid for Bristol City's £5million-rated Nicky Maynard, whilst speculation is growing that Neil Danns is set to sign for the Foxes after his contract expires at Crystal Palace.

Bruma, PVA to Germany; Naughton signing "unlikely"

Chelsea's Patrick van Aanholt and Jeffrey Bruma look set to sign for German teams in the next few days, leaving Sven Goran Eriksson again chasing defenders as he looks to re-build his Leicester City side.

Bruma and van Aanholt both made loan appearances for the Foxes last season, but Bruma is understood to be on the brink of moving to Hamburg on a two-year loan, with fellow Dutchman van Aanholt expected to join him in the Bundesliga.

Meanwhile, with Premier League clubs circling, Tottenham Hotspur's young right-back Kyle Naughton looks set to remain in the top flight, scuppering Foxes fans' hopes that he would be signed by Leicester.

Eriksson believes that newly-promoted Queens Park Rangers will bid for Naughton and Harry Redknapp may still want to give the England Under-21 right-back a run in Spurs' first team.

"It will be expensive to buy him," said Eriksson, "He is a great player and I am sure it is not only us that want him. I am quite sure he has had offers from the Premier League as well. I don't know if we will miss out on him. It is too early, but we will keep trying."

Yuki Abe to sign for Man City - ESPN

ESPN have shocked the footballing world by announcing today that Manchester City's billionaire owners are not targeting the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo this summer but instead looking toward Japanese duo Yuki Abe and Keisuke Honda.

Favourite: Yuki Abe is loved in Leicester

Abe signed for Leicester City under Paulo Sousa from Urawa Red Diamonds and after a shaky start to life in England has established himself as a firm favourite amongst the Foxes' faithful. ESPN believe that Roberto Mancini's City are lining-up the Japanese pair to work alongside each other as they have done previously for the Japan national team.

Abe's dedication to the East Midlands club was initially questioned in some quarters, but his commitment to learning English and working with his teammates to establish a rapport has earned him respect and, often, adoration from fans.

The possible move from the Citizens has raised the eyebrows of some, who believe the move for Abe in particular could act as a publicity stunt to raise the profile of the club in the Far East, with Abe immediately loaned-back to the Foxes after signing for City. 

Leicester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson is yet to comment and neither player has made a statement.

10 released as Tunchev is given repreive

Shown the door: Ricardo

Ten Leicester City players who are out of contract as of the end of this season will not have their current deals renewed, according to a statement on the club's official website.

Young players make up most of the list: Robert Ambrusics, Ashley Chambers, Nathan Hicks, Jorrin John, Craig King, Ben Milnes, Luke O'Neill, Aman Verma and Adi Yussuf will all not have their contracts renegotiated and they will expire on 30th June this year.

The only player to have made a first team appearance this year whose contract will not be renegotiated is Portuguese goalkeeper Ricardo. The ex-international failed to consolidate his position between the sticks after a shaky start to his career at the Walkers Stadium and he is now free to look for another club.

Perhaps the only surprise is that Aleksandar Tunchev will not be immediately released from his contract, which is also due to expire at the end of next month. Tunchev - out of action for nearly two years before his two substitute appearances at the end of the season - has been invited by Sven Goran Eriksson to join his team for their pre-season preparations and his place at the club will be determined following further assessment by the coaching team.

Mercury hint at Heskey approach

Popular: Heskey won two trophies with the Foxes

The Leicester Mercury has given the strongest hint yet that Sven Goran Eriksson has contacted Aston Villa about the potential signing of Leicester-born striker Emile Heskey.

Heskey, 33, would see his contract expire at Villa Park at the end of next season and the Villains could be keen to cash-in on the former England target man, with figures quoted of around £1 million for any deal with the Foxes.

The striker would be a welcome figure should he return to the city of his birth: a lifelong fan, Heskey invested as part of the consortium that saved the club from administration in 2003 and has never rubbished talk of a move back to the East Midlands.

Heskey made his last appearance in a Leicester City shirt in 2000 having scored 40 goals in 154 league appearances for his boyhood team before a club record £11 million move to Liverpool. He has since played for Birmingham and Wigan Athletic before moving to Villa for £3.5 million in 2009, having made a further 362 appearances and scoring 76 times. This unimpressive goal tally hides Heskey's ability to hold the ball, something he was credited for by subsequent England managers as he kept his place in the national squad, gaining 62 caps yet netting just seven times for his country.

Lamey told to find another club; Verma also released

The spinning door at the Walkers Stadium has begun to turn as Sven Goran Eriksson looks to rebuild his Leicester City squad in preparation for the 2011/12 promotion campaign.

Door: Michael Lamey failed to make an impact

Dutch defender Michael Lamey has been told to look for a new club after Eriksson played him just once - the 31-year-old made only seven starts all season despite being signed by Paulo Sousa on a two-year deal. Meanwhile, Aman Verma has been released for the second time. The 23-year-old has failed to shine since graduating from the Foxes' academy side and has been offered a deal at Blue Square Premier outfit Darlington after a successful loan spell there.

Meanwhile, Eriksson has rubbished talks that Steve Howard could depart the club in the Summer: "He's our player and has a contract for one more year," said Eriksson defensively after BBC Radio Leicester questioned the ex-England boss on rumours linking the Scot to Sheffield Wednesday.

Derby County are believed to be chasing fans' favourite Martyn Waghorn after his poor showing since a £2 million deal with Sunderland saw the young forward move to Leicester as Sousa attempted to win the hearts of Foxes fans. Waghorn had a successful loan spell at the Walkers Stadium under Nigel Pearson.

Finally, Aleksandar Tunchev is yet to learn his fate after returning from two knee injuries to rapturous applause as he played an hour in City's final game of the season against Ipswich. It is thought Tunchev could extend his current deal - which expires next month - for one year on a pay-as-you-play basis.

Sven Given 'no limit'

Leicester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson has said he has been given "no limit" by the club's Thai owners as he looks at how to rebuild his squad for the 2011/2012 Championship campaign.

Vichai and Top Raksriaksorn, owners of Thailand's largest duty free service, are gunning all-out for the Premier League next season and have not laid a budget for the Swede, who has already been linked with a number of transfer targets including Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given.

"There is no limit at all – they want Premier League and that is it," claimed the Foxes manager, "They are very clear. The target they have the plans they have are the same... as long as I don't go over the top. It is common sense."

Eriksson has already been in touch with Chelsea regarding possible permanent moves for loanees Patrick van Aanholt and Jeffrey Bruma, whilst Ben Mee has keenly hinted his desires to move to the East Midlands for good. The City boss has also been in touch with Rui Costa at Benfica over a potential deal for Miguel Vitor. The young Portuguese defender has pledged his commitment to Leicester City should his parent club agree a fee.

"I know Miguel wants to stay if Benfica don't take him back," said Eriksson last month, "What he said, which was very nice, was that the biggest surprise was how good the football was for a second division. He said it was fantastic.

I think the loan lads have enjoyed it and they have been good to us," he added, "Maybe some of them have a lack of experience and some mistakes come from that. But that is not their fault, it is more my fault. I am sure they have liked it here and I am sure they have learned a lot. I think a decision will be taken in the middle of June and the rules might change so we will only be allowed to have four in our 18-man squad, and we will have to have that in mind."

Conclusions from Ipswich Town

Leicester	4-2	Ipswich Town
	(HT 3-0)
King 26 Yakubu 42 Abe 45+2 Kamara 72		Leadbitter 69 (pen) Wickham 70

Att: 24,859
BBC Match Report

---

• One of the most exciting 'nothing' games you will see. A glut of goals, some controversy, a scrap and overall a great performance from the Foxes. This was a quality game for the celebrating Leicester City fans as well as for any neutrals (Jack Whitehall?) that made their way as part of a stunning 25,000 to the ground. Well done everyone.
• NB. A full season run-down will appear in this space soon. Keep your eyes peeled for awards, player-by-player analysis and a look ahead to the summer and to next season.

---

Winners

Yakubu

If he wants a contract at Leicester he's gone the right way about it. Another goal to sustain his one in two ratio - the best strikers at international level hardly reach those heights - and surely the fans must now get off the big forward's back and clamour for his signature. He would rip apart this league next year.

Andy King
Scored a goal to end his recent drought and set-up Yuki Abe for his first ever English goal in a return to form for the club's top scorer of the season. He's had some poor performances of late where he was in some way absent from the game, but he stamped his mark brilliantly with this performance.

Yuki Abe
Finally, finally grabbed his first goal in English football following some lovely play by King. That goal capped another decent performance from Abe and crowned a good season for the Japanese international who has been dedicated to the cause throughout.   

---

Losers

Chris Weale

Nothing beat him in the first half as he put in a sterling performance to stake his claim for the number one jersey next season. The two goals conceded were both due to mistakes from his back four and Weale was unlucky to not claim a clean sheet. Whether this will be enough to appease Sven Goran Eriksson - and the critical fans - remains to be seen.

Patrick van Aanholt

One man who will almost certainly not be making a return to the East Midlands next season, van Aanholt made another error today that cost his side. Yes, Jeffrey Bruma's handball had already ruined Chris Weale's idea of a perfect afternoon but this error nearly cost the Foxes the game.

Jeffrey Bruma

The centre half stuck up his hand to block an incoming corner. A stonewall penalty given away in ridiculous circumstances that Weale was rightly upset by as he saw his great work of the first half undone. Bruma is another defender who will be wondering who he'll be playing for next season. On his showing for most of his time at the Walkers Stadium, he won't be appearing for Chelsea's first team any time soon.

Birch completes 31st annual run

Leicester City's club ambassador Alan Birchenall has completed his 31st annual charity run.

The Birch, as he is affectionately known by Foxes fans, has made it his duty to complete fifty laps of the pitch at the club's home ground prior to kick-off at the last home game of every season.

An emotional Birch said at the end of his 'last' run, "We do it to raise money for charity... We've got to do this, it's unique to our club and I don't understand why other club's don't do it, it raises so much money."

Club chairman Top Raksriaksorn, manager Sven Goran Eriksson and both teams selected for today's match against Ipswich Town all part for a lap or two whilst Birch, who was awarded an MBE for his charity work, was joined once again by David Neilson of Coronation Street fame - a runner now for over a decade - and boxer Rendall Munroe. 


Following his run and immediately before kick-off, Birchenall was presented with a lifetime contract as Club Ambassador at Leicester City by the club owners as a surprise reward for his efforts.

Leicester to reveal new strip

Andy King wears the new Foxes kit in this teasing photo

Leicester City will reveal their new home kit for the 2011/12 campaign when they walk out against Ipswich Town tomorrow afternoon (KO 12:45pm).

The club gave a first glimpse of the shirt, designed by Burrda, in a photograph released on the official website this afternoon. The kit appears to be a familiar plain pattern of royal blue with white trim around the round-necked collar. The sleeved are trimmed with two strips of white around the upper half.

Enhanced: Classic, unfussy design of kit is clear to see

It appears from careful examination of the photo, featuring recently crowned Players' Player of the Year Andy King, that the club crest will appear on the left breast and the sponsor, King Power, will sit centred underneath.

The new shirt will be available for pre-order from the Leicester City Megastore and Online Shop at 9am tomorrow morning, before it is revealed to the public three hours later. The release date will be announced in the coming days.

Foxes announce player awards

Wellens celebrates with his Foxes team mates after scoring

Leicester City have announced their annual awards following a gala dinner that took place in the Great Hall at the Walkers Stadium last weekend.

Richie Wellens was the big winner on the night as he walked away with the Player of the Year award as voted for by Foxes fans, whilst Andy King took the Players' Player of the Year trophy. Wellens' triumph was doubled as his excellent season was rewarded with a second prize, awarded by the local media for his sterling efforts in the Leicester midfield. 

Other awards went to those on loan at the club. Kyle Naughton picked-up the prize for Young Player of the Year whilst Yakubu took the Goal of the Season trophy for his volley against Derby County.

Belated Conclusions from the Keepmoat Stadium

Doncaster Rovers	1-1	Leicester
	(HT 0-0)
Brooker 50		Yakubu 76

Att:11,757
BBC Match Report

---

• Lot's of winners. But one of those is not Leicester City. There were some decent individual turns against Doncaster but the woeful ones that balanced them out made for a poor team performance. This was a forgettable game with a forgettable bunch of home fans. A pity for the sake of football and for the 2,000-odd travelling fans who were in fantastic voice in Doncaster's admittedly very tidy ground.

---

Winners

Yakubu

Despite the jeers from the crowd after a supposedly lazy first hour, Yakubu persevered and got the goal that silenced those vocal critics. It was finished in classic Yak style, a lovely piece of passing around the eighteen-yard box building-up to the Nigerian's lovely stroked finish. His tenth goal of the season for the Foxes - since only January, remember - quantifies his value to the squad: only Andy King (14) and Paul Gallagher (11) have netted more times for Leicester this term.

Darius Vassell
A great performance that saw him rewarded with an assist. Vassell's pace troubled Doncaster's defence all day and he even had the ball in the back of the net only to see it chalked-off for offside. He is becoming favoured by Leicester's fans for his hard work and perseverance, in contrast to Yakubu who comes under almost a constant barrage of criticism. Let's reflect, then, on the fact that Yakubu's goal tally that is now into double figures. Vassell has scored just four times. That, however, cannot detract from his pace, power and passion that have proven crucial in breaking-apart Championship defences all year.

Jeffrey Bruma
It was another good performance from Jeffrey Bruma, back in defence after recent successful outings in a holding midfield role. He was solid and looked like the player worthy of the acclaim afforded to him and his positioning was much better than the Foxes faithful have come to expect. If Bruma ends the season in this vein, his permenant signature would not be such a bad thing after all.

Diomansy Kamara
Introduced in the second half, Kamara brought some life into an ailing Foxes attack and it was his pace and ability that ultimately led to the Leicester equaliser. He's looking more and more like a fantastic prospective summer signing.

Kyle Naughton
Another consistent performance from the young full-back who had the run of his right wing all match long. Sven Goran Eriksson should be given a transfer budget to sign Naughton alone - anyone else is a bonus if Leicester sign this kid.

---

Losers

Chris Weale

Even without his nearly-moment in front of the gasping away supporters, miscontrolling the ball under pressure and so nearly conceding from a pass back, this was another performance from the Bristolian that seemed to lack confidence. Once again his ability to handle balls from long range was questioned - it is no wonder Leicester have had results 'stolen' through 'wonder goals' with Weale between the sticks - and his distribution was beyond poor. The number one position is fast becoming the priority for the off-season.

Andy King
The Foxes' top goalscorer is without goals and without a certain je ne sais quoi that he possessed in the pre-Christmas period when he was ripping-up every defence in the league. Whether players have got wise to his late runs or he's lost his mojo, King was poor against Doncaster and without him, the Leicester City midfield lacks a focal point.

Galacticos to visit Walkers

Galacticos: Mourinho's men will grace
the Walkers turf

Real Madrid will face Leicester City in a pre-season glamour friendly, it has been announced.

Jose Mourinho will be travelling to the East Midlands with the likes of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas to take on Sven Goran Eriksson's Foxes on Saturday, 30th July.

It will be the second time in recent years that a top Spanish side has graced the hallowed Walkers Stadium turf: Madrid's El Clasico rivals Barcelona made a friendly appearance in the East Midlands in 2004, when Ronaldinho was spotted doing a bit of pre-match shopping at Fosse Park.

It's unlikely Mourinho will be following suit: he prefers to wear something a little more exclusive than a Marks and Spencer pull-over.

Ticketing arrangements for what is certain to be a sell-out summer crowd will be announced by the club in the coming weeks. 

Conclusions from Watford

Leicester	4-2	Watford
	(HT 1-2)
Bruma 39 Yakubu 62 Bruma 73 Yakubu 75		Sordell 28 Sordell 41

Att: 21,473
BBC Match Report

---

Winners

Jeffrey Bruma

The promising Dutch defender came to the East Midlands seeking first team football in his bid to stake a claim for a regular place amongst Chelsea's matchday squad. His performances at the Walkers Stadium, however, will have failed to inspire Carlo Ancellotti as he has failed to inspire the Foxes' faithful. That changed today, when Bruma made his mark not as a defender but as a scorer of two quite stunning goals as he again impressed in a more advanced, defensive midfield role.

Yakubu
Started on the bench after Sven Goran Eriksson recognised his poor late form but was forced to bring him on for the injured Richie Wellens. Yakubu was bright, alert and putting in the effort all Leicester City fans appreciate, bagging two goals that secured what turned out to be a comfortable win. Yakubu's time at the Walkers Stadium may soon be over, but memories of the Nigerian will survive should his end-of-season form continue in the same vein as it began today.

Miguel Vitor
Another peerless performance. It looks like he doesn't fancy that nice Portuguese weather, because if he keeps playing like this he's going to be getting comfy in the English Championship sooner rather than later.

Alexsandar Tunchev
Making albeit only a cameo ten second appearance, Tunchev laced-up his boots and pulled-on his number 3 shirt alongside his team mates for the first time in eighteen months. Tunchev established himself as a fans' favourite after an impressive run of first team appearances in League One before injury forced him out for the rest of the season. One league cup appearance at Loftus Road saw him stretchered off the following season and that knee injury has seen him short of fitness since. Now, let's hope Tunch can have a few appearances to prove his fitness at the end of this season to spur him on to return to his best for the next.

---

Losers

Patrick van Aanholt

Why was van Aanholt running forward into the opponent's box as we defended a two-goal lead? He should have reverted to job number one and defended, instead of exposing his goalkeeper who did well to foil the resulting attempt on goal. A picky reason in what was another disinterested performance from the Chelsea youngster.

Richie Wellens
He failed to make an impact before his injury forced Eriksson to make a change and introduce the game-changing Yakubu, changing his strategy in the process and unharnessing Yuki Abe from a dire performance out wide. Unfortunately this all rather exposed poor Wellens for his rather negligible impact on the game. 

Conclusions from the City Ground

Nottingham Forest	3-2	Leicester
	(HT 1-1)
Tudgay 15 Earnshaw 72 McKenna 85		Oakley 20 Vassell 73

Att: 24,217
BBC Match Report

---

Screamer: Oakley gave Leicester a lifeline

• An entertaining game for the neutral. This derby was one that, for once, lived up to the hype credited to it by the media. The pace of the game made for an intriguing midfield battle with plenty of end-to-end stuff. Ultimately Forest had the first half, Leicester captivating for only a ten-minute period around Matt Oakley's equalizing goal. The second half again bought the stadium alight, with both sides looking for three points. Forest gained the advantage and Leicester instantly responded, demonstrating how superbly this league can entertain the masses.
• A poor finish to a wonderful eighty minutes of entertainment. Forest's farcical winner, making Foxes fans cringe as one as the ball bumbled underneath Chris Weale, ended the game as it was. Deflated Leicester players failed to find that same spark as they had done twice before, even with the likes of Paul Gallagher, Ben Mee and Miguel Vitor trying to put something - anything - into motion. As the fizz of the first eighty-odd minutes faded, Forest played a defensive game with the ball in the corners and killing the sense of occasion that gave this game its initial grandeur.
• We are out of it now. No more optimism. Six points off the play-offs, three games to play. The maths do still add-up, but without facing any of the four teams that now lie between the Foxes and Forest - now in sixth - a miracle is what is needed to see us in the Premier League next year. Yesterday's blog post about looking to squad-building for next season wasn't premature after all.

---

Winners

Matt Oakley

Ill? On drugs? Whatever it is, Oakley is on fire at present as Leicester's most in-form player. The ex-Derby midfielder slammed-home a twentieth minute equalizer that well-matched the quality of Tudgay's opener. From beyond twenty yards, Lee Camp had no chance of saving Oakley's powerful shot, despite his getting a hand to the ball. Having failed to find the net in 78 Foxes appearances, the veteran has now scored twice in three matches, both goals crucial in giving City a foothold in their respective games. Fair play to Oakley, who's had a fair amount of stick recently, in putting two fingers up to that criticism in the best way possible. Odd, then, that he was substituted with just five minutes of the first half gone. Eriksson was clearly looking for something different from Yuki Abe, his replacement.

Man of the Match: Vitor put in another solid performance

Miguel Vitor
Vitor defended solidly this evening and demonstrated in parts some maturity far beyond his years. The 21-year-old was firm at the back and his distribution going forward was something a seasoned Paul Gallagher would have been aspiring to in his youth. Vitor was Leicester's standout man of the match this evening and if Eriksson can persuade Benfica to part with this loanee, it will be a very good piece of business for Leicester indeed.

Paul Gallagher
If Waghorn wept in Cardiff, Gallagher was the man to show the fans how much effort has been put in this year's play-off push. Leicester's most improved player must be assured of a key role next season and his sense of duty, commitment and pride is second to none in this squad.

---

Losers

Andy King

The golden boy's poor run of form continues to hamper him and the team, his usual sparkle and magic absent from this match as in many performances of late. In the second half his long run ended as he failed to find a good ball through to a breaking Yakubu. King needs to find more form if he is to avoid the scorn of all to often fickle Foxes fans.

Chris Weale

If any man will take the blame for this it will be the goalkeeper. This was a good performance from Leicester City in which two goals were scored to fight back - in that spirit we all hold so dear - against two decent strikes from the opposition (albeit one of them offside). A pity, then, that the winning goal was so farcical, a tame shot from McKenna bobbling under Weale to find its way into the back of the net. A poor way to start the end of what will surely be his final season as the Foxes' number one. 

Yakubu

Plenty of effort - and a sense of humour - from the Yak but that failed to deliver. His single attempt on goal was a tame effort indeed and his replacement by Vassell early in the second half introduced a bit more pace to the Foxes attack.

Predictions on the summer transfer window

There has been, of late, much criticism of Sven Goran Eriksson's loan policy with little regard for the fact that he has had but one January transfer window to make permanent signings (at often inflated prices). To that end, attention is now being paid to potential signings that could take place - wishfully or realistically - come the end of the season and this year's main transfer window.

What is certain is that Eriksson will be looking to strengthen three areas - goalkeepers, central defenders and strikers. Here are some ideas floated by this commentator: 

Hobbs: Player of the Year last season, could he return?

The first major focus is defending - the loans of Miguel Vitor, Ben Mee, Kyle Naughton and Patrick van Aanholt all expire come May and of those four the Foxes should probably be looking to buy two, Mee and Naughton being the best performers this season with Vitor a close third. Those signings would give some continuity from this season into the next. And, should the club once more find itself in Jack Hobbs' good books then a defensive line-up of Naughton, Hobbs, Mee and a loanee at left-back could prove brilliant as the Foxes strive for Premiership glory.

Kebe: Played well for Reading against the Foxes

In terms of the midfield things already look pretty solid. The current line-up of Richie Wellens, Andy King and Yuki Abe is working at this level and Matt Oakley's current form as a holding midfielder is promising for him to provide a useful contribution there next term, should Abe's form dip as it has done this season. However, some credit should be given to those prophesying that Leicester City should be looking towards a 4-4-2 to solidify the team defensively and, should the club go down this route then some dedicated right and left midfield players will be required. Lloyd Dyer is not good enough to be a regular first teamer at Championship level so left midfield is certainly somewhere to focus on and, whilst Paul Gallagher possesses brilliant ability and - as has already been mentioned by many - is the most improved player under Eriksson, he lacks the pace needed on the wings. Here, Reading's Jimmy Kebe could be a brilliant signing - although it would take a lot to lure him away from the Royals, particularly should they make the play-offs and certainly should they win that competition. Let's not forget either Franck Moussa, whose season at Doncaster has been quietly impressive - perhaps he is ready to step-up to the mark in a Championship first XI, as Max Gradel has done for Leeds this season? There has also been talk of signing a defensive midfielder such as Lee Bowyer: what a signing he would be. If we're talking here about consolidating the defensive capabilities of our midfield, a crunching tackler like Bowyer would be a dream signing.

Graham: Impressed at Carlisle in Lg1 before starring at Watford

Up front some consistency is needed and perhaps a permanent move for Diomansy Kamara could prove fruitful. It may also be about time that Gallagher has a chance as a regular centre forward: perhaps a signing could be made to partner him as a regular centre forward? Yakubu's inconsistent performances do not justify his wages and the Foxes would be ill-advised to sign him on a long-term contract. Danny Graham has been a popular choice with many fans speculating on summer transfers already and whilst his signature would be a coup, would he leave Watford to move to the East Midlands?

Out of contract: Westwood would be a popular signing

Finally, to the situation between the sticks. Neither Chris Weale nor Ricardo have impressed this season with both putting-in some farcical performances at times. Fresh blood is needed at the back, but who to sign? Kieran Westwood is out of contract at the other end of the M69 and is a favourite amongst supporters, whilst Fraser Forster has done well at Aberdeen on loan from Newcastle. Of course over the last three seasons Leicester have used more goalkeepers than any other club, with the likes of David Stockdale and Mark Bunn impressing in short spells at the Walkers Stadium. Perhaps there is scope amongst those emergency loans to make a longer-term switch? Finally what happened to Michael Rensing, the German keeper on trial in January? Clearly he failed to impress Eriksson, but perhaps a similar, older head would not be a bad thing as defensive solidarity is what is needed most of all.

So, there you have it - a complete run-down of the current problems and how in an ideal world they might be tackled. These ideas have not arisen from insider information or any crystal-gazing, but merely from one perspective of what might happen to improve our beloved club's promotion prospects as we look forward to 2012.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Which area is most important for Sven to build-on for next season? Make your response in the panel on the right.

City duo in team of the year

Two Leicester City players have been named as part of the Professional Football Association's Championship Team of the Year.

Andy King and Kyle Naughton have both been key players as Sven Goran Eriksson's Foxes have struggled towards the play-off places having made the club's worst ever start to a season. They were both nominated by their peers to appear in the XI selected by the PFA in an awards dinner that saw King's Wales team-mate Gareth Bale take the overall Player of the Year prize whilst Arsenal's Jack Wilshere picked-up the Young Player of the Year award.

Naughton was chosen as the Championship's best right back, whilst King was selected in the highly competitive central midfield position.

PFA Championship Team of the Year
Goalkeeper: Paddy Kenny (Queens Park Rangers)

Defenders: Kyle Naughton (Leicester City), Ian Harte (Reading), Ashley Williams (Swansea City), Wes Morgan (Nottm Forest)

Midfielders: Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers), Scott Sinclair (Swansea City),Andy King (Leicester City), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City)

Forwards: Danny Graham (Watford), Grant Holt (Norwich City)

Eriksson to give evidence to fraud office

Leicester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson will give evidence to the Serious Fraud Office after a con that saw him appointed director of football at ailing Notts County.

Eriksson was appointed at the Magpies following a takeover that promised billions of Middle Eastern investment into the East Midlands club. That money never materialised and Eriksson was left high and dry, claiming he became suspicious after the milk bill at the club failed to be paid.

"For me as a football man it was fantastic, building a club from the bottom of League Two and having the funding to do it, to be a Premier League club. It's like a dream, so I signed," said the Swede, "Big mistake. I started to have doubts when they came and told me the milk bill has not been paid."

The fraudulent deal that also hooked-in City bankers and the North Korean government is to be examined in a special Panorama programme, 'The Trillion Dollar Con Man' to be screened on BBC One tonight at 8:30pm.

Belated Conclusions from the Madejski Stadium

Reading	3-1	Leicester
	(HT 2-0)
Kebe 19 McAnuff 21 Hunt 67		King 79

Att: 19,199
BBC Match Report

---

• A poor performance nails the coffin closed. Only a groundskeeper at the graveyard of our season wandering his cemetery on a silent evening will hear the cries for help of Leicester City fans now. We're clinging on with our last breaths to a vague hope that promotion this season is still a possibility. This commentator is a sceptic, but even the most optimistic of supporters are now waking up to the prospect of another nearly-great Championship season.
• Defending is the problem. From Sol Bamba's insistence on calling for absent offside decisions to the worrying trend of results surrounding appearances by Jeffrey Bruma, the Foxes' back line is what seems to be most at fault. Quickly, a choice of who to play and where in a very competitive back line has boiled down to a need for consistency from the two men who have been at the club for the longest this season: Miguel Vitor and Ben Mee. It's there time to shine if the optimists' dreams are to be proven accurate.

---

Vitor': His introduction bolstered the Foxes' defence

Winners
Miguel Vitor
Despite making only a second half appearance, Alan Young gave the Portuguese loanee his informal man of the match award on BBC Radio Leicester. This therefore begs the question: if he doesn't start the next game alongside Ben Mee, how much are Chelsea paying us to lose our play-off place at the expense of giving Jeffrey Bruma a run-out?

Paul Gallagher
Shop windowing? Trying to persuade Sven Goran Eriksson that he must, MUST, start the next game? This was a performance indicative of one of the above, his second-half introduction changing the game in favour of Leicester and allowing a change to the short-passing game played up to that point that was clearly just not working against a pacey, determined Reading side.


Steve Howard
Gave increased focus to the attacks which lacked that earlier in the game. He acted as the target man that was needed against Reading with the Foxes playing 4-3-3, particularly after the introduction of Gallagher and his long ball deliveries. Howard had fewer scoring opportunities than Yakubu but the Leicester attack looked far more purposeful with his influence. He seemed to raise spirits within the team, too.

Andy King

Despite it being a mere consolation, Andy King's goal failed to disappoint and will be another of his many fine strikes that can be added to his end-of-season compilation video. The Welshman's goal came out of nowhere and was as crisp a-strike as you are ever likely to see, nailed straight and narrow into the bottom corner. A pity, then, that it failed to cap a wonderful victory and instead will remind us of a dismal defeat.

Sven Goran Eriksson
It is to the Swede's credit that three of the four men featured above are substitutes introduced in the second half. One could argue that those same three men should have started in place of those whom they replaced, but to do so would take away the credit of Eriksson in his attempts to alter the tempo and style of his team when they were reeling at 2-0 and 3-0 down.

---

Losers

Bamba: Outpaced and outclassed

Sol Bamba

Schoolboy errors abound, Bamba had a shocker. He was at fault for allowing Shane Long the space and time he needed to power to the byline and cross for Jimmy Kebe's opener - Bamba caught standing as he appealed for an offside flag that was never going to be raised. He was less to blame for Reading's second, but was at fault when Jimmy Kebe was presented with three clear chances as Reading quickly broke forward on three separate occasions, the centre-halves failing to deal with the advancing threats. Thankfully, Kebe's radar was wide of the mark on each occasion. Many more mature performances are needed from Bamba if he is to compete for his starting place.

Jeffrey Bruma
Perhaps it is harsh to pin the blame on Bruma for McAnuff's cool finish after a catalogue of errors gifted the Royals a second, however it was the Dutchman who stood off and allowed McAnuff the sight at goal. He was to blame - as was Bamba - for continually allowing Reading to break forward and challenge Chris Weale on the break. Bruma was entirely to blame for the Royals' third goal as he slipped, gifting the advancing Kebe with a choice of passes that led to Noel Hunt firing home. Whatever Bruma lacked against Reading - bravery, positioning, agility, pace - is not a good sign for a young defender hoping for starting berth at Chelsea in the future.

Yakubu
Failed to offer the focus that was needed in attacking a Reading side at 2-0 down and his poor finishing meant that there was little need for his appearance on the pitch. Perhaps he is already dreaming of the Premier League, which will come again next season (if it does) without his Leicester team-mates.