Mirror Sport selected a team of champions - some of them serial winners - to assess the most exciting run-in to a season for years
Reuters / Darren Staples
It’s the debate that’s captivating the nation so Mirror Sport selected a team of title-winning experts. Eleven men who have been champions - some of them serial winners - to assess the most exciting run-in to a season for years.
We asked them if Leicester can pull off the most incredible football triumph in decades. Here are their views.
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Howard Wilkinson - Leeds manager (1992) - YES
“Yes they can win it. The big plus factors are their tremendous work ethic, they’re well organised and the team means everything to them. I don’t see anybody with an attitude problem.“Like our lot back in ‘92 they’ll roll up their sleeves and work for each other. We always used to say we might get played off the park but we won’t get outworked or outfought. With those principles in place we’d take our chances.
“I see the same qualities in Leicester now. It’s not a bad thing in a football team if you’re seen as working class. They’re a team of working class heroes.
“History shows us that in nine of the last ten seasons the team top at this point of the season went on to win the title. And mentally it’s great for Leicester that I don’t think anybody will criticise them if they miss the title by one point.
“Nobody will say they’ve let it slip. They’re not under the same pressure to deliver as Manchester City, Arsenal or even Tottenham.
“I think Manchester City’s announcement that Manuel Pellegrini is leaving actually boosts Leicester’s chances of success.
“I’ve heard City players saying ‘we’re pros and we’ll get on with it’. But I think that scenario can be a distraction for them. We’ll see over the next few weeks but I don’t think it’s a positive factor. In the long run I don’t think it will help them.”
John Lukic - Arsenal (1989) and Leeds (1992) - YES
“Yes. They need to keep Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez fit and hope the likes of Wes Morgan keep producing the best football of his life.
“Like Leeds in ‘92 the sum total of the team is much bigger than the individual parts and everyone keeps saying they won’t win the title because they’re Leicester.
“Back in ‘92 it was supposed to be Manchester United’s title. Leeds were making up the numbers and even going into the last fortnight of the season people wrote about United’s 25 year wait for the title being abut to end.
“We just kept plugging away and left the pressure on United until suddenly, out of the blue, we were champs.
“If Leicester keep getting great results against their top team rivals - like Manchester City on Saturday - they can win it.
“There’s no pressure on Leicester to win anything. All the pressure is on their rivals including Tottenham now.”
George Graham – Arsenal player (1971) and manager (1989, 1991) - YES
“Of course they can win the title. What they have to do is keep their key players fit. That will be vital. But what will help them is that they have no distractions in cup competitions. And this is one very unpredictable season.
“The other teams at the top all have commitments in European and domestic competitions. Tottenham, especially, are in the Europa League and teams in that cup seem to suffer in the league games that follow.
“Leicester do not have that problem. Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham all have more quality in their squads to handle their commitments.
“Personally, I take Arsenal to win the league. They always seem to come good in the last three months of the season and I believe they have a great chance to become champions because they have important players to come back.”
Tony Gale - Blackburn Rovers (1995) - NO
“Yes they can - but no they won’t!
“I don’t think they’re as good as Blackburn, and we went close the season before we won it. Blackburn finished second and that was great experience.
“Leicester haven’t had any experience of a vital run-in. It’s a good thing in that they may show no fear. But believe me, the nerves will grip you.
“It took Manchester United a few times before they did it. In fact, all of the clubs that have had a go beforehand.”
Jason Wilcox - Blackburn Rovers (1995) - NO
“As the Manchester City Under 18 coach I’m biased. I think City will win the title because of the squad and manager we have.
“But I have to say Leicester have been a revelation this season. They’ve shown what can be achieved through hard work and spirit. And manager Claudio Ranieri has been really dignified in the way he’s handled the team.
“The Leicester players have a real hunger. They play for each other. And the way they’ve performed this season should be an inspiration to clubs who are usually written off.”
Tim Sherwood - Blackburn Rovers (1995) - YES
“There’s an uncanny similarity to the way Leicester play and the way we played. We had wide men in Stuart Ripley and Jason Wilcox - they have Marc Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez. We had Alan Shearer scoring for fun, they have Jamie Vardy.
" They have an excellent goalkeeper in Kasper Schmeichel and we had one in Tim Flowers.
“A major difference is that in the previous two seasons we were edging near winning it while this time last year, Leicester were bottom. But they have an experienced manager and they will never - and I mean NEVER - have a better chance of winning the title. What they need is belief they can do it.
“And unlike in our time, they don’t have to put up with Sir Alex Ferguson’s mind games!
“When we won it was the greatest feeling because we felt Manchester United were looking down their noses at us. We were the underdogs - and so are Leicester.”
John Aldridge - Liverpool (1988) - NO
“I’d love them to do it. I think every neutral in the land would love them to, but I doubt it. I just think everything will catch up with them and they’ve been very fortunate with injuries and suspensions.
“They’ve never been in this position before and if you look at their main rivals, Man City and Arsenal, they have.
“They know what it takes and they have won titles before, even if Arsenal’s last was over 10 years ago.
“It would be a fantastic story if Leicester could do it and I definitely think they can make the top four.”
Kevin Ratcliffe - Everton (1985, 1987) - NO
“They’ve got a great chance.
“They’re playing with great enjoyment and you can see they are loving it. They have some players many people didn’t know that much about before this season and they are relishing being underdogs.
“There’s a great freedom about the way they are playing and Jamie Vardy and Mahrez are on fire.
“The key for them is to continue like that and the problems will come if they start believing all the hype and stop working as hard.”
Mark Lawrenson - Liverpool (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988) - NO
“No, they won’t win it. The reason being is that at the moment they are playing with great freedom.
“They’ve only lost two games all season, which is fantastic, but that can’t continue.
“The greatest problem I always felt is when you’re in front, it’s a completely different feeling. You’re being
chased rather than chasing.
"You only need one or two players to look over their shoulders and you just start to lose focus.
“Teams near the bottom coming to Leicester will chuck everyone behind the ball and then it becomes difficult for them because Vardy has no space to run into and Mahrez has men around him.”
Sol Campbell - Arsenal (2002, 2004) - YES
“Leicester’s momentum shows no sign of slowing and everybody now has to consider them genuine title contenders. It’s a beautiful thing that hungry players, working hard together can achieve such a success. They deserve to be where they are, it’s great to see and I think they can maintain it.
“If Leicester come away from the Etihad tomorrow with all three points then I’d go as far as saying it’s Leicester’s title to lose,” he told Sportlobster.
Alex Livesey/Getty
Ray Parlour - Arsenal (1998, 2002, 2004) - NO
“With Jamie Vardy and the way Leicester are playing, they can make a real statement in the next two games at Manchester City and Arsenal.
“There’s a long way to go, Arsenal have got some really tough games but they can turn it on and City’s Sergio Aguero is top class.
“You can’t call who will win the title yet and it could go to the wire. Leicester can definitely do it, but I still think Arsenal can do it. But Arsenal definitely need to win this weekend.”
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