After winning the English Premier League life doesn’t become any simpler for Leicester City. In this grueling age of Football where past records are forgotten as the new season kicks off, managers are changed for not playing a certain style of football, Quality players are lured away from rival clubs, other leagues and in some case to unknown leagues outside Europe for lucrative deals the future as of now looks anything but easy for the newly crowned English Champions.
With greater things comes greater responsibilities, Leicester are are now in the limelight they will have to do things differently unlike in the past for the world is going to watch them closely now.
In all this pressure they have to do what any team needs to do win matches entertain fans live up to expectations. The old guard of the football would not like anything more than to see Leicester fail this season so he can say that it was nothing but a fluke. Leicester needs to prove them wrong they should show the world that football is more than just money and legacy, they need to beat the system which let only the rich prevail.
For starters they need to keep the core of the team intact, try and retain as many players of the winning squad as possible and play the kind of free flowing football in which their strength lies. For the rivals will try their best to weaken them by enticing away their key players breaking down their free flowing football by implementing new strategies Leicester will need to counter them and evolve along the way.
Also they will need to deepen their bench strength for now matches will come thick and fast from this year they not only will they have to defend the Premier League crown but will also be fighting it out in big boys tournament the UEFA Champions League. But new signings must be such that they compliment the existing pool of players and not spoil the team balance.
In this build up to the new season, the pre-season friendlies will be crucial it will be a trailer of things to come.
Leicester City will be for the first time taking part in the International Champions Cup where it will face the Champions of Scotland Celtic on July 23, PSG the reigning French Champions in Carson, California on July 30, and Barcelona who are most likely to be crowned the Spanish Champions unless something dramatic happens on the final day, in the Swedish capital on August 3.
These matches though not that relevant yet are important for Leicester to get an idea of how the things are at the top, Ranieri has been a top Manager and knows the demands of high level football, he also knows his rivals with deep pockets will strengthen their squads next season to pit up a new challenge, the European nights will be entirely different from Premier League.
His experience will help Leicester to evolve their game plans, where they need to strike a balance, what is more important and prioritise accordingly rather than trying to achieve everything and ending up nowhere.
Having said that I firmly believe that Leicester City have in them, for unlike most they have learned it the hard way from fighting Relegation in the last season to becoming champions this year. This feat is nothing less than a modern day fairy-tale and one hopes that it continues in the years to come and inspire others to do the impossible and make the game more beautiful.