Football Season Guide

Premier League Champions in 2016, Leicester City will now play in League One in 2026 following a second successive relegation. It’s been a downward spiral for the Foxes under the ownership of Billionaire owner Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha and Director of Football Jon Rudkin and it might not over yet. The appointment of Martí Cifuentes as head coach last summer was the latest in a series of mistakes. It was soon clear there would be no immediate return to the Premier League. He’d already been sacked by the time the club were deducted six points for a breach of the EFL’s financial rules. The team found themselves thrown in the deep end of a relegation battle and showed no heart or fight whatsoever under the interim management of Gary Rowett. They would win just two of their last 19 league matches and fall through the trap door. Among the dismal performers was midfielder Harry Winks, whose fall from grace was stark as he argued with supporters from the team coach following another defeat. He has now moved on to Serie A side Cagliari, one of the first of many players on huge salaries which could threaten the very collapse of the club due to the financial burden. Russell Martin has been given the unenviable task of sorting out this mess. He’ll be looking to repair his reputation following a painful four months at Rangers. The sales of wingers Abdul Fatawu and Jeremy Monga to Ipswich Town and Manchester City might ease the finances but only weaken the team. Jordan James was a shining light in the middle of the park but he was always expected to leave following the end of his loan from Rennes. At the time of writing over 20 players have departed the club and that figure could double by the end of the transfer window with the likes of Jakub Stolarczyk, Caleb Okoli, Harry Souttar, Wout Faes, Woyo Coulibaly and Stephy Mavididi all on vast salaries. Martin has to prioritise a long list of issues, one of which is building a new strikeforce, and the first of whose is Liam Cullen, signed from one of his former clubs Swansea City. The revolving door at Filbert Way will be permanently spinning until the window closes in September.