Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is hopeful the Foxes can again “drop a hand grenade in” amongst the Premier League’s big six in a bid to become a long-term force in the top flight.
In 2015-16, City stunned the world of football when they remarkably won the Premier League title under charismatic boss Claudio Ranieri.
Three years on, and the club is again disrupting the established order following a strong start to the campaign under Brendan Rodgers, whose side sit third going into Saturday’s King Power Stadium clash with fifth-placed Arsenal.
Although still early days to his reign, Rodgers’ aim is for the Foxes to be continually in the mix, not just every now and again.
“It’s sometimes been the trend that if something happens that wakes them (the big six) up, then they have that facility to go and spend and get a level of player that can get them back up there,” assessed Rodgers.
“So you have to fight. You can’t accept what is the top six, in terms of finance, and that you are always going to sit below it. We have to hopefully find a way and drop a hand grenade in there, and see where it takes us.
“For us, we have to do it in a different way because we don’t have the resources to get players that will go to some of these other clubs.
“We have to find a way, but that’s the beauty, the excitement, the challenge, and the project I was excited about in coming here, to see if we can break that mould, and not just create something, but sustain it, and that’s what we are looking to do.”
Although Rodgers falls short of suggesting there could one day be ‘a top seven’, he has at least outlined that the foundations are in place at Leicester to ensure they give themselves every chance.
“There is a fantastic infrastructure here,” said Rodgers, who faces the Gunners with a virtually fully-fit squad, with midfielder Matty James the only absentee due to an ongoing Achilles problem.
“You have the ownership, which is absolutely brilliant. It’s very simple, very straightforward, they have ambitions, but they are realistic in where they are at. So they give us a great foundation to build from.
“We’ve got a new training facility coming next summer, which will be amazing, and will allow us to develop more players of our own, and then hopefully encourage players to come as well, which is important.
“You’ve a great fan base, with the potential, of plans going forward, to extend the stadium.
“Obviously, the clubs we talk about have big histories in the game, but for us it’s about creating a new history, and that’s the challenge for us, but one we are all excited about.
“I’m pleased that from when I first came in, up until now, there has been tangible improvement, on the training field, in our attitude, in everything, and we want to continue with that, and let’s see where it takes us.”
