Life isn't easy being a Leicester fan. Ever since we last dined at the top table that is the Premier League, the dawn of each season is greeted with unbridled optimism and absolute conviction that yes, this is our year. We always convince ourselves that ahead of us awaits a season of superb football, glorious away days and, ultimately, promotion to the Premier League (ideally at a Sun-drenched Wembley stadium).
Of course, this year was no different. Indeed, this year it seemed almost as if the optimism of the Foxes Faithful was justified. Every pundit tipped Leicester to be just behind West Ham come May. Their belief was based on the fact that we were bankrolled to the eyeballs and splashing the cash like Mickey Carroll at Poundland, not least in the £4.5 million purchase of Matt Mills. Reading's Captain Marvel was instrumental in the Royals' march to Wembley last year. A few eyebrows were raised at the size of the fee for a player who had never played in the Premier League and liked to hoof the ball upfield at the earliest opportunity. But these were very few indeed.
From the start, Matt Mills shouldered all the fans' hopes for the season ahead. He was the symbol for Leicester's bright new dawn. In August, Sven appointed him Captain and we all looked to him to give us what we lacked last season, a settled, solid and stingy back four. His home debut was against Reading and he endured a torrid 90 minutes, displaying an alarming capacity to kick the ball out of play and an inability to make the right decision when it really mattered. We were roundly beaten 2-0. Since that day in August, Mills has shone when Leicester has shone. (He was superb against Southampton, both in a 3-2 win at home and a 2-0 away, and was imperious against Brighton when we won 1-0).
At his best, he would put his head where few would their feet and had a towering commitment to muck in and fight. But still, when Leicester played badly, he played worse. I was there on that cold Tuesday night away to Watford and witnessed a sickening, all-too-familiar Leicester collapse. It is wrong to blame our defeat that night solely on Mills, but his performance was poor. I would say that against Watford Mills's distribution was on a par with a Sunday League player, but that is an insult to the Sunday League.
Now, it appears as if the Mills saga is about to draw to a close. Barely half a year since that day I spent nervously flicking between the BBC website, FoxesTalk and Twitter for confirmation that we had beaten Wolves to his signature, it seems he is off to Leeds. He didn't even travel up the M1 to Derby on Thursday night and, when Nigel was asked about Mills he talked of an "ego" and when asked if he still had a future at the KP, he replied "You will have to wait and see, it depends." Continuing "I'm not interested in the price tag, I'm interested in the group being winners."
Of course, this year was no different. Indeed, this year it seemed almost as if the optimism of the Foxes Faithful was justified. Every pundit tipped Leicester to be just behind West Ham come May. Their belief was based on the fact that we were bankrolled to the eyeballs and splashing the cash like Mickey Carroll at Poundland, not least in the £4.5 million purchase of Matt Mills. Reading's Captain Marvel was instrumental in the Royals' march to Wembley last year. A few eyebrows were raised at the size of the fee for a player who had never played in the Premier League and liked to hoof the ball upfield at the earliest opportunity. But these were very few indeed.
From the start, Matt Mills shouldered all the fans' hopes for the season ahead. He was the symbol for Leicester's bright new dawn. In August, Sven appointed him Captain and we all looked to him to give us what we lacked last season, a settled, solid and stingy back four. His home debut was against Reading and he endured a torrid 90 minutes, displaying an alarming capacity to kick the ball out of play and an inability to make the right decision when it really mattered. We were roundly beaten 2-0. Since that day in August, Mills has shone when Leicester has shone. (He was superb against Southampton, both in a 3-2 win at home and a 2-0 away, and was imperious against Brighton when we won 1-0).
Now, it appears as if the Mills saga is about to draw to a close. Barely half a year since that day I spent nervously flicking between the BBC website, FoxesTalk and Twitter for confirmation that we had beaten Wolves to his signature, it seems he is off to Leeds. He didn't even travel up the M1 to Derby on Thursday night and, when Nigel was asked about Mills he talked of an "ego" and when asked if he still had a future at the KP, he replied "You will have to wait and see, it depends." Continuing "I'm not interested in the price tag, I'm interested in the group being winners."
And he's right. If Pearson feels Matt Mills isn't good enough to make the bench, let alone the first XI then it doesn't matter whether we forked out £4.5million or £450 000.
Time will tell whether Mills will go on to be a DJ Campbell and carve out a decent career or do an Akinbuyi and fade away.
One thing that is certain is that his imminent departure is sad. It's sad because it feels like a final confirmation, if one were needed, that the hopes of the summer were false and built on sand. It's sad because it's a painful reminder of what could have been. Like finding out that an ex-girlfriend is going out with someone else, there's an acceptance that it's the right thing but it's mixed with regret that things never worked out. Matt Mills will always symbolise hopes dashed.
The really sad thing, though, is that even though I write this blog as if those hopes of reaching the play-offs are misplaced, there's a little bit of me that refuses to give up. I still have a vague hope that we can just sneak in the top 6 and it will be 1996 all over again. Surely, I can rely on Big Nige to inject some realism?
" We will be playing catch-up again after the weekend."
" You look at the table and people make assessments that only a certain number of team will be in a position to get into the play-offs."
Ahh that's better.
" I would never write us off anyway."
For f***'s sake!
Time will tell whether Mills will go on to be a DJ Campbell and carve out a decent career or do an Akinbuyi and fade away.
One thing that is certain is that his imminent departure is sad. It's sad because it feels like a final confirmation, if one were needed, that the hopes of the summer were false and built on sand. It's sad because it's a painful reminder of what could have been. Like finding out that an ex-girlfriend is going out with someone else, there's an acceptance that it's the right thing but it's mixed with regret that things never worked out. Matt Mills will always symbolise hopes dashed.
The really sad thing, though, is that even though I write this blog as if those hopes of reaching the play-offs are misplaced, there's a little bit of me that refuses to give up. I still have a vague hope that we can just sneak in the top 6 and it will be 1996 all over again. Surely, I can rely on Big Nige to inject some realism?
" We will be playing catch-up again after the weekend."
" You look at the table and people make assessments that only a certain number of team will be in a position to get into the play-offs."
Ahh that's better.
" I would never write us off anyway."
For f***'s sake!
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