The Leicester View

Before Birmingham City's match against Leicester, I interviewed Jack Munton, who has been a season ticket holder at Leicester for four years. You can follow Jack on Twitter @Jack_Munton. He discusses the factors behind Leicester’s great first half of the season, who their best players are, and gives his thoughts on foreign owners in football.

Nigel Pearson

At the time of writing, you’re five points clear at the top of the league, and have won your last five. What’s gone right?

Although we’re now 8 points clear after last season it was important we kept our squad together and add some experience. We clearly had a talented bunch and together they’ve learnt and matured. The experience has pushed that bit further and the players complement each other to challenge every opponent.

Your team this season seems very similar to what it was last year, no major changes. Has a summer of stability helped?

Absolutely, if players stay together they can only improve. As I’ve said we had a talented squad last season and this season they’ve developed together to create what most managers call the best team in the division.

Vichai Srivaddh- err... Leicester's chairman

What do you make of your chairman, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha? Your thoughts on foreign owners in football?

Our owners have been brilliant for our club as a whole. They’ve revamped the training ground and more recently wiped out our debt. After a couple of years of heavy investment they didn’t make any progress and could have easily walked away. The fact they stayed and continued to develop our club shows their commitment to succeed. Foreign owners are a mixed bag. You will always get the owners who will cause problems but some always try and spoil it for others. If their heart is in the right place and they do genuinely want to succeed, I don’t see a problem with them.

Since Martin O’Neill left almost fifteen years ago, you’ve been through the managers very quickly. Is that something that needs to change?

I think that’s the same across the top 4 divisions. Stability is the key to success generally. Unfortunately too many clubs pull the trigger to early or they make the wrong appointment in the first place. Nigel Pearson is a perfect example; after winning league 1 with us he then guided us to the Play Offs to suffer the first of our disappointments before leaving for hull. After switching managers around a year we ended up with Pearson back at the helm. I could sit here and wonder where we would be if Pearson never left, that’s irrelevant in our current position now though.

One thing both Birmingham and Leicester have in common is that we’ve both never won the FA Cup. Does it annoy you when managers play a weakened side, given what it means to fans?

In some terms yes it does. We lost at Stoke where quite a few of us travelled agreed we probably would of won the match if we had started with David Nugent and Lloyd Dyer, who came on towards the end when we had a hold of the game. However, managers have priorities which I do understand.

Paul Konchesky

If you do go up, how would you assess your squad’s chances in the Premier League and which areas need strengthening?

If we strengthen the right areas I feel we have an excellent chance IF we do go up. Most fans would agree we would need a left back with Konchesky getting towards the end of his career, he would be a good squad player if we go up however. A proven striker would be needed to put the goals away when the chances occur. Generally we would need a stronger back up to deal with the threats in the Premier League.

Best away trip of the season so far?

Cup games generally make great away games and my favourites this season would be Carlisle away in the league cup and Stoke in the FA Cup. But, after what happened last season I’d probably go for Watford away due to the atmosphere and Knockaert getting his revenge on the pitch.

Jamie Vardy

Who are your key players Birmingham need to watch out for?

There are 3 or 4 players who should be watched when we attack. Dyer and Vardy both have blistering pace and travel around defenders always need to be one step ahead. Knockaert can work wonders with the ball and it is always worth been cautious around him. Then if there are 10 minutes to go at 0-0 Kevin Phillips will always be there to poke it in.

Cheers for answering our questions. Your score prediction?

We have equalled our longest ever winning streak and I know Birmingham’s home form has been very poor so I won’t be surprised if Birmingham nick it. I’ll go for 2-0 Leicester.

My thanks to Jack Munton for his answers.