The Greatest Escape

"It is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape. If they cannot escape, then it is their sworn duty to...harass the enemy to the best of their ability." Ramsay - The Great Escape (1963).

Many had written Leicester City's season off when they were seven points adrift of safety but yesterday's gritty 0-0 draw away at Sunderland ensured the Foxes would play in the Premier League next season with a game to spare.

Safe pair of hands - Kasper Schmeichel joins in the team's celebrations

Having been rooted at the bottom of the table for 141 days between November 2014 and April 2015, Leicester spurred into life, earning 19 points from a maximum of 24, that turned City's season around. The Foxes had mustered the same amount of points across the previous 30 matches in a frustrating and torturous season.

The quality of football played by Nigel Pearson's men in the middle of the pitch hadn't warranted their lowly position but a combination of lack of taking chances in front of goal and being punished at the back resulted in them being bottom of the league at Christmas.

A parody film poster of the 1963 war film that is synonymous with City's 2014/15 season 

Only two teams in the 23 year history of the Premier League had previously survived from such a position which was coined as the 'Great Escape'. West Brom became the first "Escapees" in the 2004-05 season and the 1960s war-film theme tune was ringing out last year when Sunderland avoided the Championship trap door last year. 

Leicester now become the third "Escapee" team but the Foxes efforts must mean that this is the Greatest Escape.

How did City turn around a season of such contrasting two halves? The answers are found in the MANAGER, his PLAYERS and the FANS.

MANAGER

Nigel Pearson, love him or loathe him, or as he said so himself, "like him or lump him", is one of Leicester's most influential managers.

Pearson (centre left) holds aloft the Championship trophy in 1995

His no-nonsense personality was shown on the pitch when he captained Middlesbrough to Premier League promotion and finals in the FA Cup and League Cup. I was in the stands at Wembley (and at Hillsborough for the replay) when Pearson's Boro hardly fought and lost against City in the League Cup final.

After hanging up his boots, Pearson went into management with Carlisle where goalkeeper, Johnny Glass, scored to keep them in the Football League. Pearson was part of West Brom's coaching staff in that 2004/05 season before coming to Leicester after being relegated into the third tier of English football for the first time.

Pearson managed most of the 2013/14 season from the stands 

City immediately returned to the Championship but owner-politics saw Pearson leave to manage Hull before returning to Leicester in 2011. Pearson's team were crowned Championship champions in 2014 in a season where Pearson viewed his teams from high in the stands and instructed his deputy, Craig Shakespeare, to marshal from the touchline in an outstanding season.

Staying in the stands was just one of Pearson's tactics that brought criticism from some fans and media with the incessant calls for Pearson's sacking from BBC Radio Leicester's Ian Stringer led to the local radio station being denied access to the only Premier League manager in the East Midlands.

Leicester fast-paced start to the Premier League campaign peaked in the incredible 5-3 victory at home to Manchester United and Pearson then changed tactics. Instead of attacking teams at the beginning of a game, City were guilty of showing teams too much respect by sitting back and absorbing pressure. This defensive mindset became frustrating when the strikers couldn't take their chances when they eventually came.

These frustrations boiled over when a fan shouting abuse at Pearson got some back from the City manager. Pearson later apologised but his actions continued to polarise opinion - passionate and devoted or arrogant and beligerant?

In a season where most teams battling for survival changed their managers, Pearson's second tenure at City looked to be at an end in early February.

Leicester's 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace was overshadowed by Pearson grabbing Palace's James MacArthur by the throat after MacArthur unintentional clattered into Pearson along the touchline.

Pearson's tangle with James MacArthur led many to call for him to be sacked

Reports in the media the next day indicated Pearson would be sacked but the club announced Pearson was to stay after the manager had met with City's Thai owners. If Pearson was to be sacked during the season - the time had now passed - as a streak of 13 games without a win toward the end of 2014 would have been more justifiable in letting Pearson go.

Pearson looked to add to his squad in the January transfer window and signed Robert Huth on loan from Stoke, veteran goalkeeper (and former Boro team mate) Mark Schwarzer and Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric for a club record signing of £9.5 Million.

Schwarzer was signed as goalkeeping cover for City's injured Number One, Kasper Schmeichel, but Pearson's decision to field Schwarzer instead of second choice keeper, Ben Hamer, brought more criticism. 

Schwarzer's fumble saw Leicester out of the FA Cup

Hamer was playing well, getting twice as many clean sheets as Schmeichel had at the time but was replaced by Schwarzer, whose poor distribution and lack of control reached its zenith against Aston Villa where he bundled the ball over the line which led to City's exit of the FA Cup.

Schmeichel's return to the team coincided with a change of tactics from Pearson. With their backs against the wall, it was all or nothing for City and  change in formation allowed City to attack from the beginning of every game. The extra pace was coupled with pressuring teams high up the pitch which denied the likes of Swansea and West Brom to play their natural game.

Pearson's temperament was called in to question again when his post match press conference after the 3-1 loss to Chelsea led to the manager calling a reporter an "idiot" and, bizarrely, an "ostrich".

Nigel Pearson's leadership was rewarded with Manager of the Month

Yet, his ability to bring his players together and inspire them to win against the odds was rewarded when he was made Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month for April. That astonishing month turned City's season around and allowed the Foxes to escape relegation a week before the season ends.

Pearson celebrates his team' safety with Jamie Vardy

In typical fashion, Pearson kept his feet firmly on the ground by saying that City hadn't won anything, despite the celebrations at the Stadium of Light. There may not be any shiny new cups in Leicester's trophy cabinet at the end of the season but the Foxes have indeed won something this year. They have won the respect of many, including both casual and devoted football fans alike. 

PLAYERS

There can often be a gulf between the quality of players between the Championship and the Premier League. The Championship winning side of 2013/14 would always be fighting with new signings for starting places and players like Anthony Knockeart were unable to start regularly.

Cambiasso (second from left) proved to be an inspired signing

Th summer signings included two Argentinians, Leonardo Ulloa and Esteban Cambiasso, whilst winger Marc Albrighton joined from Aston Villa and goalkeeper Ben Hamer came from Charlton. Ulloa got a dream start, scoring five goals in the first five games and Leicester's early season promise reached its peak in the legendary victory against Manchester Utd.

Filbert Fox hugs Ulloa during the 5-3 victory against Man Utd

The sun on the King Power Stadium that day in a match that showed how great, and how frail, Leicester were. Surging forward with pace, Leicester were unstoppable with Vardy leading the way, whilst a slack defence allowed three goals to be scored, many of them scrappy.

Wes Morgan was wrongly penalised for the ball hitting his face

Pearson was unable to settle on a consistent line-up and the results showed with Leicester propping up the table from November onwards through the end of the year. The new year brought better performances but Leicester continued to be punished for not taking advantages of the chances that came their way. Lady luck also wasn't on City's side as the horrendous penalty decisions at Anfield on New Year's Day showed.

Robert Huth's loan spell proved to be influential

The January transfer window brought Robert Huth into the team and his decade-long experience in the Premier League was invaluable and his knowledge rubbed off on club captain, Wes Morgan, and fellow central defender, Marcin Wasilewski. Leicester should have signed another left back instead of Schwarzer as Paul Konchesky was a yard short of pace and susceptible to losing his man at the top level.

Mahrez impressed before losing form after returning from the African Cup of Nations

The pace of wingers Jeff Schlupp and Riyad Mahrez were noticeable and soon led to international call-ups for the upcoming African Cup of Nations but Schlupp's injury prevented him from making the final Ghanan squad. Mahrez played for Algeria but his form dipped when he returned from the tournament and was no longer a first team pick.

City continued to put in strong performances without reward and the 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal saw Pearson play 5 at the back. This defence formation was then changed to a more aggressive one in the second half as City went looking for the win. The tactics were understandable against a top team but brought consternation when played against lesser teams, including Aston Villa in the FA Cup Fifth Round, to little success.

Jeff Schlupp continues to grow as a left back

With five at the back, Schlupp was restricted in a defensive style but when Pearson allowed the wing backs to push further up the field in the second half against West Brom, the team played much better.

Marc Albrighton brought an extra dimension with his precision

Albrighton seized his chance after spending most of the season on the bench and was able to whip in a number of decent crosses into the box. Cambiasso had now become accustomed to English football and was a commanding presence in midfield.

Nugent and Vardy rekindled their Championship success

The strike duo of Vardy and David Nugent had been central to Leicester's success in the Championship and they linked up again with great success in the 2-2 away draw to Everton. Nugent's injury allowed Mahrez to return to the team and he responded by scoring twice in the 2-0 home victory against Southampton.

Leicester's phenomenal end of season form was typified by the team's incessant need to attack from the off, pressuring opponents into making mistakes and prevent them from playing their natural style of play. The pace in City's play continued throughout the whole 90 minutes and was spearheaded by Vardy whose tenacity frustrated and bewildered defenders.

Will Vardy's amazing season be rewarded with an England call-up?

This pace was also sustained by the passion of the loyal 'Blue Army' who became City's 12th man.

FANS

Despite Pearson's spate with an abuse fan, the fans were mainly supportive to Pearson and the players, thanks to the strong performances the team put in week-in week-out without rewards. 

The fans knew that City' luck was due to change but you have to create your luck and the Blue Army soon got behind the team. The unique design of the King Power Stadium allows for the stands to visibly shake and TV cameras situated on the gantry would usually bounce to the noise of the Blue Army. The fervent support shown at the 'KP' was obvious to the many TV and radio commentators who came to a sold out ground each week.

The message delivered by the fans was heard loud and clear

Those who didn't want to join in the creative songs about Ulloa, Cambiasso and Vardy were still able to make a noise with the clappers that also bore the message 'Foxes Never Quit- #fearless'.

Thousands of Leicester away fans celebrated Jamie Vardy's winner  

It wasn't just at the KP that the Blue Army made such a great noise with away games seeming like the home supporters were in the minority. This was shown when Jamie Vardy scored in front of the away fans at the Hawthorns or when the team came over to the away stand at Turf Moor to thank the support of the Blue Army.

The players were greeted with a giant fox formed in the stands

Those who made the trip to Sunderland were rewarded with a free breakfast by the club owners whilst the returned QPR tickets for the final game of the season were quickly snapped up. With the Premier League status safe for another year - there will be quite a party at the KP next Sunday for the final game of the season that may see many supporters throw a 'sickie' from work on Monday morning!

So what now for Pearson, his men and the Blue Army?

The summer should see additions to the squad that can look to aim for a mid-table finish next year but Pearson's first aim for the team will be to once again avoid the drop.

Match day programme from the first City game I attended

My time as a City fan over the past 20+ years has seen many ups and downs. I watched my first City game at FIlbert Street 20 years ago this month when Mark McGhee's already-relegated side held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw.

The one guarantee of being a City fan is that its a roller coaster ride - from the depths of Levein and Holloway to the highs of the O'Neill days. But this season has had it all and it leaves us all saying:

'WE LOVE YOU LEICESTER, WE DO, OH LEICESTER WE LOVE YOU!'