Here we go then, very interesting comments from Enzo today who wants to have a discussion with Leicesters hierarchy, now that the season is finished, over things that happened this season “he didn’t like".
Asked to expand on his comments he directly referenced the Sensi deal and also the fact that he wasn’t made aware of Leicesters full financial position until after the January window opened. Now where have we heard this before? Oh yeah - Brendan Rodgers at the start of that infamous season where he clearly wasn’t told a thing about Leicesters FFP clanger until he sat with the board to discuss transfers.
It seems that rather than learning from the mistakes of the past, Rudkin has been repeating them - ie not being transparent with the manager over the financial picture, not getting key targets over the line and pulling back on deals at the last moment.
The difference here is that rather than come out and attack the club through the press, as Rodgers did, Enzo sounds like he’s going to tackle Rudkin head on and directly over the issues. With Sevilla strongly interested in luring him away, Maresca clearly feels he now has leverage to start making certain demands around “processes" and the way things are handled at the club
Will be fascinating to see where this ends up. My guess is with Enzo out the door and Rudkin given some kind of promotion to head up the entire King Power group
Maresca vs Rudkin
posted on 1/5/24
comment by Merseysidefox (U4842)
posted 1 minute ago
I agree with everthing you say Nuneaton. But don’t you think that those grumbles are a private matter and not one for the media?
I don’t like the way he’s used the media to try and influence discussions that happen and should happen behind closed doors.
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I do agree with this. He’s risking going down the Rodgers route here and he shouldn’t be publicly making these comments however much I may agree with him
posted on 2/5/24
comment by 98 Problems (and promotion ain’t one) (U12353)
posted 10 hours, 53 minutes ago
comment by Merseysidefox (U4842)
posted 1 minute ago
I agree with everthing you say Nuneaton. But don’t you think that those grumbles are a private matter and not one for the media?
I don’t like the way he’s used the media to try and influence discussions that happen and should happen behind closed doors.
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I do agree with this. He’s risking going down the Rodgers route here and he shouldn’t be publicly making these comments however much I may agree with him
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One might think that normally. If I were putting a positive spin on it, it may be that Enzo has looked at the history and realised that Rudders is the problem; the usual means of communicating queries as to the future would be privately with the DoF, which is if course impossible if you are talking about getting rid of said DoF. Maybe it's his way of letting Top know that all is not rosy in the garden?
An alternative theory is that he's realised the club is a disaster waiting to happen, his best chance of career progress are to get out now whilst his stock is riding high, and his comments are a thinly veiled 'come and get me' to any deluded EPL Chairman who wants to make a managerial change in the hope they can become Man City Lite.
posted on 2/5/24
Interesting take Nuneaton. I think you’re right - like Rodgers he may be going into self preservation mode. He doesn’t want to look like a failure when we get relegated with 10 points and so he needs to make it clear that there are still ongoing issues at the club which is making his job harder
It’s exactly what Rodgers did - albeit Rodgers was given such unprecedented power by Rudkin that he was able to be far more vocal and direct, believing himself to be in a completely safe position - which he was at the time
Enzo feels he has leverage now - so this could be a two fold message
1. Sort yourselves out Leicester and sign the players I want
2. If it goes wrong - it’s not my fault, it’s you guys for breaching FFP and then not being able to back me - oh and I’ve got to manage a points deduction
I would expect these messages to get stronger and stronger next season
posted on 2/5/24
I'm thinking it might not even take that long, he could possibly be off over the summer.
Remember that he was right royally cheesed off earlier with the fanbase for not completely buying in to his boring pedestrian - albeit obviously effective at Championship level - style of football; recall the threat to leave? He may well have memories of that, however fantastic the atmosphere was at Preston, and is likely to be tomorrow and Sunday.
posted on 2/5/24
Yeah all good points Nuneaton! Sevilla are very interested in him so he may know he has another option this summer and that of course helps his position. Give me what I want or lose me. As you say the decision may have already been made
posted on 3/5/24
It’s getting worse! Adding further comment today when asked to clarify previous comments Maresca said
“And it’s the same about Financial Fair Play - nobody from the club mentioned it to me when I signed that it could be a problem and I think it’s not the right thing to do. So it would be a moment to sit and understand why they didn’t mention it to me.”
That’s the most direct comment yet
posted on 3/5/24
Not just that 99, he’s directly speaking to the media asking for “a refresh of the decision making offices”.
You know what, if this is a direct attack on Rudkin then fine. But I’m getting really uneasy about how publicly Maresca is now doing this. Arrange a private meeting with Top, have this conversation. Why is all this bleeding into the press??
Maresca is starting to sound like a problem to me, is anyone else thinking that?
I’ll go back to 99s point to articulate this - even 99 could have got this team promoted so don’t get ahead of your station mate. It took Vardy to get the players together and a change in tactics to finally get the best from a struggling squad. You’ve done well, but stop thinking you’re Pep and care about my club. I’m starting to feel he’s disrespecting us.
posted on 3/5/24
comment by Merseysidefox (U4842)
posted 1 hour, 30 minutes ago
Not just that 99, he’s directly speaking to the media asking for “a refresh of the decision making offices”.
You know what, if this is a direct attack on Rudkin then fine. But I’m getting really uneasy about how publicly Maresca is now doing this. Arrange a private meeting with Top, have this conversation. Why is all this bleeding into the press??
Maresca is starting to sound like a problem to me, is anyone else thinking that?
I’ll go back to 99s point to articulate this - even 99 could have got this team promoted so don’t get ahead of your station mate. It took Vardy to get the players together and a change in tactics to finally get the best from a struggling squad. You’ve done well, but stop thinking you’re Pep and care about my club. I’m starting to feel he’s disrespecting us.
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He was asked a question in January and answered, presumably truthfully, that he didn't know about the FFP issues but this wasn't the time to go into that, the focus was on getting promotion. Now someone asks him what he's doing about it given we've got promotion, and he wants to have a sit down and discuss why he wasn't told about this issue when he joined. I see little wrong with that way of going about things. Particularly if it gets Rudders the boot (not very likely unfortunately).
posted on 3/5/24
He basically didn’t need to say any of what he did Nuneaton - at any point. As Mersey says - keep it in the boardroom, why does the media need to know that Enzo wasn’t made aware of the FFP issues when he joined? Why do they need to know he’s not happy about the Sensi deal? They don’t. If someone asks a question - just don’t answer it
I think this is pretty calculated and an attempt to start leveraging his position to get changes he wants
posted on 4/5/24
comment by 98 Problems (and promotion ain’t one) (U12353)
posted 9 hours, 5 minutes ago
He basically didn’t need to say any of what he did Nuneaton - at any point. As Mersey says - keep it in the boardroom, why does the media need to know that Enzo wasn’t made aware of the FFP issues when he joined? Why do they need to know he’s not happy about the Sensi deal? They don’t. If someone asks a question - just don’t answer it
I think this is pretty calculated and an attempt to start leveraging his position to get changes he wants
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I really hope you're right on that and it isn't just stuff slipping out because of issues with translation or he's naive. It may indeed be deliberate, he looked at what happened to Brendan and decided this was the way forward instead of becoming the latest scapegoat with the DoF untouched and remaining imperious in his castle. We'll see.