Picture the scene. A club is set for relegation but then somehow goes on an incredible winning run which secures their top flight status when many thought they were doomed as they languished at the foot of the table.
After those heroics, the man who masterminded all that is then unceremoniously sacked. A new man comes in and not many give him hope of repeating the incredible work of his predecessor. A club tipped for relegation does something incredible. It wins a first ever league title.
The club now thinks it has arrived in the big time, its status as a yo-yo club no more as the fantasy of a European campaign is reality. They impress in Europe but life back home is harder than it has been in a while.
The manager is under pressure, he’s lost the dressing room as the clubs slides further down the table. The prospect of relegation is all of a sudden one that is increasing by the week and then out of nowhere the man who won the league title just 9 months ago is sacked.
Now you’d be forgiven if you have thought “hang on, I’m sure I watched that pan out over the course of a few seasons on Dream Team” well in fairness you probably did but now we are seeing life imitate art as Leicester City are the real life embodiment of Harchester United.
From a television point of view, I guess if you were writing a drama about a football team over a number of series it would be a bit boring if said club finished 9th each season. It would not be a plot device which would bring the viewers in each week.
So the only way to get fans of the show hooked is to create a rollercoaster in terms of the club’s trajectory. Winning the title one season only to see them relegated the next, throw boardroom rows and player revolts and a National Television Award is now doubt too far away.
Therefore, I cannot confirm at this early stage whether the Thai owners of Leicester are massive fans of Dream Team or not but it does seem to be as if they have watched the show and thought that is exactly how a Premier League club should be run.
Why go for stability when you can go for boom and bust, why not be like Icarus and fly to close to the sun only to then crash and burn. I mean who remembers who finished 14th each season when you can remember Leicester City.
It seems as if aping Thailand’s number 1 Football TV Drama (again not confirmed) then you a surefire recipe for success or then again should that be disaster. I think the only thing missing is a player getting snipered after a cup win or the team coach crashing on the motorway on the way back from an away fixture….then again we still have three months of the season left.