The champions had a remarkable 2015-16 campaign but opponents will be wise to them now and there were some concerning signs in their Community Shield defeat against Manchester United
In 1962, Ipswich Town won the league in their first season at the highest level. It was a remarkable achievement and they remain one of the three most surprising English champions since the second world war. In August 1962 they met the FA Cup winners Tottenham Hotspur in the Charity Shield, a game played at Portman Road, and lost 5-1. It was the beginning of a long deflation. Ipswich finished the season 17th, by which point their manager Alf Ramsey had departed to take charge of England.
No one is necessarily anticipating a similar decline for Leicester City but history suggests surprise champions are surprising for a reason and that reason is there are a lot of teams better than them. Nottingham Forest’s 1977-78 side, the other member of the trinity of shock champions, did finish second in 1978-79 but that example is highly unusual – and is explained partly by the genius of Brian Clough and partly be significant investment in players, including the signing of England’s first £1m player, Trevor Francis.
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