


Given that, in recent years, Leicester have provided their supporters with the full range of footballing experiences, a logical question concerning their future is: What now?
In 2014, they returned to the Premier League, having battled back from a plunge that had taken them through administration and into the third tier. The following year, their extraordinary great escape from the relegation zone seemed to be the sort of heart-skipping, dramatic campaign that people would talk about for years.
However, 2015-16 rather overshadowed absolutely everything that had gone before. In years to come, young supporters will read the list of past champions, then turn to their parents and say: "Seriously? How did that happen?"
And then they'll be told that Leicester followed their unlikely success by very nearly getting relegated the following season, only to save themselves by ruthlessly sacking the man, who led them to glory in the first place. It will be quite the bedtime story but we may have already seen its conclusion, for a continuation of such drama next season seems unlikely.
Assuming that the chatter is correct and Craig Shakespeare, who replaced Claudio Ranieri in February, is offered a new contract by the board, you would expect Leicester to settle somewhere short of being good enough to fight for the title, but also to spend enough of their Champions League revenue to ensure they will be too good for another relegation battle. And, in a funny sort of way, they might benefit by slipping back out of the limelight.
Witnessing a medium-sized club, such as Leicester, win the title without breathtaking spending is rare, but seeing one dig itself in at the summit of the game is ever more so. Last season's achievement required a conjunction of circumstances: A good set of players playing above themselves, rival teams dramatically underperforming and a manager, who bewitched the world's media and absorbed pressure through sheer weight of personal charm.
Rising up and staying up takes more than serendipity. Usually it requires almost limitless resources and it certainly needs clear-headed, sensible management, in both the dressing and boardrooms. And hysterical expectations rarely aid sensible management.

Fortunately for Leicester, they are a thing of the past, because no-one will expect them to challenge for the title next season. No-one will expect them to battle for the top four either. In fact, you'd be hard pushed to find anyone with serious expectations of anything more than a run-of-the-mill season in mid-table. And that will do just nicely, maintaining as it would the pipeline of Premier League TV money.
Added to that will be any funds generated by sales from any Class of '16 members, who wish to pursue their fortunes elsewhere. Riyad Mahrez, we're looking at you. A graph of the Algerian playmaker's performances across the last two seasons would look like the world's scariest rollercoaster and, if someone wants to pay £30m for such inconsistency, Leicester should jump at the offer.
Despite the departure of recruitment sage Steve Walsh to Everton last year, Leicester continue to prove themselves capable of finding rubies in the dust. Wilfried Ndidi can improve considerably but he has the tools needed to forge a long career at the top of the game. He cost £15m from Genk which, while not exactly a bargain, is certainly a fee that could rise if and when he moves on.
In Germany, RB Leipzig have proved proficient at spotting undeveloped talent in unlikely places. That skill, in spite of all expectations to the contrary, helped them finish second in the Bundesliga, above traditional challengers like Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke.
That's where Leicester's future lies, in scouting, gambling, developing and slowly growing. Admittedly, it's easy to say, but harder to do when people are impatient for success. But they have had their wildly improbable ride. The demands of some supporters will always raise eyebrows, but there can't be many Leicester fans ready to burn their season tickets at the thought of a few seasons out of the Champions League.
With careful planning and good decisions -- remember that chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has, in keeping Nigel Pearson and sacking Nigel Pearson, hiring Claudio Ranieri and sacking Claudio Ranieri -- consistently got the big shouts right, Leicester can prosper in the right half of the Premier League for many more years.
They've revelled in the recent past. Now it's time to build a sustainable future.
Iain Macintosh covers the Premier League and Champions League for ESPN FC. Follow him on Twitter @IainMacintosh.
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