Leicester City: West Brom midfielder Darren Fletcher amazed by season

Midfielder feels Spurs got tactics wrong at the Lane

Darren Fletcher enjoying life at West Brom

Although West Bromwich Albion’s Darren Fletcher played a full part in denying Tottenham the victory on Monday night that has inched Leicester City closer to the title, he is still flabbergasted by the amazing season the Foxes are having.

“You can’t comprehend it, it’s unbelievable,” the former Manchester United midfielder said following the 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane that leaves Leicester needing to win at Old Trafford on Sunday to claim the title. “It’s fantastic but at the same time they're thoroughly deserving. They’ve played some fantastic football, you know how they're going to play but you can’t stop it.”

Fletcher then reeled off an impressive list of attributes that have made Claudio Ranieri’s team champions in waiting. “They’ve got quality, desire, they can sit in and defend for their lives,” he said. “They're dogged, they can play, counter-attack, they’ve got a lot of attributes and it’s just all seemed to come together for them. That run at the backend of last season has continued into this season. If you look back over the calendar year I think their points total would be ridiculous, so credit to them. They’ve got top quality players, they’ve got pace, that’s the biggest thing, they’ve got experience at the back, and it seems to have all fallen together nicely for them. They’ve had a team spirit that’s been there from the Championship and a core that knows what the club’s about. They’ve got a friendship. When you analyse it, it’s been fantastic. Recruitment, togetherness, they’ve got real quality.”

And how does he feel about Kasper Schmeichel son of Fletcher’s former team-mate at United, Peter, winning the title at his dad’s former stomping ground? “It’s a fairytale isn’t it?,” Fletcher said. “It’s a great story. It would be a nice moment for the family, a fantastic moment, but Leicester have still got three hard games. They’ll fancy themselves but Old Trafford is not an easy place to go and United are in form. Who knows what will happen but they’ll go there with no fear and try and become champions as soon as possible.

“His dad is a legend at the club. It’s fantastic but I’m sure he’ll be just pleased for his son. I don’t think he’ll care where he wins it. If it takes until the last day of the season, he’ll want him to win it anywhere. I don’t think it’ll matter if it’s at Old Trafford because he's a Leicester player and he's just desperate to win the title.”

Fletcher was pleased with the point at White Hart Lane after criticism of his side’s performance in the previous fixture at the Emirates when some felt they had the holiday brochures out. “ We’re a team battling for all our lives, desperate for points and desperate to put a performance in after Arsenal where people were saying we’re on the beach” Fletcher said. “I think that was very harsh because the two games before that we lost to Manchester City and Watford, where we played really well. I think that hurt the players so we still had personal pride at stake and that showed [at White Hart Lane] for us.”

Fletcher is not convinced Spurs got their tactics right in the match. “Passing the ball out from the back is nice and it’s pretty on the eye but when you're winning 1-0 against West Brom, you shut up shop, see the game out and hit on the counter-attack,” Fletcher said. “Who knows? It’s not for me to say because Tottenham have had a fantastic season. They’ve been a credit to the league and playing against them is really difficult.”