--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-06-09T17:23:48.910Z data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/leicester-city/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGVpY2VzdGVybWVyY3VyeS5jby51ay9zcG9ydC9mb290YmFsbC90cmFuc2Zlci1uZXdzL2ludHJpZ3VpbmctdHJhbnNmZXItbWl4LWZvdXItbW9yZS0xMDk3NjUxNA --- # Intriguing transfer mix and four more lessons from Leicester's League One title - **Source:** - **Club:** Leicester City - **Original URL:** https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/intriguing-transfer-mix-four-more-10976514 It’s been 18 years since then and football has evolved considerably in that time. So as City prepare to take on League One again, recent examples of clubs falling out of the Championship and coming straight back up again, such as Cardiff and Birmingham, are perhaps more relevant for best practices. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to learn from City’s League One triumph of 2008-09. There are several fundamentals that may be worth bearing in mind. New manager with coaching experience As part of a strip-back-and-start-again approach, City appointed Nigel Pearson as manager. While he arrived off the back of a short successful spell in charge of Southampton, keeping them up at City’s expense, that was one of only two brief periods he’d had in charge of clubs, Pearson also guiding Carlisle to safety in the late 90s thanks to that famous Jimmy Glass goal. But he did have nearly a decade of experience as a coach, spending time at Newcastle, West Brom and England Under-21s in between those two managerial spells. That fits with how Cardiff and Birmingham approached things too, with Brian Barry-Murphy and Chris Davies having spent the majority of their coaching careers as assistants or working with young players. But City made the right call in giving Pearson a much-deserved chance to lead a team. It helped that he was given a big scope to change things and able to lay down real foundations to improve the club going forward. Lethal goalscorer in the ranks City went down in 2008 with Matty Fryatt in their squad and so had a ready-made goalscorer to call upon, something they will not have this summer without dipping into the transfer market. Fryatt showed the value of having a player capable of sticking the ball in the net. City finished as top scorers, with Fryatt netting 27 times in the league and 32 times in all competitions in what was the best individual scoring season for a City player since Arthur Rowley in 1956-57. City need a good squad and options in every position, but having somebody at the top end to put the ball away is vital. Excellent use of the loan market This is definitely something City can replicate this summer. Back in 2008, they used the loan market very well, bringing in players from the biggest clubs in the country. Premier League giants want their players to not only experience senior football, but also the pressure to get three points, and that will be the case at City next term as it was 18 years ago. There will be many players in the ranks at the country’s top clubs who might not be ready for Championship football, but could test themselves in League One. In 08-09, City brought in Jack Hobbs from Liverpool and Kerrea Gilbert from Arsenal, who both became regulars. Tom Cleverley arrived from Manchester United and was very good too. Mark Davies, coming in from Wolves, was almost too good, the attacking midfielder dazzling in his seven games to the point his loan was cut short so he could be sold to Bolton, another Premier League side. All of those players made a difference, slotting into the team well and improving performances. Intriguing mix of players signed As for City’s permanent signings, they can pretty much be split into two camps. Lloyd Dyer, Michael Morrison and Nicky Adams all came in from League Two or Conference sides, the club feeling they could help them develop. Meanwhile, Bruno Berner, Chris Powell, Paul Dickov and Wayne Brown were all players in their 30s who were signed as free agents from Premier League clubs. The only player that doesn’t fit is Aleksandar Tunchev, the centre-back signed from his native Bulgaria. But the search of lower leagues for up-and-coming talent proved a success, particularly in the case of Dyer, who was a free signing from MK Dons. There would be resistance among supporters now if City were to sign four 30+ free agents from the Premier League, but perhaps it’s a case of bringing in players with the right personalities. Berner in particular was a big hit. That balance between the older heads signed and already in the squad, and the youngsters brought in either permanently or on loan, worked for City. Trust placed in youth City should be doing this next term, and it’s expected they will. The wealth of talent coming through is far greater now than it was 18 years ago, but those that had graduated from the academy into the first team were all trusted to play more regularly. Andy King, Joe Mattock and Max Gradel were all handed more minutes than they had previously, with King making 54 appearances in all competitions, the most of any player at the club. If faith is shown in these young players, they can deliver. Get the latest Leicester City news sent straight to your phone by joining our Foxes WhatsApp community. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. No one will be able to see your personal information in the community and you will only receive messages from the LeicestershireLive sports team. We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest City stories. 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