Our series of 2015-16 progress reports continues with an examination of a Leicester City side which is defying all expectations after three-months of the season.
What has gone right?
Nearly everything. At the beginning of the season, the club welcomed manager Claudio Ranieri to the King Power Stadium, following a volatile yet ultimately successful time under Nigel Pearson. Much conjecture surrounded the Italian’s appointment, especially considering his most recent managerial stint with Greece, which was nothing short of disastrous.
The choice, however, has seemingly been a masterstroke as the Foxes sit third on the Premier League table. Leicester are one point behind the league-leaders, having only lost one game.
The recruitment of players has also been impressive, particularly that of N’Golo Kante, with the French midfielder becoming an ever-present feature in the Foxes lineup.
Leicester’s game plan has been simple and effective, often setting up in a 4-4-2, hitting teams on the counter with breathtaking pace. Despite playing without the ball for long periods, they have the second-most amount of goals in the league to date, only one fewer than Manchester City.
What has gone wrong?
Being a team sitting a point adrift from the top after being widely tipped to be scrapping to avoid relegation, there is very little you could say has gone wrong for the Foxes.
The only blight on their season so far was the 5-2 defeat at home to Arsenal, a game in which the Gunners exploited the open nature of the contest and Alexis Sanchez had a day out to remember.
One area Ranieri would no doubt like to improve is their defence though, which has already leaked 20 goals. After his much publicised bribing of his players with pizza, they have only managed to keep one clean sheet – a drab affair against Crystal Palace.
This leaky defence, accompanied with slow starts to games, has meant that often the Foxes have given a head start to their opponents, which will be unsustainable as the season progresses.
[interaction id=”564b45573eaa7f14342b7632″]
Best player so far – Jamie Vardy
Vardy’s goal-scoring form has been breathtaking. The Englishman is the Golden Boot leader with 12 goals already, scoring in his last nine straight games. Only Ruud van Nistelrooy has found the net in more consecutive showings, a record which could be broken this weekend.
It is a fantastic achievement for the man who was playing in non-league competition three seasons ago, with his pace and work-rate his biggest assets.
Special mention must be made of Riyad Mahrez too, as the Algerian would no doubt be a close second. Mahrez has seven goals to date, along with five assists. His trickery with ball at feet, his pace and his final ball have caused all sorts of headaches, particularly when playing on the right.
What’s next?
The biggest test for Leicester will be to see if they can maintain their dream form deeper into the season.
Many have expected that they would drop-off in form and in results already, but the squad is full of confidence and are fearless, making them more than formidable.
The Foxes now have depth following the transfer window and have only one notable long term injury – Matthew James and his knee. There should be no reason why they should not be pushing for a European place at season’s end based on their first 12 games.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
