Our series of 2015-16 Premier League team previews continue with a look at last season’s relegation survival specialists Leicester City.
Summer transfers
This transfer window has not been as fruitful as Leicester would have liked. Not until last night anyhow after the club made an £11m double swoop to sign proven European talents N’Golo Kante and Yohan Benalouane. French midfielder Kante has joined from Ligue 1 side Caen and is a likely replacement for Esteban Cambiasso, while Tunisia centre-back Benalouane arrives from Atalanta.
While the club has made some handy additions to its squad, there is still plenty of negotiating ahead for the East Midlands Club. Following the well-publicised sex-scandal involving youth players, have parted ways with Manager Nigel Pearson, since appointing Italian veteran, Claudio Ranieri.
Leicester has sought to add more goals to its squad by signing Japan and Mainz striker, Shinji Okazaki, an improvement on their already numerous striking options. At the other end of the pitch, the Foxes have shored up their defensive foundations by securing Robert Huth on a permanent basis, following his heroics at the end of last season, and Austrian left-back Christian Fuchs from Schalke.
The club however, are still yet to fill the large void left by their Argentine superstar, Esteban Cambiasso and will no doubt seek to strengthen in midfield, with SM Caen’s N’Golo Kante announced as this preview is being written.
Last season
At the halfway point of the season Nigel Pearson’s Foxes looked destined to spend the 2015-16 back in the Championship. Following some alterations to the formation and personnel, Leicester was outstanding in rallying to stay afloat, incredibly finishing 14th at season’s end, which included a run of seven wins in their final nine games.
Prior to Christmas, the Foxes were often competitive and perhaps unlucky not to have accrued more points. Perhaps most memorably tearing Manchester United to ribbons in their 5-3 victory over the Red Devils in September, coming back from 3-1 down to stun Louis Van Gaal’s star-studded lineup.
Manager
Ranieri joins the Foxes following Pearson’s departure and his tenure will provide for an extremely interesting narrative for the season. Since his last stint in the Premier League with Chelsea a decade ago, Ranieri has failed to hold a job for more than two years, with a rollercoaster of results with Juventus, Roma, Inter Milan, Monaco and Valencia. He is a man who has rarely had to concern himself with relegation battles, something he may need to experience in his current role.
Ranieri will have plenty to prove, especially considering his last managerial position with the Greek national side, where he only lasted five matches (having drawn one and lost four) ending with a 2-1 defeat to the Faroe Islands.
Known as the “Tinkerman,” it will be interesting to see how the Foxes will line up throughout the season, despite stating that he will not be “chang[ing] too much” tactically from last season, at least to begin with.
“@Vine_Football: Nigel Pearson has left Leicester to pursue a career in the WWE! http://t.co/0LP92NNsqI” @JoshK_H
— Simon Coeur de Lion (@BraceyLane) February 8, 2015
Strengths
Pace. The Foxes played some exhilarating football throughout the season, and are well-served going forward by wide players Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy, Mark Albrighton, Andrej Kramaric and Jeffrey Schlupp in particular, playing their best when counter-attacking and moving the ball quickly. Along with Leonardo Ulloa and David Nugent, Leicester’s attacking stocks are plentiful.
In defence, Robert Huth and Wes Morgan are strong leaders, both by their actions and their larger-than-life presence. If fit, along with Christian Fuchs who may be deployed as a left-sided centre-back, Leicester have a solid defensive outfit.
Weaknesses
The midfield, especially following Cambasso’s departure, is brittle at best. The club will be hoping that Kante will fit in to the middle of the park immediately. Leicester’s issues in midfield are further compounded with Matthew James being sidelined long-term, meaning that Danny Drinkwater, Dean Hammond and Andy King are the only other available options remaining for Ranieri in the centre of the park. This will need to be addressed before the end of the transfer window if Leicester are going to have any hope of survival.
Key player
Robert Huth was a catalyst in Leicester’s amazing turnaround last season. Following his arrival in February on loan, Leicester won seven games, lost four and drew three in the games he played, compared to the four wins they enjoyed in their previous 24. In Huth’s time at the King Power Stadium,they earned 22 points of a possible 27 and rallied to finish in safety. In part, this was due to conceding 17 goals in these 14 games, compared to 38 in the 24 prior.
Huth is also brings a wealth of experience to the club. The 30 year-old has had significant Premier League experience with both Chelsea and Stoke, along with 19 caps for Germany. He is undoubtedly the most important man in the Foxes’ campaign and Ranieri will be hoping he stays fit for the majority of the season.
Best XI
(3-4-3): Schmeichel; Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Schlupp, Kante, King, Mahrez;Vardy, Okazaki, Ulloa.
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Prediction
Leicester will be once again battling for their Premier League survival. At present, the squad looks thin in key areas and the change in manager brings an element of instability (although Pearson was never the most predictable). Having made some important acquisitions at either end of the park, Leicester’s fortunes will largely depend on the business they do between now and the end of the transfer window.
They proved last year to be a difficult proposition for opposing teams last season and have individuals capable of individual brilliance, playing an exciting brand of football. At best, Leicester will finish 16th-17th, only narrowly avoiding the drop.
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