Final position – 9th – 47 points, FA CUP – quarter finals, CARABAO CUP – quarter finals – top scorer in all competitions – Jamie Vardy – 23
Well what a ride. 2017/18 will live long in the memory. Remember the time we…….erm…..and then when we got to that…….erm quarter finals. Okay let be honest, this season was a little bit average. 5 years of exciting ups and downs had finally been blunted by a remarkably average season. So what went right and what went wrong?
MANAGERS
Shakespeare’s – Much Ado about nothing
“Shakey” was given the full-time gig based on a number of factors. The sudden surge of form when he took over from Claudio, The Champions League performances and crucially guiding us comfortably from any relegation fears. There were however a few signs last season how Shakespeare might not have been able to cut it. After an incredible 6 wins in 6 on his arrival, his last 10 games produced only 2 wins and had the embarrassment of the 6-1 mauling from Spurs. So in the summer although many Leicester City fans (including myself) were satisfied that the right thing had been done, there wasn’t many bullish in their beliefs about the season. Certainly not from 12 months earlier anyway. Although, It could have been so different.
In one of the most memorable opening games of the season the foxes were 3-2 up with 82 minutes played at The Emirates (a cauldron of hard luck stories in recent years). With Daniel Amartey already on the pitch and Matty James blowing out of steam, Shakespeare took the approach that more offensive force was needed and James could do no more, he brought on 25 million pound man Kelechi Iheanacho. The reasons for this are strange at best but ultimately Leicester went on to lose the game 4-3 mainly through no other reason than poor individual errors. It didn’t help that Iheanacho barely touched the ball but after this game his substitutions were always questioned and this possibly affected his judgement.
The next week a victory over Brighton was to prove Shakespeare’s last league win as he persisted with Andy King in midfield despite the vastly experienced Vicente Iborra waiting in the wings. He showed a lack of tactical nous to cause opponents enough problems. He could point to the fact that he lost Drinkwater and was denied Silva. He could also point to the fact that he had an incredibly tough start by having to face Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool in his opening games (all of which he lost). But the truth is, particularly in the home games, Leicester were starting to lose their identity of counter attacking high pressing football and what had been left was a stodgy 4-4-2 coupled with an ultra cautious approach that wasn’t helped with poor defensive choices.
Shakey was sacked after the West Bromwich Albion home draw but soon found himself working with “Big Sam’ at Everton. His coaching credentials and his work at Leicester City relatively untarnished as he was an ever-present during the clubs most successful run. It’s a shame it had to end like this but the owners will always do what is right for the club. Michael Appleton guided the team to wins against Swansea and Leeds in the League Cup whilst the club brought their next man in.
Puel-ing in the same direction?
When Claude Puel was announced there was an immediate and East Midlands based collective shrug of the shoulders as it seemed we were appointing a manager that had just been sacked by Southampton for being a bit crap. The reality was that they had finished 8th and had been League cup runners-up. But Southampton fans issued a word of warning as the cautious approach had started to wear thin at the end of the season. Puel immediately made an impression by playing a 4-2-3-1 with Mahrez, Gray and Chilwell playing in the unlikely 3 and subsequently blowing away Everton 2-0. This run of form continued to gather pace as only a well-fought defeat to Manchester City could be found amidst several expansive performances and stunning goals. Spurs were blown away by 2 goal of the month contenders in Vardy and Mahrez. Burnley, Newcastle and most emphatically Southampton were swept away with performances full of character, quality and invention. Possession football was making an appearance, with neat triangles complimenting a forward thinking Leicester who were going straight for the throat of their opponents. Attacking players were sitting in between the lines of the opponents and it was proving tricky to defend against. The 4-1 defeat of the Saints started to get Leicester fans dreaming of the top 6 again and finally some expansive football. Of course in all of these games defensive capabilities were showing some weaknesses.
A surprise home battering by Crystal Palace was hopefully to be a blip in the run. Without Claude’s help the club were in the quarter finals of the league cup against Manchester City’s 2nd string class acts. after a hard-fought extra time battle the team went out on penalties with surprisingly Mahrez and Vardy the chief culprits for missing. December played out with a thrilling Manchester United draw and then further disappointing defeats to Watford and Liverpool.
January was to prove fruitful as the club went on a lovely clean sheet run of 5 games (although 2 of them were against Fleetwood). The 2-0 victory over Watford was a high point as the performance was possibly the most complete across the whole pitch as the Hornets were dominated from start to finish. The deadline day soured as Riyad had his head turned by Manchester City’s advances which proved extremely distracting culminating in a 2-1 defeat to Everton.
From February the fixtures looked promising (particularly at home) as the Foxes looked a good bet for 7th and a potential place in the Europa League. The FA cup run went well as they powered into the quarter finals albeit with a favourable draw. It was at this point that the team started to look stodgy. Home games were getting a familiar feel as teams they were expected to beat (Swansea, Stoke, Bournemouth, Southampton, Newcastle & West ham) did a great job of closing down 2 banks of 4 and forcing the team to go out wide. Leicester couldn’t break them down and started to get into the habit of conceding the first goal. If it wasn’t for some own goals, beautiful last-minute free kicks and great blocks the defeats column would have increased. The zip and confidence were evaporating. A blasting by Manchester City was nothing to be ashamed of but the manner of the defeat was disappointing. After competing well to get to 1-1 at half time, Puel decided to bring on Danny Simpson for Adrien Silva and change the formation. within 8 minutes it was 3-1 and goals had appeared from Simpsons side. Schmeichel had an absolute mare and a 5-1 defeat was headlined by Aguero’s 4 goals.
The disappointing home form was slightly punctured by the hammering of West Brom and a far tighter win at Brighton than the 2-0 score line would suggest. There was also a decent run in the FA cup which was largely helped by a favourable draw against football league opponents until it was ended by an extra time defeat to Chelsea (again, seriously every time we get them in the cup we lose). When defeat at Burnley came, any hopes of Europa league football were dispelled and the season seemed to start turning sour, before Crystal Palace annihilated us in a humiliating 5-0 loss. This was about the time the fans turned completely against Puel, I asked the question in my blog “are you #Puel in or #Puel out?” (https://lcfc1884site.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/are-you-puelin-or-puelout/) and we were simply waiting for his sacking. But it never came, even after another defeat to West ham and the mood continued to sour towards him. During this time it has to be said that Puel has had to contend with the worst injury list at the club in recent years where loan signings going out have possibly bitten us on the backside. A very welcome league win against Arsenal (first one in 24 years) helped lift spirits before the ridiculously entertaining and puzzling final game a 5-4 defeat to Spurs. If not for the last 2 games of the season, this would feel very Southampton 12 months ago. We will constantly be told “be careful what you wish for”, particularly as Southampton flirted so close to the bed sheets of relegation. But remarkably and most telling, virtually no Southampton fans would have him back. Maybe just like Alan Partridge we should just give him a second series and see what happens, his focus and confidence in youth players is one of his most pleasing characteristics and he could be the man to bring through a whole pool of promising players in their early 20’s. But if the form over the last 20 matches carries into next season with Puel’s new players then we could be faced with a whole new set of problems. Or we move him along in the summer and start again. The question definitely needs to be asked.
THE OWNERS
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and his son Aiyawatt and the King Power group have brought nothing but success to Leicester City Football Club. they are probably more important than any other change at the club in their entire history. Aside from their significant billions that they pump into the infrastructure of the club, they are great people and will regularly put on free beer, doughnuts, mince pies, clappers, flags, outside entertainment on match days. They normally work well with the supporters if there are displays they want to put on. Quite frankly they’re amazing and if ever any Leicester fan has the opportunity to say thanks they should, we would be nowhere without them. There is talk of a huge redevelopment at the stadium with plans for 40,000 and maybe even 50,000 with the surrounding area towards Raw Dykes Road being completely redeveloped. A world-class training ground has been approved. There will be no stone left unturned in the pursuit to make our club better.
With all of the above in mind, it does somewhat sadden me that the outside media take great delight in hammering them in particular whenever a management sacking is made. In my opinion there is no reason for them to be criticised, Claudio was seemingly taking us down, they acted, got absolutely hammered in the footballing media and we stayed up comfortably. They gave Shakespeare the job and beyond the summer and we were heading towards the bottom of the table, again they acted, again they got hammered by the media and again the form changed immediately to relatively comfortable mid-table obscurity. They are extremely proud and sensitive people. My concern at the moment is that they are now trying to show the world that they are not what they have been lambasted for. This may blind side them when they come to make a decision on Caude Puel’s future. I just hope that whatever decision they make they seriously question Puel’s methods and results over the past few months. If after that they decide they are happy to continue with him then they need to aim to give him the whole of next season. What would be the point in letting a man spend 100 million pounds and then sacking him in October? If we’re cast adrift at the bottom then fair enough but we really need to aim for stability. The same applies if they sack him and bring in a new man. These same questions probably need to be asked of a certain Mr Rudkin.
TRANSFER BUSINESS
John Rudkin tends to get lambasted when this subject gets raised. Rightly so in some ways. One can’t fail to ignore the mess we’re in still with some massively high-profile flops still at the club or at least out on loan. But from last summer, its not actually been that bad. Harry Maguire has been a revelation. Vicente Iborra has been one of the brightest sparks in midfield. Diabate looks a really interesting snip at such a small price. Iheanacho the jury is still out on. Jakupovic never really took off but he was only intended as a back up. Dragovic was an astute and necessary loan signing to shore up the centre backs.
The real reason for Rudkin’s bashing this season is how the Danny Drinkwater transfer unfolded. Drinkwater wanted to leave and nothing could be done about that, Chelsea came in late with what now seems like an incredible fee of £35 million, too good to turn down. But lining up Adrien Silva as his replacement (a player a lot of us twitter users knew we were tracking since 2016) proved problematic, with the deadline looming the paperwork was sent through and the club announced the signing subject to international clearance. FIFA didn’t like it and claimed it was submitted “14 SECONDS” too late. A ridiculously petty judgement was made and we didn’t see Silva till January. The Rudkin haters had their ammunition lined up and it was all his fault apparently. My point is that lots of people have made their mind up about him long ago since the debacle of the post-title recruitment phase. As i suggested before, those very signings (Musa, Slimani, Mendy etc.) were players earmarked on Steve Walsh’s tenure but signed on Rudkin’s watch. What he does and how he does it, is open for questioning. But on the basis of the last years set of signings, the argument could be made that it wasn’t as bad as first thought.
THE FANS
From my seat in SK4, i’ve noticed a shift in attitudes and ultimately singing. It’s only to be expected, last season we sang at every home game how we were the champions. We’ve also been hampered by having 2 managers that haven’t stoked the fires of the supporters. Claudio was wonderful at winding up the crowd towards the end of games. One of his first game interviews he mentioned how he loved Kasabian. Whether he did or not it was an incredibly charming gesture and little things like that can not be underestimated. His name was being sung almost immediately. Shakespeare had a few sporadic songs but he never really engaged the crowd. Claude almost arrived without anyone noticing and nary a song involving his name has been uttered by a single Leicester fan. One of my most proud moments as a Leicester fan during the title-winning season was our reaction to conceding goals. Almost immediately as a goal was conceded fans were rising from their seats encouraging the players to lift their heads and shouting for them to respond with positivity. It’s a feature that’s sadly been lacking at all this season. Most of that down to the poor second half of the season. 3 months and 6 league games passed before the home fans saw us take the lead. As much as us supporters need to lift the players, the players also need to lift us. I have a few comedians sitting behind me that always lift the mood; “LINESMAN YOU’RE MISSING A GOOD GAME” is a catchphrase that seems to be gathering a following. I could do without the grumpy old men types that seem to only raise their voice when something negative happens. But ultimately, we’ve lost a bit of our spark, it wouldn’t take much to bring it back though. But if it is Claude at the helm, he needs to seriously work on his people skills and realise that the Leicester fans on his side could be a great tool to have in his armoury. Otherwise the negativity around the KP could increase.
THE PLAYERS
1. Kasper Schmeichel / Games 35, clean sheets – 8 – “going backwards?”
A year ago i was full of praise for KS, but his 7th season as Leicester’s number 1 keeper might be his most damaging. He must have been considering, after the incredible Leicester journey, that he might be due a new challenge and to start hitting the champions league with a new club. That opportunity might not be available now after a disappointing season strewn with some lacklustre performances. It’s not that Kasper has been terrible or that we should want rid of him, but a few elements of his game have reared their head for the wrong reasons. His position on free kicks continues to worry fans as West Brom and Liverpool exploited this at times. His kicking is erratic at best and he is starting to not look comfortable with the passing style Puel is trying to implement. He’s not commanding his area at all anymore and can sometimes be unsure and routed at crosses and corners. His most appalling display in a long time came at Manchester City where Aguero’s 4 goals masked a catalogue of errors from Kasper. Shots going through him, hesitations, poor kicking and positioning. It could be this performance that would turn potential suitors off him. His judgement in the FA cup quarter-final was also lacking as Pedro was given an empty net to fire Chelsea through to a semi-final and he also went walkabout against Newcastle at home allowing Perez an easy lobbed goal. That said, he did save some decent penalties at Manchester United and Brighton. This does sound really harsh on arguably Leicester’s greatest ever goalkeeper but he needs to be better and should be made to work harder to guarantee his place in the team.
2. Danny Simpson / Games 31 (1 as substitute), Goals – 0 – “going?”
A consistently chosen and solid right back choice for 3 years, Simpson is a typically solid defender who doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his reading of the game, his wider game has now come into question. Most of these questions have been asked by Claude Puel. Simpson’s holding of the right side allows Mahrez to concentrate on the more silky side of his game. At least it did in the old solid back 4 system. Puel now wants to adopt the more millennial attacking-full backs style and has tested Simpson to see if he can add that string to his bow. What’s that they say about old dogs and new tricks? It’s not Simpsons fault that it isn’t his game and he is far more comfortable when playing in a line of defence that asks teams to dare to break them down. Attacking isn’t his forte and as such he hasn’t always been the first choice at right back. Which is bizarre when you consider he is the only recognised one in that position at the club. It would be strange to get rid of him as he is a normally dependable full back and 31 is hardly retirement age in this era of super-fit professionals. But undoubtedly there will be another right back recruited in the summer to evolve Leicesters style and challenge Simpsons domination in this area.
3. Ben Chilwell / Games 32 (5 as substitute) , Goals – 0 – “No Fuchs given”
A promising breakthrough season in 2016/17 has led to a far more prominent role and under Puel he is arguably now the first choice left back. his pace going forward and confidence on the ball is a pleasure to see and at the still relatively young age of 21 there is much still to come from him. He has mustered 2 assists and is keen to offer a more effective role as an attacking full back. Claude Puel clearly fancies him and has given him the nod ahead of Christian Fuchs on several occasions. His youth has come with some harsh lessons along the way. Some will feel he was very naive flying into a challenge on a second yellow card at Stamford Bridge but others will sympathise with his youthful exuberance. Many will also point to his dwelling on the ball at Goodison Park leading to an opening goal as something that has been threatening to happen for several games. He wants to play football and is sometimes reluctant to do the ugly side of being a defender as he wants to play his way out of trouble. Going forward he is a danger but his cross rate stats don’t look great. But this will hopefully be something that he irons out of his game. Normally the latest youth product will be afforded time to grow into his career and mistakes will be forgiven if not ignored. Chilwell however has been getting a significant amount of criticism. He needs to improve, but he’s got plenty of time to.
4. Danny Drinkwater / Games 0, Goals 0 – “gone”
https://lcfc1884site.wordpress.com/2017/09/06/danny-drinkwater-underrated/
Okay, I’m cheating a bit here as he had played his last game for the club last season. When Chelsea were rumoured to be interested in him i thought it was a nonsense rumour, especially at 35 million pounds. Then it came true and put the club into a midfield panic by signing Adrien Silva. He has barely been used in a Chelsea midfield that had his old sparring partner Kante at the helm. It’s likely that he’ll be leaving Stamford Bridge next season. Is a return on the cards?
5. Wes Morgan / Games 35 , Goals – 0 – “legs gone?
Captain Morgan hasn’t looked himself this season. Forever remembered as ‘THE’ captain after lifting the trophy it is now feared that his legs may well be going. Like Simpson he is most comfortable in a formation when asked to sit in and defend the oppositions attacks. But when Puel arrived it seemed he wanted his defenders to start the play from the back. At 34 Wes Morgan is now going to struggle to add that facet to his game, which is why it is confusing that Puel perseveres with him when the more suited Dragovic would seem ideal. Is this the classic case of keeping the dressing room on side by playing the captain and simultaneously hanging him out to dry? Morgan’s injury absence at the start of the year also culminated in a 5 match consecutive clean sheet run. Morgan still has qualities and his reading of the game isn’t slow. He is no slouch but time is starting to go against him. Getting rid of him could be extreme but it won’t be too many more seasons before this happens.
6. Robert Huth / Games 0 , Goals 0 – “legend gone”
Completely conspicuous by his absence due to injury. It appears we had seen the last of him in a Leicester shirt last season. He’ll be forever in our hearts and be held aloft with some of the other great centre backs to have worn the famous blue shirt. Farewell Robert you’ll always have a place in our heart.
7. Demarai Gray / Games – 44 (20 as substitute), Goals 4, “needs to step up”
Still only 21. I feel i need to start with that as a lot of fans are getting so familiar with him that they might mistake him for an experienced mid 20’s winger. It might also ease up some of the criticism that tends to get thrown at him and maybe open some minds to the possibility that he could blossom into a great player. Unfortunately for Demarai he does still suffer from a lot of the same traits that dogged him when he first joined over 2 years ago. His indecisiveness in key areas is starting to become predictable and he was one of many that struggled in the Selhurst Park debacle Be it a misplaced cross or pass, there does seem to be an inevitable outcome to his play. When he is most effective is when he decides to do most of the leg work himself. On Claude Puel’s debut at home to Everton, Gray turned in an effective display and was key in creating significant yards up the pitch for Vardy’s opening goal. His bravery will need to increase as his electric pace will carry him right through to his 30’s but if this is to become his main asset he will need to make more intelligent runs and choose when to pass and when to head towards goal himself. Just like Chilwell this is a skill that will take time to acquire and given his age we should really afford him that luxury.
8. Kelechi Iheanacho / Games – 28 (15 as substitute) , Goals – 8 “growing”
With what seemed like one of the most drawn out transfers in recent history, (chiefly due to a complicated image rights set up) Iheanacho arrived at the club with great promise after his breakthrough form with Manchester City. 25 million pounds doesn’t get you a lot these days but Leicester fans including myself were bullish about the prospect of a promising young striker to compliment Vardy’s domination. It never quite happened. There were many false starts and also no real runs of form in the team, chiefly down to injury and also both Shakespeare and Puel’s reluctance to give him much game time. In the early part of the season what we saw was an unfit and heavy touched striker, this further increased my theory that the summer transfer issues had hit his pre season and he was struggling by playing catch up. Only in and after January (with Ulloa and Slimani moved on) did he start to see more regular action. There were some decent moments later on in the season and his touch was starting to get better. His best display was in the 3-1 win against Arsenal where he adopted the number 10 role perfectly, scoring a goal, linking well with Vardy and having plenty of efforts including an audacious chip from the halfway line. He followed this up immediately with a stunning strike at Spurs. There will be more to come from Kelechi but at the age of 21 he still looks to be a sound investment who will hopefully benefit from a decent world cup with Nigeria.
9. Jamie Vardy / Games 42 (3 as substitute) Goals 23, – “The most important player at the club”
The star of the show and the bullet in Leicester City’s gun. its hard to imagine a life without Jamie Vardy, such has been his influence in recent years. His explosive pace and crowd-standing work rate has seen him become the face of the hardworking underdog not just at Leicester City but in football in general. His V9 academy show on Sky 1 proving as successful as his personal season in front of goal. It has been the season of dispelling the myth that Jamie Vardy is just a juggernaut of a striker bulldozing his way through defences in his pursuit to the goal. Some of his finishes have been simply sublime. His improvisation against Spurs at home left Lloris staring into the sky as the ball looped in. He also may well win goal of the season with his extraordinary technique of caressing the ball into the corner on the volley in his annual Hawthorns goal (he’ll miss that place next season). His season hasn’t been far off the prolific season of his 2015/16 memories, he’s also solidified his place for the Russia World Cup. All this with a relatively modest amount of shots on goal. All seems Rosey…….except i’m concerned.
With the season petering out to nothingness and Vardy at the age of 31(albeit in a 27-year-old body) could he be seeking out his next challenge. He’s given Leicester 2 more seasons since winning the league and Arsenal came sniffing and although that may no longer be an option, 1 can’t help but think there may be other potential interest. Does he fancy 1 last big move before the end of his career? It would disappoint all Leicester City fans but given all he has achieved, would we really blame him?
10. Andy King / Games – 15 (6 as substitute), Goals 1 – “Long live the King”
“Mr Leicester City” to the players and the squad. But to some of the fans he doesn’t seem to be held in the same regard. His achievements for the club are well noted and ultimately his place in Leicester City folklore is guaranteed. His future though may now lie elsewhere. Too often Andy King has not been present in games to have had a real impact on proceedings. When was the last time anyone came out of A Leicester City game and said “Andy King really dominated midfield”? He bagged his customary goal in the away demolition of Southampton, completing a remarkable record of scoring in every one of his 11 Leicester City seasons. Craig Shakespeare held him in high regard to play him alongside Ndidi for much of the start of the season. But it proved to be part of Shakespeare’s downfall. Andy King is a 100% hard-working professional footballer, but we need him to be producing the form he showed early in his career if he is to have any real future as a fox. Being out on loan to Swansea could well be the beginning of the end for “Mr Leicester City”. But there are enough supporters of him that if he did return it would be with open arms.
11. Marc Albrighton / Games – 42 (8 as substitute) , Goals 2 – “Mr consistency”
Albrighton has continued to have a productive season, weighing in with a couple of goals but chiefly supplying 7 Premier league assists. His all round game continues to thrive as he shows his endeavour, work rate and discipline (more on that shortly). Its worth mentioning that Albrighton has played in as few as 4 different positions (arguably more) during the season. He seems to work best operating as a winger. There are doubters of Albrighton’s abilities, but he arguably offers any manager an ideal solution when trying to find a wide player that can both defend and attack. Operating wide on the left he seems to thrive and he has also offered a mentoring role to newly placed left back Ben Chilwell. Some would call me ludicrous to mention it, but i will continue to bang the drum for Gareth Southgate to at least have a look at him for the National team. At 28 he is possibly at his footballing peak but something tells me the current regime has no room for players that are good in their position. Maybe luck is also starting to desert him. Crystal Palace on April 28th, Southgate decided to take at trip to Selhurst Park where he would have seen Albrighton adopting the unfamiliar position of right-back. Already struggling to make a mark on the game he found himself isolated with the unenviable task of having Wilfred Zaha getting goal side and Ben Hamer miles away. A shinned clearance lead to a hauling down of the Cote d’Ivoire international. The red card was inevitable, what was more surprising was the uncharacteristic verbal abuse he levelled at Mike Dean (everyone’s favourite referee). This turned a 1 match ban into a 3 match ban and an excessive £25,000 fine and the end of his season. A bitter end to a solid season.
12. Ben Hamer / Games 9 (1 as substitute), Clean sheets 2, “2nd in line?”
Amazingly Ben Hamer hadn’t played a Premier league game since the great escape season and had to make do with the odd cup/champions league appearances where possible over the last 2 to 3 years. He was given the nod when Kasper was injured in April. Thrown into the fray after Kasper was injured at Burnley he was afforded a small run in the team which was his opportunity to challenge the first team. a 0-0 draw and a point-blank save was a more than solid start against Southampton. But then he started against Crystal Palace and he managed to add another 5-0 defeat to last seasons Porto debacle. Maybe the 4th goal he could have done better but its difficult to point the finger at Hamer for that result. Perhaps he doesn’t command his area enough or organise his defence with force, Puel was visibly annoyed with his hesitation at releasing the ball at home to West Ham on a few occasions. On this evidence he won’t be troubling Kasper anytime soon.
13. Ahmed Musa / Games – 1, Goals 1 – “Stranger in Moscow”
Surely his days at Leicester City are numbered. He’s clearly not fancied as he hasn’t fit in under Craig Shakespeare who played him once in the League cup. A game that was a microcosm of his Leicester City career. Plenty of effort, lack of quality, lack of luck and occasionally a glimpse that he might be decent with a hard-fought goal. Puel didn’t use him at all. For all parties it was the right thing to let him go back to CSKA Moscow on loan where interestingly he has hit a purple patch of goals in the last month and is starting to show his promise. This should help in restoring some confidence in him as he aims to make the Nigerian world cup squad.
14. Adrien Silva / Games 16 (4 as substitute) , Goals 0, “Silva linings rulebook”
The shirt number chosen will forever be remembered as one of frustration for Silva. 14 seconds was too much to let a professional footballer do his job for his new employers. Some will point the finger at John Rudkin or whoever was doing the admin on transfer deadline day in August. Ultimately its shambolic of FIFA to make an example of Leicester City and later that day allow a club from Switzerland (FIFA’s home) to get away with the same thing. His Leicester City career finally got underway in January. Such was his build up we could have been forgiven for expecting to see someone in the mould of Iniesta. Alas he looks to be a tidy and comfortable player who is happy with the ball at his feet. This is a commodity not always afforded with central midfielders. Regularly he will play a pass that will sail out of play much to the groans of his home support, but this merely disguises the fact that he is expecting players to be in positions that would be of benefit to the team. Its them that possibly need to catch up to him. This was something that a certain Esteban Cambiasso was guilty of in his early games with Leicester City. I wouldn’t expect him to reach that quality but he can definitely improve and be a classy player for the club. Although Claude Puel doesn’t necessarily seem to favour him as his first choice and he was only really played at the end of the season due to the chronic injury list.
15. Harry Maguire / Games 44, Goals 2 – “The revelation”
Things have gone just swimmingly for the centre back since his move from Hull City. Playing in every single minute of Leicester City’s Premier league campaign he has won the accolades of Both the players and supporters player of the year and is heading towards a possible world cup place with England. What most impresses with Harry Maguire is his sheer confidence on the ball and how often he is right to trust that judgement. Solid in the air and deceptively good close control. He has had no trouble slotting into Robert Huth’s place and forging a partnership with both Morgan and Dragovic where necessary. Normally in every game he plays, he spots an opportunity to go on a marauding run into the opponents half and exploit the lack of pressing on a centre back. He has weighed in with the standard couple of goals as is par for a decent centre back. A last-minute equalizer against Manchester United gave us memories of more exciting times as the roof almost lifted off the stadium. Maguire is reportedly interesting big name clubs and he will want to make sure his career moves in the right direction. All he needs to decide is can Leicester City fulfill his ambitions?
16. Aleksandar Dragovic / Games 16 (4 as substitute), Goals 0 – “sign him up?”
Signed on loan from Bayer Leverkusen on transfer deadline day he has proven to be a promising and solid centre back who seems more comfortable on the ball than our esteemed captain. He adopts positions well and seems to have the legs to keep up with some of the sharpest centre forwards in the Premier league. He was also part of a team that went 5 games without conceding. When Morgan came back and the wheels started to fall off it seemed inevitable where the fingers of blame were going to be falling. The reality is that Dragovic would make a decent replacement for Morgan but he is not the perfect defender and can be just as susceptible judging by his marking and holding his offside line as any defender we have. There is talk of 20 million pounds wanted from Bayer Leverkusen which might be a few million too far. There has also been talk that he has grown unhappy constantly being benched after runs of decent form and may not fancy further cold shoulders from the Frenchman.
17.Eldin Jakupovic / Games 4 , clean sheets 2 – “2nd in line”
When Jakupovic was nicked from Hull City after their relegation it seemed a very realistic bet that Kasper might have some genuine competition. He arrived with many plaudits despite the Tigers results and was known as a decent shot stopper. But it never quite happened. Almost immediately it became apparent that he wasn’t even the number 2, with Ben Hamer the preferred option on the bench. There were poor performances in the under 23 matches as well. It wasn’t until January that he made his first team debut in the 2 FA cup ties with Fleetwood, both clean sheets to be fair, although he wasn’t necessarily peppered with shots to save. He was not to feature again until the impressive win versus Arsenal in May where he did have a very good game. This chance was only given as Puel mucked about with line ups and decided to give Hamer a rest from some patchy displays. He finished it conceding 5 at Spurs to complete the strange record of all 3 goalkeepers conceding 5 in a game in the same season. It seems unlikely that Jakupovic will be able to realistically take the number 1 spot, and at the age of 33 he’s far from retirement. But he must be considering his options as he has missed out on lots of first team football since moving down to the Midlands.
18. Daniel Amartey / Games – 14 (2 as substitute), Goals 0 – “The utility man”
Think back to the start of the 2016/2017 season and you’ll remember that Daniel Amartey was a regular feature in central midfield in the wake of Kante’s departure. Whats more surprising to remember is that he was actually pretty good until going to the Africa Cup Of Nations. When he returned Wilfred Ndidi had taken his spot and he’s not been a regular feature since. One of the main issues with Amartey is that he is almost too versatile. This season he has most often played at right back and in several games has done very well. Particularly in the cups. Injury has curtailed much of his selection. He was also unlucky to be a sent off substitute against Manchester United. When called upon he normally does fine, but even at the young age of 23 he must be wondering where his career is heading. When selected for Ghana he tends to play as a centre back, so even he must be confused as to where he sees himself. I for one am a fan of his and it would be nice to see him develop at the Foxes. But realistically he must be asking himself which position the Foxes see him developing into.
19. Islam Slimani / Games – 17 (10 as substitute), Goals – 5, “The big man”
Our record signing continues to be a complete head scratcher of a player. more often than not he is frustrating and has been poor for the majority of his performances this season. But he is a confidence player, this has been most evident in 2 games. In the League cup against Liverpool. Slimani was having an absolute shocker of a game with his first touch going astray, being beaten in the air and not being in the game at all. As he wound up to take a shot from 25 yards at an angle, i was imagining some poor person settling down with a nice hot bovril and meat pie before being simultaneously scolded and splattered by said beverage and snack from a Slimani shanker. The reality was that he drove a beauty into the top corner and proceeded to play like a world beater for the rest of the game. The same happened on New Years Day against Huddersfield where he was all out of sorts in the first half, second half he was sent through on goal and scored a delightful chipped finish. He then did his best impression of a £28 million striker for the rest of the game. But the overall issue is that confidence and swagger isn’t there until a goal is scored and we can’t afford to have players with such a desperate lack of certainty. Claude Puel didn’t seem too fussed about letting him go on loan to Newcastle especially considering he didn’t even play for them until late March. He probably won’t be going back either after stupidly getting banned for 3 games for a petulant kick. We may struggle to offload him this summer.
20. Shinji Okazaki / Games 32 (11 as substitute), Goals 7 – “Prolific?”
The fans favourite hit a purple patch of form at the start of the season. rattling in goals at last. 5 goals in his first 8 games was a revelation and when he bagged his first brace at Southampton it seemed he was on for the best goalscoring season of his career. A combination of injury and squad rotation has seen him lose form and not score since those goals at the Saints. As always his work rate is outstanding and his partnership with Vardy does reap rewards as he sits in the number 10 position expertly. Under Puel it hasn’t gone swimmingly and Okazaki’s tendency to lose the ball could cause frustration. As a consequence Iheanacho seems to have edged ahead of Shinji in preference. Okazaki might not be as highly thought of by the current manager as the fans and his place at the club might not be as secure as we all think. A promising world cup is going to be needed.
21. Vicente Iborra / Games 26 (2 as substitute) Goals 3 – “came from sunny Spain…”
Arriving for a modest fee from Sevilla, hopes were high for the Spaniard and he hasn’t really failed to impress. A confident and assured presence in midfield he has the likeable quality of actually being happy with the ball at his feet. Certainly some of his passes will go missing, but this is because he is not a ‘safe’ player and is looking to play positive passes up the field. He’s also an intelligent player who knows when to take the sting out of the game. He has also scored some crucial away goals that have culminated in crucial points. He’s 30 but his game doesn’t necessarily rely on pace so his quality will only improve now that he is adapting comfortably to the Premier League. Despite these qualities he has invariably and almost inexplicably been dropped by both Shakespeare and Puel during the season. This might not be anything to worry about but is certainly strange for a player with such obvious qualities. Expecting bigger and better things from him in 2018/19.
22. Matty James / Games – 15 (3 as substitute) , Goals 0, “most games in 3 years”
There is no other player in the whole of the Leicester City squad and in recent memory that i sympathise more with than Mr James. Having to sit by and watch his employers achieve the most incredible story and not be a part of it must have had a huge psychological effect on him. On top of his injuries it would be safe to say that he would be in a pretty low place. On the back of that, 13 games played back in midfield can be seen as a relative success and proof that he still has lots to offer at the club. His selection ahead of Vicente Iborra and Adrien Silva has been odd though. James is a tough tackling midfielder with excellent positional sense. But the injuries have taken their toll on his agility and subsequently he has been unable to look commanding for a whole 90 minutes. Just like those niggling injuries that bit into his season there is a sense that James might not be the answer to a central midfield that is still trying to find its identity post Drinkwater and Kante. Regardless of who he plays for it will be good for him to be playing football given all he has had to put up with.
23. Leonardo Ulloa / Games – 8 (4 as substitute), Goals – 0, “Leicesters number 23”
When a player is brought in to replace you and that player is struggling to get in the 1st team it probably means the writing is on the wall for you. Playing in a handful of games this season Leo has had little to no effect in any of the games. His is possibly the culmination of players being given hefty contracts too quickly at the end of the 2015/16 season. Leo has been trying to move for a while in fairness and has had a large portion of his Leicester City career being the benched man. The irony coming that after he left for former club Brighton, Puel seemed to be pushing the team to attack the flanks and get more crosses in the box for taller attackers that we no longer had. It’s safe to say his Leicester City career is probably over.
24. Nampalys Mendy / Games – 1 as substitute, Goals – 0 “
Judging a Leicester City season based on 13 minutes of league cup football is hardly fair. Mendy was shipped out on loan to Nice in September for the season. He has at least played some football this season, starting some games. But he has hardly lit the team back up since he returned to France and it is unlikely that Puel will be trying to integrate him back into central midfield at the King Power. He’s never really been afforded the opportunity to shine at Leicester with injuries conspiring against him. The once 13 million pound signing is most likely to never be seen in a Leicester shirt again.
25. Wilfred Ndidi / Games 38 (1 as substitute), Goals 1 – “better than Kante?”
Whats more important, a tackle or an interception? If you were to say tackle then in Wilfred Ndidi we would immediately be looking at the best in the Premier League. Breaking up the play is his raison d’être and his influence to Leicester’s play in stopping the opposition is exemplary. Interception-wise he isn’t as great, which is the key difference to Kante who excels in both. This is one of the key areas that ‘Wilf’ will need to improve upon to be considered a truly great central midfielder. At the moment his game is mainly reactive to the opposition, when he starts to see the game happening quicker those tackles will not be needed as much as he will be reading the patterns of play effectively to confidently take up positions and win the ball effectively. Because of this he now seems to take up much deeper positions on the pitch, last season Drinkwater was able to let him get up the field more which was where 2 particularly stunning strikes came from. His shooting stats in The Premier League back this up as he had as many shots last season with half the amount of games. At 21, and in 18 months he has had to become the main man whilst juggling 2 managers, different formations, several different partners and sets of instructions. This pressure and lack of experience might explain why he has had 2 red cards this season as he is having to sometimes do 2 players work. He is easily Leicester’s first choice central midfielder and will be one of the prize assets they hope to ward off potential suitors for. To get the best out of him they will need to find a partner and a combination that will allow him to thrive into being one of the Premier Leagues best all round central midfielders.
26. Riyad Mahrez / Games 41 (4 as substitute), Goals 13 – “time to say goodbye?”
For any player attacking from midfield a return of 13 goals and 10 assists would be enough to have any fan salivating. But we have grown accustomed to Riyad Mahrez’s brilliance, possibly for the last time. He’s been more consistent and effective than people give him credit for over this season. Moments of brilliance have appeared all throughout the season. Some games he seems quiet but then he can just turn on the magic like a tap. Goals against Spurs, Arsenal, Newcastle, Southampton and most notably Bournemouth have exemplified his creative genius. His eye for passes when setting up Vardy so brilliantly at West Brom and at home to Manchester United. He just oozes class.
But inevitably he has grown tired of the humdrum life since the 2016 heroics and only naturally wants to further his career. I covered the transfer mess surrounding Riyad in this blog (https://lcfc1884site.wordpress.com/2018/01/31/the-riyad-mahrez-transfer-saga/) and it’s probably no coincidence that our form dropped off a cliff as soon as that fiasco happened. He now claims he has withdrawn his transfer request and all is rosy. The likelihood is that the club have an arrangement and he will be allowed to leave in the summer. If Manchester City don’t follow-up January’s interest with an actual bid then they will have conducted themselves disgracefully. Riyad deserves to showcase his talents at the highest level, but this does not mean the owners should accept anything less than they believe their prize asset is worth.
28. Christian Fuchs / Games 28 (4 as substitute), Goals 0 “Not gone yet?”
Our most prolific YouTuber has had his least prolific season with regards to selections. This has chiefly been down to Ben Chilwells inclusion. The expectation was that Fuchs may well be heading for the exit with him being very open about him missing his wife and children that currently reside in New York City. It came as much as a surprise that he announced that he would be leaving the club but only at the end of next season. This is possibly so it gives him plenty of time to find a suitable club in the MLS. With frustration growing from some with young Chilwell’s performances. Comparing the stats between the 2 there is actually very little difference in terms of what they can do. Chilwell tended to have a better crossing accuracy (Chilwell haters jaws hit the floor!) but where Fuchs excels is in his interceptions. As mentioned before with Ndidi, this is a trait that tends to improve and grow with more experienced players. It becomes about being able to read a game and predict opponents movements. Fuchs has always been solid in his reading and judgement of the game. He should really have been selected more considering we have at least another season left of his still considerable talents. He is a fans favourite and even a little moment of winning a corner in an excellent performance against Arsenal showed his worth. He lifted his head as the foxes faithful cheered appreciatively, he clapped back and nodded approvingly feeding off the crowd. He can read the fans as well.
29. Yohan Benalouane / Games 5 (1 as substitute), Goals 0 “still here?”
‘Benny’ is an interesting character if anyone has ever followed his social media updates. His choice in fashion sometimes resembles that of a 70’s New York pimp and he tends to play football with similar amounts of gusto, when he gets the chance that is. After an ill-advised tackle in a pre season friendly at Burton, he was once again cast aside into the Leicester doldrums. Catching only cup games to be able to test himself, he finally appeared in the Premier league in the disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham. He’s not half as bad as what everyone claims and i still believe he was the man of the match away at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last season as he proved an able replacement for both Huth and Morgan. But it seems he’ll never find a first team home at the King Power and could well be on his way to pastures new this summer.
31. Callum Elder / Games 0, Goals 0 “do you want to come back?”
After a very successful season on loan at Wigan he arrives back with a League One winners medal and hopes of going back to engage in a Championship season with the Latics. Will it be permanent though?
32. Harvey Barnes / Games 5 (3 as substitute) , Goals 0 “staying or playing?”
Having been farmed out to Barnsley on loan and having made 25 appearances for the Tykes it would be interesting to know what Barnes mindset would be when he was recalled back to Belvoir Drive to be part of Claude Puel’s plans. Training with Premier League players must be good, but ultimately its pitch time and games that professional footballers would crave. Since coming back he has played very little and had very little impact for us to start getting a feel for the type of player he is. But it will be a positive for him that Claude sees him in his plans.
33. Fousseni Diabate / Games 16, Goals 2 “where did you come from?”
Plucked from relative obscurity and recommended by Puel’s son. Not much was expected from this 22-year-old prospect. Puel threw him straight into the fold and was rewarded with a 2 goal debut at the cup against Peterborough. Since then he has been selected for most of the games in some form or another. Starting at Manchester City and at home to Arsenal he doesn’t seem to be phased in the slightest and almost has an air of arrogance to his touches. The comparisons with a certain other player taken from French football are perhaps a bit early, but there is no mistaking some of the first touches and dropping of the shoulders have the ability to lift the crowd. At the very least he is going to be an interesting player to keep an eye on, particularly if he continues to get as much 1st team action as he has this season.
33. Elliott Moore / Games 0, Goals 0 “Pearson protegé”
Currently plying his trade under Nigel Pearson at OH Leuven and gaining some decent displays.
34. Josh Knight / Games – 1, Goals 0 “academy cup sub”
A 10 minutes substitute appearance at Sheffield United in the Carabao cup.
38. Hamza Choudhury / Games 9 (5 as substitute) , Goals 0 “breakthrough season”
Breaking through this season in the League cup under Shakespeare, Puel continued his faith in youth by allowing Choudhury to develop in front of the King Power faithful. He brought him on as a substitute late against Spurs with the game in the balance at 2-1, which must have made Choudhury feel valued. Normally a young player will be given a token gesture of a run out in an unimportant fixture and that in itself must make them feel a bit like a child. But Choudhury had to wait after this breakthrough until April for his first start where due to injuries he found himself playing a considerable part of the games. Even starting ahead of Silva (perhaps mistakenly) in the Selhurst Park mauling. On the ball he is tidy without being spectacular and holds his midfield position well, trying to feel his way into games. as the season has drawn to a close he has been more confident in unleashing an explosive tackle. His performance at home to Arsenal will have done him the world of good. Whether he is afforded these opportunities next season remains to be seen, but at the very least a Championship loan move could be a very good next step in this young man’s career.
Bartosz Kaspustka / Games – 0, Goals – 0 “wasted?”
He can only hope and pray that Claude Puel sees something in him that previous managers have not. His loan spell at Freiburg has been erratic and game time has been limited to 9 appearances in Germany. He will most certainly be back but will he be shipped back out again?
Have a great summer everyone and thanks for following me and reading my blog.
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