The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsThe Foxes are one of the in-form teams right now, not just in the Premier League but in Europe taking 28 points from a possible 33 over the course of the back end of last season and the start of this season.
In the last 11 league games Leicester have only lost once to champions Chelsea, drawing against Sunderland and winning the rest. With this form carrying over from last season and new manager Claudio Ranieri at the helm, it raises the question can they challenge for a place in the top half of the table?
Leicester have made some very astute signings during the summer transfer window, bringing in six fresh and very experienced faces. It was experience the team lacked last year, but with the majority of the first team having Premier League experience now they could reach new heights in this campaign.
The defence is much stronger this year and it was an established centre-back the team could have done with before the start of last season. The signing of Robert Huth was imperative following his impressive influence in last year’s great escape; he signed for the reasonable fee of £3 million earlier in the summer.
Wes Morgan has also come back to the team showing great strength after his international duties with Jamaica and Ranieri has found the ability to find resilient performances with just two centre-backs, with Marcin Wasilewski yet to feature.
The Foxes also have great strength in depth this season, as new signings Christian Fuchs and Yohan Benalouane have implemented their experience and level-headedness on the team straightaway. In the first two games this season Leicester have dominated the first half; leading 3-0 against Sunderland and 2-0 at West Ham at half-time. Ranieri has turned to Fuchs and Benalouane to solidify the team and successfully see out the games.
Leicester’s midfield was going to be more of a doubt this season after losing Esteban Cambiasso but Leicester have done exceptionally well without him. With Matty James also sidelined with a serious injury, Danny Drinkwater has really stepped up after not featuring a great deal last season and the new signings have really strengthened the side.
N’Golo Kante looks to be a shrewd addition to the side after his transfer from Caen as his energy is exactly what this Leicester team is all about. He made more tackles than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues last season, something which will be vital if Leicester want to continue their high-tempo pressing and attacking.
The recent capture of Napoli’s Gokhan Inler is another fantastic addition to the side, as the Swiss international’s physical presence in midfield offers a fair match against any of the sides in the top flight. To replace Cambiasso, Ranieri wanted a leader and Inler is the perfect replacement; he has played for his national side for nearly a decade and is their current captain.
Ranieri has also decided to stick with the wing partnership of Marc Albrighton and Riyad Mahrez, who have both been instrumental in the first two games of the season. Albrighton’s effort and quality has earned him a goal and three assists and he has been one of Leicester’s best players in the current run of form.
Mahrez has similarly entered this season in inspired form, already scoring three goals to celebrate signing a new contract with the Foxes; possibly being considered as Leicester’s best signing of the summer. His technique and wizardry is enough for any opposition defence and if can continue playing like this he is going to be a star player. In today’s market where footballers are going for millions of pounds, it is still staggering to think Leicester signed Mahrez for just £400,000 from Le Havre.
The strikers are going to be key to Leicester’s season, as scoring goals has been something the Foxes have excelled in recently. The club has already carried out some great business in the selling of Chris Wood to Leeds and David Nugent to Middlesbrough for a combined £7 million, in addition to the signing of Japanese international Shinji Okazaki. The teams in the top flight have found it difficult to deal with Leicester’s pace going forward and they have developed a fierce counter-attack.
It seems Ranieri has settled on his front two in Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki and they have both rewarded the selection with a goal each after two games. Jamie Vardy is full of confidence after his recent England cap and while showing the fitness and energy he is adored for, he is going to play an integral part to get Leicester into the top ten. He has recently been named as the quickest player in the Premier League after the first two games, something which defines why he is such a terror for the best of defences.
Leicester also have strong back-up options in Andrej Kramaric and Leonardo Ulloa, who are strong contenders for a starting place behind the current two. Ulloa scored 11 league goals last season so there is no doubt over his goal scoring record, whereas Kramaric hasn’t featured as much as he would like to, but his ability to finish his chances and a strong pre-season has provided a good indication of his talent.
One thing that the Foxes have in abundance is team spirit, which looked to be compromised following the events of this summer with losing the manager and a few key squad members. The team has bounced back even stronger and it is evident the players are playing for each other and the manager.
With the depth of the squad, the attitude of the players and the fans backing a growing team, there is no reason to suggest Leicester can’t make the top ten. Saturday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur will give an indication as to how the Foxes will match up against a top six side.
