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| Claudio Ranieri - Leicester's ticket to mid-table safety? |
It's looking rather cosy at the King Power Stadium these days. After managing to orchestrate the finest relegation comeback in Premier League history, and enjoying an emphatic start to the season, losing only 1 of their first 10 games, Leicester City find themselves in 5th place and 3 points off the top. Their performances are characterised by an irresistible never-say-die attitude that has them snatching victory from the jaws of defeat each week. This has produced some electrifying games that neutral observers have relished, and they are now everyone's favourite overachievers. They have the division's top scorer, they have arguably the best all-round player of the season so far, and they have a new manager.
Claudio Ranieri is exactly what Leicester City needs this season. Many fans disagreed with Nigel Pearson's departure in the summer. After all, he is the man who led them to their glorious title winning Championship season, and then the already legendary Great Escape of last season. While these are undoubtedly fantastic achievements, there would have been problems if Pearson had continued his tenure at the club. His actions on the touchline and bizarre press conference antics showed a glimpse of the volatile character laying underneath the media-trained exterior, and as he slowly lost the backing of the board, the respect of his players, and with a scandal behind the scenes coming at exactly the wrong time, Pearson's departure was sealed. Nigel Pearson may well have battled through and kept the ship afloat for another season, but that's all he would have achieved. Pearson is akin to Neil Warnock in that he has the Championship completely sussed and can get clubs promoted, but after that will never get out of the bottom 5 of the Premier League. Every season under Pearson would have been a relegation battle. Leicester do not want that. They want a step up.
Ranieri is that step up. He is the next stage in Leicester's evolution. He represents a sobering attitude at the club. He favours tactics and resourcefulness over brute force. He is a classy veteran of almost 30 years in the dug out, and has managed all across Europe. He is the calm, centred intelligence that Leicester need to elevate into the Premier League middle class, joining clubs such as West Ham, Stoke and Crystal Palace. So far, he's doing a very good job.
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| Riyad Mahrez is arguably the best player in the Premier League so far this season |
For all the "Tinkerman" talk, Ranieri's tactics are simple. Leicester play a solid 4-4-2 in possession, and a flowing 4-5-1 while defending. The success of their attack is the telepathic partnership of the pacey assist specialist Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, the classic English centre forward, non-league 3 years ago, now scoring week after week in the top flight. Vardy's goal at the weekend racks him up to a crisp 10 goals in 10 games, all while playing with a broken arm. Ranieri plays Vardy as a standard centre forward, with Okazaki, Kramarić or Ulloa playing off him in a supportive role. The pace of their forward players is exceptional; Leicester have the top 3 fastest players in the league. Behind them are two tight banks of 4, staffed by underrated, hard-working talent such as Schlupp, Drinkwater and Albrighton. A simple, effective system, and a good example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
They sit back and invite pressure; Leicester know they cannot go toe-to-toe with the bigger clubs in the league on quality alone, so they use their pace and strength to overpower delicate passing systems and score on the counter. The majority of their goals come from a fast break up field, with one of the forward players getting on the end of a cross and tapping in from inside the 18 yard box. They have won most of their games from goals in the 2nd half, using another key attribute - Their fitness. Leicester are one of the fittest teams in the Premier League. They enjoy more pace and strength in the final 30 minutes of each game than their opponents. The handicap of mostly conceding first isn't a problem when you're the league's comeback kings - Leicester have rescued the most points from losing positions this season. They have come back 3 times from 2-0 down to level terms. On 1 of those occasions they have gone on to win the game 3-2, the sizzling Midlands derby with Aston Villa. This must be terrifying for other clubs, knowing they may be 2 up after an hour and still go away with nothing.
By the same token, this is also a clear weakness. While Leicester City are currently the 3rd highest scorers in the league, they have shipped 17 goals, more than any other team in the top 10. They only managed to get their first clean sheet at the weekend, in a key home victory against Crystal Palace. With their free-scoring form, this doesn't seem to be much of a problem, but if Vardy and Mahrez dry up, they may find themselves slipping down the table. Another point to add is that Leicester have not played many top teams as yet. The only "big" team they have come up against so far is Arsenal, who put 5 goals past them at the King Power last month. Before the end of the year they will play Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton and Man City. This will provide a huge test for Leicester, and will be the pivotal era of their season. Also, injuries are always a concern with a squad of this size. Just 1 or 2 key players out and it could all unravel in weeks. While the excellent start to the season has the Foxes fans in dreamland, even the most optimistic amongst them will admit there is still a long way to go before Leicester City can start planning for next season.
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| Jamie Vardy's attacking stats are exemplary - He has scored 9 goals in the last 7 games |
That said, their ability to come back from huge deficits has already become legendary. They are playing without fear, which in a psychological game like football is exactly where they want to be. They have nothing to lose going into games now, as they are already well on target for survival. All the pressure to perform is on the bigger team. Ranieri's men are just happy to be there, playing good football, scoring goals and winning games. It's hard to play against such a buoyant team on form that have already excelled beyond expectation.
Ranieri's brief for this season would have been loftier than most think. While survival is key for any sophomore season in the English top flight, Leicester's owners will want to emulate clubs like Southampton and Swansea in turning into a mid-table staple by their 3rd season. Leicester are not only meeting this target, they are surpassing it. They have so far scored 1.9 points per game, and at this rate, Leicester will get to 40 points in mid-January; the hallowed Premier League Survival Threshold. Once this is achieved, they can look up the table. As things stand, there won't be much further to look up. Champion's League is still silly talk at this stage, but a 5th or 6th place finish and a Europa League spot is well within Leicester's grasp. Stranger things have happened.
