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Leicester City: From champions to Championship
As the halftime whistle blew at Craven Cottage last Monday, a chorus of boos erupted from the away section. Leicester's traveling fans had just witnessed their team concede three goals to Fulham, while barely threatening in the opposing penalty area themselves. This was expected to be a turning point in a dismal season, but instead, it served as another setback for the Foxes, who are in danger of being relegated.
Almost exactly seven years ago, those same supporters had filled the King Power Stadium, eagerly awaiting Andrea Bocelli's rendition of Nessun Dorma, which set the stage for Leicester to lift the Premier League trophy. More recently, these fans had enjoyed watching their team compete in the Champions League quarter-finals, regular Europa League matches, and securing victory in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Leicester City lost 5-3 to Fulham
Now, unless there is a remarkable turnaround in their final three games, Leicester City is on the verge of exchanging nights out at the Wanda Metropolitano for a brief stopover at Taunton Dean services on their way to face Plymouth Argyle.
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Their decline has been remarkable, and while there weren't extremely high expectations for the current season, as the promised summer rebuilding failed to happen, nobody anticipated that they would be fighting desperately to survive as we approach the crucial phase of the season. How did they end up in this situation?
Recruitment issue
Leicester's recent success was built on their exceptional recruitment record, which was considered the best in Europe. Their title-winning starting eleven, including players like N'Golo Kante, Jamie Vardy, and Riyad Mahrez, cost less than £30 million in total. This was an incredible value for money considering the quality of players they had.
The architect behind this triumph was esteemed scout Steve Walsh, and there were concerns that Leicester would struggle to replicate their shrewd transfer policy after his departure for Everton in 2016. However, even without Walsh, the club continued to make astute signings. They made a significant profit of nearly £70 million from the sale of Harry Maguire in 2018, while acquisitions such as Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, and Ricardo Pereira were purchased well below their market value.
Leicester City had many issues in recruitment
However, more recently, it has become challenging to pinpoint a standout transfer success. The summer window of 2021 was particularly disastrous, with players like Patson Daka, Boubakary Soumare, Jan Vestergaard, and Ryan Bertrand failing to make a significant impact.
Their business in the current season has also been subpar. The signings of Wout Faes and Harry Souttar during the summer and winter transfer windows, respectively, have done little to shore up their leaky defense. Additionally, young full-back Victor Kristiansen appears far from ready for Premier League football, while the inconsistent performances of Tete have only occasionally displayed moments of quality.
In the highly competitive Premier League, a few poor transfer windows can quickly lead to a decline in the standings, and unfortunately, this is precisely what has happened to Leicester.
Financial difficulties
Amidst financial difficulties at the King Power Stadium, Leicester City has been embroiled in a recruitment debacle. There are several reasons for their reduced spending capacity. Firstly, being owned by a duty-free company based in Thailand, the club faced challenges during the pandemic when airports were closed and travel restrictions were imposed.
Additionally, there has been a natural increase in the club's playing budget. The longer a team remains in the Premier League, the more difficult it becomes to avoid offering inflated contracts, especially after consecutive fifth-place finishes, which led to the squad expecting rewards for their achievements.
One of the main reason for Leicester City's downfall is financial difficulties
However, nothing has had a more significant financial impact than the construction of their state-of-the-art training facility. Reportedly costing around £100 million, Leicester spared no expense in creating their new home, even incorporating a golf course.
These factors contributed to Leicester City announcing a record financial loss of £92.5 million in March. While this figure did not include the £75 million transfer fee for Wesley Fofana, it sheds light on why the club only made two signings during the summer, despite previously promising supporters a major squad overhaul.
Excessive loyalty demonstrated
Leicester's financial struggles can also be attributed to some self-inflicted factors. During Brendan Rodgers' tenure, mistakes were made in the contract negotiations, with players who were clearly declining being given extensions that included salary increases.
In December 2020, Jonny Evans received a two-and-a-half year contract, but he has been plagued by injuries and has spent more time unavailable than on the pitch. Another high-earning player, Bertrand, has made only 12 appearances over his two seasons at the club. Additionally, Vestergaard, who turned out to be a transfer disappointment, still has one more year remaining on his contract.
Excessive loyalty demonstrated
Another error was the failure to sell Tielemans when his market value was at its peak in the past two seasons. Since his incredible winning goal in the 2021 FA Cup final, his form has significantly declined. That should have been the moment for him to leave as a club legend. However, he chose to stay, breaking Leicester's long-standing tradition of making one high-profile sale each summer to balance the books. While Tielemans has been a valuable player for the Foxes, at times during the 2022-23 season, it has felt like he has been biding his time, waiting for the summer when he can finally depart on a free transfer.
A new goalkeeper is necessary
Leicester's decision not to adequately replace Kasper Schmeichel when he departed for Nice in the summer seemed strange at the time, but in hindsight, it was even worse—it was utterly senseless.
Watching the Foxes during the first half of the season, it was evident that Danny Ward lacked control over his defense. Communication breakdowns were frequent, and to make matters worse, his shot-stopping abilities were also lacking.
Ward's post-shot expected goals minus goals conceded figure, which is generally considered the most reliable metric for measuring shot-stopping performance, stands at a dismal -5.5 this season. At the time of writing, only four goalkeepers have performed worse.
Leicester City needs to have a new goalkeepers
Daniel Iversen has performed slightly better since being brought in to finish the campaign, but his distribution falls short of Premier League standards. His costly error against Fulham, which set the tone for a disastrous day in Leicester's recent history, also raised doubts about his readiness for regular top-flight football mentally.
The Foxes had the entire summer transfer window to bring in a replacement for Schmeichel, but they placed their trust in Ward. With such slim margins determining who stays up and who gets relegated this season, this decision could prove to be a fatal mistake.
Abysmal defending
Leicester City's struggles this season extend beyond the goalkeeping department; their overall defending has been among the poorest in the Premier League. This can be attributed, in part, to personnel issues.
The team has long grappled with mental pressure, evident from their eight errors leading to goals in the past two campaigns and their poor penalty record. Moreover, individual performances from defenders have not been up to par this season. While Faes started well, his form has been inconsistent, and nearly every other Leicester defender has experienced periods of poor form.
Another problem of Leicester City is abysmal defending
However, some blame also falls on manager Brendan Rodgers. Last season, the team conceded an alarming 20 goals from set-pieces, and although there has been a slight improvement this time around, fans still hold their breath whenever a corner is awarded against them. Rodgers' failure to address this recurring issue during his tenure at the club allowed it to snowball and reflects poorly on his coaching abilities, considering set-pieces are one of the few controllable aspects in football.
Another significant problem has been their vulnerability in transition. Wilfred Ndidi used to excel in stifling counter-attacks, providing ample cover for the defense with his exceptional tackling ability. However, his performances have noticeably declined in the past two years, to the extent that he is no longer guaranteed a spot in the starting lineup. Since Ndidi's drop-off, no other player has effectively compensated for his absence.
Injuries
Leicester have faced a number of setbacks in the past two seasons, with injuries disrupting their momentum. Pereira, once considered one of the top right-backs in Europe, suffered an ACL injury just before the pandemic, depriving him of his peak years. Although he showed signs of returning to form, he ruptured his Achilles tendon, limiting his contributions to the Foxes this season.
Pereira
Similarly, James Justin filled in admirably for Pereira after his first injury, and could have even made the England squad for Euro 2020 if he hadn't ruptured his own ACL in February 2021. Unfortunately, his return to form was also disrupted by an Achilles injury during this season.
Leicester's injury woes have also affected their attacking options. Iheanacho, who has experienced remarkable periods of form during his time with the Foxes, would have been a significant boost in their battle against relegation. However, his involvement in the remainder of the season is now in serious doubt following a torn groin he sustained while setting up Vardy's goal against Leeds.
Are the players enough hard?
Leicester fans are experiencing a deep sense of disappointment. Many of them believe that the current squad is not putting in enough effort to secure their Premier League status. While attendances remain high, the atmosphere has become sour.
The recent booing at Craven Cottage was not an isolated incident, as discontent has been expressed through jeers at several home games this season. Lack of motivation was even hinted at by Maddison after the defeat to Fulham, with the midfielder suggesting that the team lacked the hunger to win the game.
Fans were left questioning why this was the case, especially considering the importance of that particular match for Leicester's season. If they couldn't motivate themselves for such a crucial game, what chance did they have of avoiding relegation?
Many fans believed that players are simply not fighting hard enough to preserve their Premier League status
Although Maddison attempted to clarify his comments on social media afterwards, there may be some truth to the accusation that certain players in the Leicester squad lack the same motivation as their relegation-threatened counterparts in the Premier League. Even if the team manages to stay in the top flight next season, it is highly likely that Maddison will move on, with Newcastle emerging as the most probable destination.
In addition to Maddison, Tielemans and Soyuncu are also reaching the end of their Leicester journey, with Soyuncu set to join Atletico Madrid. It is unlikely that out-of-contract Daniel Amartey will receive a new deal, and players like Harvey Barnes, Faes, and Soumare will undoubtedly attract interest from other clubs if Leicester is relegated. This applies to several other players in the squad as well.
With the prospect of many departures looming, it is understandable that the team is not giving their all for each other. This lack of cohesion is a recipe for relegation, and it highlights the need for better management both on and off the field, something that should have been addressed earlier to prevent this situation.
'We'll be fine'
Throughout the season, there has been a noticeable perception of aloof arrogance emanating from the King Power Stadium. It seems that, as former Premier League champions, FA Cup winners, and regular contenders for Champions League qualification, there was a belief that they were "too good to go down."
This attitude was perhaps best exemplified by Maddison himself in March when he quote-tweeted an article by respected local journalist Rob Tanner. In the piece, Tanner suggested that Leicester had all the ingredients to face relegation following their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Southampton.
Maddison swiftly responded, dismissing the analysis as "rubbish" and urging Tanner to watch and analyze the game properly. He believed that Leicester had created numerous brilliant chances and could have won comfortably on another day.
Since that tweet, Leicester's form has deteriorated significantly, with only six points earned out of a possible 30. While Maddison may have had a point about the specific analysis of that game, his relaxed response to the situation may reflect a broader ambivalence that has contributed to the team's current disastrous situation.
Leicester may have waited too long to address their declining form by considering a change in managerial leadership. Taking action earlier in the season might have halted their downward slide in the table. Even interim boss Dean Smith has presented a relaxed demeanor in his press conferences.
The magnitude of Leicester's predicament finally seemed to hit Smith after the Fulham result, as he expressed concern about the team's lack of fight during the first half. He acknowledged his worry and expressed hope that such a performance would not be repeated.
Leicester fans share the same hope, as they have witnessed a stark contrast from their glorious moments, symbolized by Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma, to the looming possibility of a return to the second-tier of English football within a decade.