In the summer Leicester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson acquired the Portsmouth striker David Nugent on a free transfer. Ever since his move away from Preston North End, the overall success of David Nugent has decreased and he has struggled to regain the form that helped him earn an England cap. So when Sven wanted him to lead the attack for the new season, some people including myself were debating whether he was the right man.
He made his debut on the opening day of the season away at Coventry City and he nearly made the perfect start to his Leicester career, but his first half header rebounded back of the post. In the first home game of the season he once again looked lively, but was denied by the woodwork for the second time, making people question his ability to find the back of the net. He finally broke his duck in the midweek fixture at home to Bristol City with a great finish from the edge of the box.
Although the match ended up in defeat for the second time at home in a week, his overall performances were earning him recognition and respect from the supporters. He continued his good form in the local derby with Nottingham Forest where he gave the foxes the lead but unfortunately had to be replaced early in the second half when he picked up a slight injury. The loss of Nugent up front impacted on the rest of the team as no one was able to work the defenders as effectively, meaning Forest were able to build pressure and ended up salvaging an unlikely point.
As a result of the knock David Nugent picked up he was forced to miss a few games, leaving Leicester in the situation of signing another striker as a cover. On the final day of the transfer window, Leicester agreed a fee with Everton for Jermaine Beckford, the amount is thought to be close to the £4 million mark. This appeared to be the perfect replacement, although after 4 games Beckford is still looking for his first goal for the foxes.
Since his inclusion into the squad the goals have dried up for Leicester and were on a two match goalless run until the visit of East Midlands rivals, Derby County. This marked the return to the first team for David Nugent and the game couldn’t have gone any better for the foxes, with an impressive 4-0 home win. The main difference in the side was the movement and the pace up top, which was provided by Nugent allowing him to get on the score sheet. He added a second, but the goal was disallowed for handball, denying him his first brace for the club.
In his short time at Leicester, David Nugent had shown he is the key man for the club in its efforts to gain promotion. His work rate and commitment helps the team greatly and allows space in behind for the midfielders such as Andy King to utilise. With the return of Jermaine Beckford from injury soon, there partnership up front could be deadly and help destroy many teams. For Leicester they will want to make sure they can keep David Nugent fit for as many games as possible to give themselves the best chance of achieving their goal of promotion.
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