The Lowdown
The Foxes’ return to the Premier League began strongly, featuring an impressive 5-3 win over Manchester United, which left them at a lofty 7th place in the table. Unfortunately, this was followed by a horrendous sequence of 24 games without victory, leaving the King Power Stadium outfit slumped at the bottom of the table. Leicester’s season culminated in an unexpected final run of 7 wins in 9 games, during which they were the league’s form team, and the Foxes stayed up with a game to spare. Despite high hopes in May, after the departure of the divisive manager Nigel Person and the talismanic fan favourite Esteban Cambiasso, the primary question is now – can Leicester maintain their Premier League status?
Where could they finish?
The Great Escape
The run of form at the end of last season suggested that Leicester might push on for a mid-table finish in 2015/16, however the fanbase has become far more pessimistic in the wake of Cambiasso and Pearson’s departures and the subsequent appointment of Ranieri. Survival will be the primary objective. In truth, considering the impressive albeit Premiership-unproven signings of N’Golo Kanté, Shinji Okazaki, and Christian Fuchs, added to Leicester’s frankly outrageous inconsistency last season, nobody really knows what to expect.
Star Player?
It would have been Cambiasso; now more hopes will be pinned on Riyad Mahrez or Robert Huth, who signed on a permanent deal after playing a key role in Leicester’s defence following his loan signing in January. Cambiasso’s ostensible replacement Kanté will also arrive with high expectations, as well as Japanese international Okazaki.
Who’s the Surprise Package?
Claudio Ranieri, simply because nobody knows what to expect. Whether his wealth of experience at the top level and fearlessness of change will drag Leicester towards the top half or whether his recent poor run of jobs, culminating in a humiliating double defeat against the Faroe Islands as Greece manager, will turn Leicester back into the desperate, unhappy and doomed side they appeared to be around February remains to be seen. Ranieri has worked with several top-level clubs such as Valencia, Juventus, and Atletico Madrid, and famously has previous experience in the Premier League with Chelsea, but has not worked in England for over a decade.
Leicester City’s opening fixtures for the 2015/16 Premier League season
Biggest Summer Signing?
The signing of Christian Fuchs has finally brought European quality (and set piece ability) to the problematic left-back role, which the mediocre Paul Konchesky (who has since departed on loan to QPR) and the defensively lax Jeffrey Schlupp failed to do. The acquisition of Shinji Okazaki from Mainz may also prove to be a masterstroke after the Japanese international scored 27 goals in his two seasons with the Bundesliga club, although it is unclear where he’ll fit into an already-bloated forward line of Ulloa, Vardy, Nugent, and Kramaric.
However, the most important signing is likely to be that of midfield destroyer N’Golo Kanté, signed from Caen to fill the gaping void left by Cambiasso, as well as the injured Matty James – who is not expected to return until Christmas. According to stats buffs WhoScored.com, Kanté completed more tackles than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues last season; if he can maintain his Ligue 1 form, Leicester may well have a gem on their hands.
More business before September 1st?
Following their summer transfers, Leicester now have a large squad, with plenty of cover across the pitch, which is ideal for a manager who enjoys rotating his players. Ranieri has stated his intention to sign a new goalkeeper in the wake of Ben Hamer’s loan departure to Nottingham Forest, but his immediate return due to Forest’s Financial Fair Play issues may have put paid to that.
That said, the Leicester boss may well look for another club for Hamer, as he believes it is “not fair” to keep a player with as much quality as the ex-Charlton Athletic man as a third-choice goalkeeper. A new right-sided player could well attract the Foxes’ fancy considering there is little competition for the positions of Marc Albrighton and Ritchie de Laet on that side; recently relegated Hull City’s Ahmed Elmohamady would fit the bill perfectly.
Likely Starting XI?
It is difficult to say with any certainty considering Ranieri’s infamous propensity for ‘tinkering’. Generally Ranieri sticks with a back four (typically a 4-4-2 with either a flat or diamond midfield), however in pre-season he has continued with the 3-4-1-2 / 3-4-3 which carried Leicester through the tail end of last year’s campaign. He has stated that he intends to make no wholesale changes to the team, but expect him to introduce his “Italian tactical way”.
Despite Robert Huth filling in as skipper in the absence of Wes Morgan, who was part of the Jamaica side which made it to the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, Ranieri has since confirmed that Morgan will continue his role as Leicester’s captain. With a decent amount of strength in depth both offensively and defensively, regular rotation should be expected.