Shakespeare turning Foxes drama into redemption tale
Caretaker manager’s second win sets him up for top job at Leicester
CRAIG SHAKESPEARE is awaiting talks with Leicester’s owners once back from a four-day bonding trip to Dubai. But the main job should be his before that.
In the space of a week, the man given the task of stepping into Claudio Ranieri’s shoes has transformed the atmosphere around this club and earned him the chance to lead them into a Champions League tie against Sevilla.
A second win under Shakespeare has moved Leicester from the Premier League’s bottom three to five points above the drop zone. This performance against Hull provided more evidence safety could even be secured with something to spare.
For the first time all season Leicester won after conceding first and the squad can fly off today with only positive thoughts. Riyad Mahrez will be particularly buoyed, having scored his first Premier League goal from open play this campaign. He did so in brilliant fashion at a crucial moment.
For all the complaints about the treatment of Ranieri, this display simply would not have happened under his command. The tinkering had sapped confidence.
‘One Craig Shakespeare,’ the fans sung before the final whistle.
Shakespeare named the same starting XI and substitutes bench as for the win over Liverpool and a similar start was made. Inside five minutes Leicester created three chances with Jamie Vardy to the fore and only errant finishing and last-ditch defending kept the scores blank.
When Harry Maguire flung his body in the way of a hammer shot from Robert Huth in the 14th minute it appeared only a matter of time before the opening goal. But it went to Hull.
Wilfred Ndidi set a square pass too close to Sam Clucas, who pounced to feed Oumar Niasse. Kamil Grosicki provided an outlet on the overlap and Kasper Schmeichel could only push his low cross into Clucas’s path. For Clucas, it was a neat moment, scoring his first Premier League goal against the club who released him as a kid.
The goal caused a judder. So it was an enormous relief to the majority of those in attendance that Leicester levelled on 28 minutes.
It was a fine goal, too. Christian Fuchs linked with Vardy down left beautifully, exchanging a double one-two to unlock Hull’s backline. Towards the byline, Vardy picked out Fuchs, who applied a right-foot finish that proved too much for Eldin Jakupovic.
Leicester finished the half camped in Hull territory, but after the break the visitors reacted. Maguire hit the post and had another good chance.
Where Leicester might have crumpled under Ranieri, they kept their composure. Okazaki narrowly missed Vardy’s cross and in the 59th minute Shakespeare’s side had the lead.
Mahrez’s personal struggles have been emblematic of the club’s malaise. The PFA Player of the Year only scored three Premier League goals under Ranieri this campaign, all from the penalty spot.
He had not found the net in any competition for Leicester since November. But here the magic returned. Collecting the ball on the right, he drifted infield, changed direction three times in that choppy style of his, then eventually decided to pull the trigger by applying a low, hard shot with his right. Jakupovic again might consider he should have done better, but the surprise element left him beaten.
Schmeichel was still required to fend away a strike by Niasse but in the final minute Leicester secured victory. Demarai Gray forced a fine save from Jakupovic and from Marc Albrighton’s corner Ndidi rose highest, though the telling touch came off Tom Huddlestone.
Shakespeare said that the crowd singing his name meant ‘you must be doing something right’ but played a straight bat to suggestions the job is his.
‘I think the owners will make the decision that is best for the football club. Until I talk to them I don’t know what their thoughts are. I’m quite comfortable with that.’