I’M STILL HERE!
Vardy bags winner to give boss Rodgers a nudge
IN the week Brendan Rodgers said Leicester had to rely equally on all three of their strikers, Jamie Vardy let his boss know he is still top dog in these parts.
Vardy turns 35 in January and Rodgers plans to share the load between his t al is man,Kelech iI he a nacho and £27million signing Patson Daka over the course of the campaign — only for Vardy to prove yet again he will take some shifting.
Vardy’s 41st-minute strike was enough to give Leicester an opening day win over Wolves — whose flying winger Adama Traore missed two great chances.
After scoring, Vardy goaded the Wolves supporters and pointed at the name on the back of shirt. The gesture would have been just as effective as a message to Rodgers.
‘If you look at some other clubs and what they’re spending, we’re nowhere near that level,’ said Rodgers. ‘I just hope we can keep developing. If we can progress again this year I’ll be happy and we’ll see where that takes us.
‘Jamie and I had a good chat during pre-season and it is up to us to make him as explosive as we can. When he’s fit, in form and hungry he is so difficult to play against.’
Back in front of a full house for the first time since March 2020, the FA Cup holders were impressive in the first half but patchy in the second, when they would certainly have been punished by a more ruthless team.
Rodgers insists he needs more players yet it is surely his opposite number, new Wolves boss Bruno Lage, whose need is greater. Lage succeeded Nuno Espirito Santo in the summer and his side had their moments, with Traore, Max Kilman and substitute Morgan Gibbs- White all going close.
Yet with three untested players on the bench, it is no surprise Lage wants up to four more signings before the window shuts.
Raul Jimenez was included in the Wolves starting XI for a competitive match for the first time in nine months —a wonderful sight given the fractured skull he suffered at Arsenal nine months ago, which placed his top-level career in severe doubt. Leicester made the running in the first half, however. In the 10th minute, Vardy’s angled shot was saved by Wolves’ new goalkeeper Jose Sa and five minutes later Vardy had the ball in the net only to be flagged offside. Although Rodgers’ side were on top, they always had to be wary of Traore. In the 18th minute, the winger motored 50 yards and found room for a shot that was blocked by Thomas. Thomas then contributed at the other end with a delightful cross for James Maddison, who missed a header. Wolves wasted a glorious chance to take the lead nine minutes before the break when Daniel Amartey gave the ball away to Joao Moutinho. Traore immediately hit the accelerator and was found by Moutinho, bursting between Amartey and Caglar Soyuncu before sliding the ball a fraction wide when he should have scored.
Vardysh owed him exactly how it is done five minutes later. Ricardo Pereira fizzed a cross to the near post where Vardyh ad drifted in front of Conor Coady and he guided the ball beyond Sa with the outside of his left foot — the finish of a master. Leicester could have made it two in first-half stoppage time when Youri Tielemans’ 30-yard strike drew a solid save from Sa. Wolves had more of the ball early in the second period but this made them vulnerable on the counter- attack, where Harvey Barnes was always threatening. Traore had another opportunity when he barged substitute Jannik Vestergaard, on for his debut after a £15million move from Southampton last week, away from a bouncing ball before guiding his volley too close to Kasper Schmeichel. Vardy was just as wasteful with 13 minutes remaining, firing wildly wide after substitute Iheanacho had combined with Tielemans to set him free. In the closing minutes, Wolves defender Kilman twice went close, first with as hot that was blocked by Amartey and then a free header that he directed too close to Schmeichel. Soon after, Gibbs-White was denied by a joint blocking effort.
‘Adama is a top player, a top man,’ said Lage. ‘He wants to improve and we’ll work together to do that. We deserved more than we got from this game but I have confidence in what we are doing here.’