HAVE THE FOXES BLOWN THEIR BIG TOP- FOUR CHANCE?

So, here we are again. A year on, the same curious paradox afflicts Leicester; one where finishing fifth ( again) and winning the first FA Cup in club history is considered suboptimal. Chuck in a rather testing season of Europa League football en route, plus an injury list that sometimes read more like a squad page, and you have a strange conclusion indeed.

Yet the facts remain: two years in a row, Brendan Rodgers’ side have had Champions League football in their own hands on the final day, only to let it slip.

In reality, though, 2020- 21 wasn’t like its uglier predecessor. Whereas, in 2019- 20, Leicester died a slow death by blowing a 14- point lead over their only rivals in Manchester United, last year’s fall was less pronounced, in the face of stronger competition and much worse luck. The outstanding James Justin was cruelly chopped down in his prime, ditto Harvey Barnes, and almost every other first- team player except Youri Tielemans missed a notable chunk of the campaign at some point. It was brutal.

It wasn’t all hard luck woe, of course. Leicester rode out their misfortune brilliantly, but stumbled with five matches remaining. Eight points clear of Liverpool at that point, the Foxes drew with a Southampton side reduced to 10 men after as many minutes, then went 4- 0 down at home to Newcastle (!) before a futile late revival. Three points from a tricky final three fixtures, combined with Alisson’s implausible goalscoring heroics for Liverpool, made for an unsavoury ending.

But it’d be wrong to look back at 2020- 21 without great positivity. Cracking the top four is supposed to be tough, and trophies are reserved for a select few – English football’s 24 elite domestic competitions since 2013 have been won by only five teams… and Leicester. Twice. Beating Chelsea at Wembley brought more silverware that still eludes other teams ( hello, Spurs). And on that topic of the so- called ‘ Big Six’, the Foxes defeated each of them in the league last term.

So, have they blown their shot at the top four? No. They were in it for 36 of last season’s 38 gameweeks, after all. And while Rodgers’ exciting side will never be favourites, their squad is improving, not weakening. Snaring Boubakary Soumaré ( a title- winning central midfielder with Lille) and Patson Daka ( 61 goals in his last two Red Bull Salzburg seasons), both 22, firms up two soft spots. Barnes and Justin will soon return from long- term injuries. As much as their rivals would prefer otherwise, these pesky Foxes are here to stay.