LEICESTER MUST SORT OUT PROBLEMS OR FACE RELEGATION
THIS season has been filled with intrigue. Quite a few clubs have been reported to be in crisis. First it was Manchester United, then Bournemouth, who lost 9-0 to Liverpool.
Former Cherries manager Scott Parker became the first tactician to lose his job this season. Now, Liverpool find themselves in a spot of bother.
If one thing is certain, Leicester City are in a crisis. The Foxes are last in the Premier League, having lost five out of their six games to date.
It may still be early in the season, but the signs do not look good for the 2015/16 Premier League Champions. There is a good chance that they will be involved in the relegation battle this season.
Brendan Rodgers is hardly responsible for the state of his club. They only made two signings during the transfer window. Their squad depth and quality decreased at a time when it was meant to be increasing.
At this rate, unless Leicester can win their next few games, it appears likely that Rodgers will be sacked. While he has done a good job since taking charge, he does not have much experience when it comes to navigating relegation battles. With confidence in the squad evidently low, a new change of leadership might be needed if the club is to rediscover their lost touch.
Leicester have the quality to pull out of their situation, and with a few good additions to their squad in January, they can further increase their chances of avoiding the drop.
However, it appears likely that this will be a long season for them. In previous campaigns, they were setting their sights on a place in Europe and, in particular, the Champions League.
This season, they will have to be realistic and instead set their focus on being competitive in the Premier League and avoiding the drop.
The loss of former goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has not helped the Foxes.
Schmeichel was not only a quality shot-stopper, but also brought leadership to the squad. In his place, Danny Ward has looked devoid of confidence and not up to standard. The biggest problem in the Leicester team is their defensive deficiencies. This is not only due to the loss of Schmeichel, but also due to poorly performing players in the backline.
The departure of Wesley Fofana also hardly helped. Fofana joined Chelsea in what is one of Leicester’s most controversial transfers since their promotion to the top flight in 2014. While the likes of Riyadh Mahrez, N’golo Kante and Ben Chilwell left the club on good terms, Fofana did not. Many Foxes fans are hoping his career with his new club turns out the same way that Danny Drinkwater’s did once he left the King Power Stadium to join Chelsea. It ended badly, and many have forgotten he still plays.