LEICESTER
CLAUDIO RANIERI has warned his senior players they have to recreate the family feeling that allowed Leicester to blow football apart last season.
His team, “out of this world” last year, have suddenly become normal again. And Leicester must find themselves again quickly, must rediscover the “fight” that Marc Albrighton believes has gone missing, or this season could unravel.
In winning the title in such thrilling fashion last season, Leicester lost only three games. They have already lost four of their first eight this time around – all of them limp performances away from home.
Ranieri’s team were lethargic, directionless and insipid at Stamford Bridge as Antonio Conte’s reshaped Chelsea romped to an easy win with their best performance of the season after goals from Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Victor Moses.
Leicester face Copenhagen in their next Champions League group fixture tomorrow. They have back-to-back games against the Danes and four points should see the Foxes through to the knockout stages. It is the stuff of fantasy.
But league games coming up against the likes of Crystal Palace, West Brom, Watford and Middlesbrough are a hard reality. Points need to be put on the board.
“We have to react. We have to achieve 40 points,” said Ranieri. “The Champions League is two months, in or out. It is important to be competitive in both competitions.
“Last season we were out of this world, now we have come back into the world. Last season we were very connected with each other, this season not so well. The senior players have to react and bring the new players in. In the bad moments they have to stay together.
“The body language is not good. Last season, I didn’t see this body language. I want positive men.
“The Champions League is not winnable. What happened last season is something not possible, it’s crazy. “Now we are normal. We are the normal Leicester. We have to fight.” Albrighton added: “We have lost the fight from last year. We need to get that back – and get it back quickly.” Since conceding nine goals in four games, Conte has switched Chelsea to a three-at-the-back system that suits them better, and has produced two wins and two clean sheets to calm nerves around Stamford Bridge. Hazard in particular is playing with freedom, but the star of the show here was N’Golo Kante, who ran the game against the team he left in the summer. Chelsea were ahead after only seven minutes, when Leicester were all at sea from a corner and Costa was left unmarked to volley home.
Just after the half-hour mark the game was effectively over as more confusion allowed Pedro to set up Hazard to nip round Kasper Schmeichel and finish.
Leicester had a brief flurry as Blues defender David Luiz deflected the ball onto his own post, but there was none of the venom and frightening pace of last year. Chelsea made and missed several chances before Moses played a lovely one-two with Nathaniel Chalobah to race through and score.
With five players missing, there were five youngsters on the Chelsea bench and 21-year-old Chalobah, who has been loaned to six clubs, grabbed his moment impressively.
“Chalobah deserves to play. People who know me know I don’t gift a place to anyone. Only the player who deserves to play, plays for me,” said Conte.
“We have a fantastic academy. Behind Chalobah, we have other young players. If they deserve to play, they will play.”
CHELSEA (3-4-3): Goals: NEXT UP: LEICESTER (4-4-2): Booked: