SACK TO BASICS!
Leicester and Palace prove it was right to ditch Ranieri and Pardew
THEY’LL have to wait a tad longer before being mathematically safe, but both these teams will play Premier League football next season.
In many ways this clash mirrored Crystal Palace and Leicester City’s respective seasons. An awful first half, a spectacular second.
Cruising at 2-0, Leicester looked certain to secure their sixth league win in seven under Craig Shakespeare. But, under Sam Allardyce, Palace are made of sterner stuff; two goals in a blistering six-minute spell clinching a valuable point.
The result leaves Palace five points adrift of the golden 40-point barrier; Leicester even closer on 37. But both bosses should rest easy. We’ll see them in the top flight next season.
Rewind six weeks and this would have been billed as a relegation sixpointer; both clubs staring Championship football square in the eye.
Fast forward to April and under new management it’s a different story. So much for managerial stability breeding success. Try telling that to the respective owners of these two clubs.
All ardyce and Shakespeare deserve the lion’s share of credit for those dramatic improvements, however unfortunate the sackings of predecessors Alan Pardew and Claudio Ranieri.
And well done to Shakespeare for fielding a strong team here despite the temptation of resting players ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter- final second- leg against Atletico Madrid.
The Foxes boss made just two changes — Leonardo Ulloa and Andy King replacing Shinji Okazaki and Danny Drinkwater — but there was no such tinkering from Allardyce, who named the same side for the third successive game.
But while the team was the same, Palace struggled to replicate the intensity of Monday’s euphoric win over Arsenal during the opening 45 minutes. Indeed, Leicester took a seventh minute lead, Robert Huth rising above Joel Ward in the box to nod Christian Fuchs’ long throw past Wayne Hennessey. You won’t see a simpler goal this season and you’d imagine it was far too simple for Allardyce’s liking.
Palace huffed and puffed in search of a leveller before the break — Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend wasting decent opportunities — but in truth, Leicester had things under control before half-time. Not that there was much to control, however. This was one drab affair.
Thankfully the game caught fire in the second half.
First, Riyad Mahrez threatened to double Leicester’s advantage four minutes after the restart, but his whipped effort flew narrowly wide of Hennessey’s far post.
Referee Mike Dean then waved away Palace’s appeals for a penalty when Wilfried Zaha’s attempted cross deflected off Marc Albrighton and out for a corner. Palace were adamant t he ball t ouched t he Leicester winger’s arm; Albrighton insistent it came off his chest.
After Palace’s resultant corner, Leicester bagged their second thanks to a rapid breakaway which ended in Jamie Vardy cutting inside Jeffrey Schlupp before slotting past Hennessey after Mahrez’s pass in the 52nd minute. Allardyce will point the finger at his keeper, who should have done better having got a hand to Vardy’s effort.
This was a far cry from Palace’s relentless performance against Arsenal, but the Eagles are a different proposition to that of the opening months of the season.
They hit back within two minutes; Yohan Cabaye finishing from close range after Schlupp’s attempted shot ricocheted off Danny Simpson into the Frenchman’s path.
Moments later Zaha wasted a golden chance to equalise, shooting wide after powering past Albrighton with Benteke and Townsend waiting for the cut back. Palace, though, were shifting through the gears, the equaliser was inevitable — and it duly arrived in the 70th minute.
Yohan Benalouane was furious with Dean for allowing Benteke’s header from Townsend’s deep cross to stand. The Foxes defender was adamant Benteke had fouled him as the Belgian leaped above him to nod home. Nonsense. The Palace striker wanted it more. Simple.
Indeed, Benalouane was having a second half to forget; he had Kasper Schmeichel to thank just minutes later when the Dane denied Benteke after he showed the Leicester defender a clean pair of heels.
Minutes later Benalouane was substituted with what looked like a bout of cramp. The second half Benalouane was having, he probably couldn’t wait to get off.
Don’t worry, though, Yohan — only Antoine Griezmann up next.