Leicester City to finish 9th in Premier League predicts Paul Merson
Sky Sports football analyst predicted that Leicester City would finish ninth in the Premier League on the strength of their forward combination
Last season was the true definition of a roller coaster for Leicester City and their faithful supporters. On one hand the Foxes struggled in the Premier League for much of the season but they also went further in the Champions League than any other English side.
They terminated the contract of the man that brought them their first ever league title in Claudio Ranieri but they may have also found his long term replacement in Craig Shakespeare. The season may have been a rollercoaster but there was some semblance of stability achieved in the final months of the season and a lengthy stay in the Premier League seems likely.
Some experts, including Sky Sports analyst Paul Merson think that not only will the Foxes stay up in the top flight but that they will finish in the top ten. Merson gave his reasoning for his prediction and based it largely on the manager and the combination of Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Islam Slimani:
"I like Craig Shakespeare and think the players will work hard for him. If Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy gel up front they will be a massive handful with two in attack, with Islam Slimani to boot too. I think Leicester will be fine and won’t have a season like last season."
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This may raise some eyebrows but it is quite realistic the more one thinks about it. The Foxes finished 12th last season and that was after a horrible start to the season that saw them win just five of their first twenty matches.
The appointment of Shakespeare righted the ship and they finished the campaign strong with seven of their 12 league wins coming in the last 12 matches of the season.
Relegation was very much a possibility and even seemed likely until that run of five straight victories from February to April and then the conversation shifted to a possible top 10 finish. The quality of the clubs the Foxes defeated in that run was not top shelf but they only have to beat their mid-table and bottom of the rung opponents to guarantee safety.
So even if Leicester City was to sell off playmaker Riyad Mahrez they have plenty of offensive firepower to make up for his absence or even his lack of motivation to play if he is agitating for a move. The Foxes also greatly improved their defense with the addition of Harry Maguire who should make for a great partner to Wes Morgan while Robert Huth recovers from injury.
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Another European place may be a bridge too far for Leicester City this season but a top 10 finish and not being part of the relegation battle should be plenty realistic for Craig Shakespeare and the lads.