Craig Shakespeare pleased with Vicente Iborra and Aleksandar Dragovic

Leicester City boss Craig Shakespeare was mighty pleased with the performance of his new signings Vicente Iborra and Aleksandar Dragovic.

The Foxes beat Liverpool 2-0 to progress to the round of 16 in the Carabao Cup, thanks to a goal each from Islam Slimani and Shinji Okazaki.

The Reds had been the better team for larger parts of the game, but as Shakespeare brought Okazaki on, the Japanese international made the kind of impact that the boss would have wanted him to.

However, it wasn’t just Okazaki who impressed Shakey, with both Vicente Iborra and Aleksandar Dragovic making a mark on their debut too. Speaking of the duo, Craig Shakespeare said:

"“I think they needed the game time.“You could see the experience they have both got.“With Dragovic, you could see positionally he is very good. He has all that experience and uses it well.“I was asking Vicente to play in a slightly different role in a two rather than a three. You could see by the end his game his understanding and intelligence.“He reads the game very well, but also he is a very good team player in terms of organisation as well.“We got stronger as the game wore on as a team, not just Vicente. I think we got stronger as a team because we played on the front foot a lot more in the second half.”"

It was the perfect night for Leicester City in every way possible. As impressive as their second-half showing was, it was the sight of the new arrivals on the pitch that would have amused Shakespeare and fans alike.

What would be interesting to see, though, is how does the gaffer actually fit them into the side and what system does he play. It’s quite clear that Iborra wont’t be as comfortable in a midfield two as he would be with more around him. That’s not to suggest that he can’t excel in the current formation, but it’s just that a few changes could bring out his very best.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: Vicente Iborra of Lecicester City in action during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Leicester City and Liverpool at The King Power Stadium on September 19, 2017 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) /

Similarly, Dragovic would be more suited to a 3-5-2, which solves the Vicente Iborra problem as well, although it’s unlikely that such a change would be made anytime soon.

Leicester City next play Liverpool again on Saturday.

Home/Leicester City News