Leicester City 0-1 Aston Villa: three things we learned

Strikers are an issue that isn’t going away

Jamie Vardy is the talisman of the team and whenever he’s absent the team nearly always suffers. With Vardy a few months away from his 34th birthday it seems the club is suffering from that old Nigel Pearson syndrome ‘The Ostrich’.

Kelechi Iheanacho has had his fair share of critics in his 3 years at the club but last season was a genuine success with him offering up goals and assists and proving to be a menace against teams, particularly Aston Villa. Villa now look a far better outfit in the Premier League with their defence snuffing out all threats and reducing Leicester to long range efforts (1 from Kelechi). He dropped into pockets of space to pick up the ball and brought his teammates into the game, but he also gave away several cheap fouls and still hasn’t found a way to worry defenders with his power and pace. Kelechi continues to be an enigma that we will have to be patient with as he will be needed more and more.

When Iheanacho was subbed, he was replaced by the former record signing from Algeria over two years since he last wore a Leicester shirt. Its quite shambolic that this is happening, i’d rather see a youth player given a run out. He looked eager, but also sluggish and following a breakaway chance just couldn’t get the ball from out of his feet and let it pathetically slip from his grasp, causing chuckles from the stand. Whoever put Slimani on a 5 year contract in 2016 should be further embarrassed that the club hasn’t been able to get rid of him. Brendan Rodgers literally said in a recent interview that he had no future at the club. Now he’s being asked to play as a lone striker chasing down centre backs pinging the ball around him. It’s a sorry situation.

In the Villa side is a young and dynamic striker by the name of Ollie Watkins, a player that Leicester should definitely have been considering signing. With his expert running into the channels, pace and aggression he would be a perfect foil for a Jamie Vardy. Although admittedly this was a far quieter game for him than THAT 7-2 mauling of Liverpool. Watkins was a player that Leicester never even attempted to sign and questions should be asked as to why.

With Vardy’s contract even being extended it seems the club are just going to bank on his fitness and worry about his absences as and when they happen. That next worry will be in the European game at home to Zorya Luhansk where Vardy will once again be absent and Leicester City will have to try and look more than toothless up front.