After a roller coaster of a season, Leicester City has finished eighth in the Premier League with 52 points. This was due to great play by some players and some not-so-great play by some other players. With some time to reflect on the season, here are the three best and three worst players of the 2021-2022 Foxes campaign.
Leicester City’s third worst performer: Caglar Soyuncu
Wesley Fofana’s unfortunate injury led to us having a terrible back line for a good portion of the season. In the 12 games Fofana played in, LCFC conceded just 11 goals. In the 48 games, Fofana did not play in, the East Midlanders conceded an astounding 75 goals. The backline was poor and one of those reasons was Caglar Soyuncu.
Soyuncu was expected to be the head guy of the backline with Fofana injured and he did not live up to those expectations. There were lots of moments in the season where he would have bad positioning or tackle attempts that lead to goals or set pieces, which we had a major problem with this season. Soyuncu was only able to get five clean sheets in his 28 EPL appearances this season.
Third Best: Harvey Barnes
Harvey Barnes was East Midland’s best winger this season. In 48 appearances; ten off the bench, the 23 year old assisted 13 goals while scoring 11 of his own. While still growing at a young age, Barnes provides us with the most creative and attacking ability out wide. He and James Justin have the potential to be a great duo on the left side of the pitch. If they can both stay consistently healthy, Leicester will be in a great position with Barnes getting better and better with each appearance.
Second Worst: Boubakary Soumaré
Boubakary Soumaré was signed this summer on a transfer fee of £17 million from LOSC Lille. Just one season later and the defensive midfielder is up on the transfer market. The Frenchman was hindered by some injury issues this season. But even when he was healthy, he was often on the pitch. In his 30 appearances for the Foxes this season, he contributed just one assist and not much defensive help. With other midfielders stepping up or coming in, Brendan Rodgers does not seem to have Soumaré in his plans.
Second Best: Kevin Dewsbury-Hall
What a season it was for Kevin Dewsbury-Hall. KDH won LCFC’s young player of the season and player’s player of the season, and rightfully so. With injuries and inconsistent play hurting the midfield, KDH stepped up when other players couldn’t. In his 44 matches played, fifth-most on the team, Dewsbury-Hall contributed three goals and three assists. He was able to defend and move the ball up and attack. At just 22 years old and with not many expectations heading into the season. KDH delivered when he was needed most.
The Worst: Jannik Vestergaard
Vestergaard was bought this summer for £15 million from Southampton FC. The 28-year-old did not play well for us this season. He made just 20 appearances where he did not keep a clean sheet. Like Soumaré, Vestergaard was rumored to be out on transfer, but has indicated he’ll be back next season. Hopefully, if given the chance, he will play better.
The Best: James Maddison
Who else could it have been? The 24-year-old was fantastic this season. He netted 18 goals and assisted 12 more in his 53 appearances. Madders is in one of the most in-form players right now, some would say worthy of a national call-up. He can really give you everything you could want from an attacking midfielder. He can score, dribble, and pass the ball at an almost elite level. His great form towards the end of the season carried us to a top-eight finish rather than a bottom half. Maddison is definitely one of the reasons Leicester fans have great expectations heading into the next season.