How Leicester should line up for the rest of the season
By Ethan Henson
In terms of the front three, there’s only one clear option to be deployed on the left hand side, with City’s No. 7 Harvey Barnes the obvious, quick, attacking outlet. The opposite flank represents another problem for the manager, with whoever occupies that berth except Maddison likely to be defined as the side’s weak link.
Contenders include Ayoze Perez, Marc Albrighton, and even Dennis Praet, all of whom have played a bit part in City’s season so far. This system would mean the eleven on the pitch aren’t the best individual players at the club, but systems should always take precedence over shoehorning.
None of these three possess any great pace, but what Albrighton provides is an element of unpredictability that Perez particularly is short on. The Tamworth-born winger is capable of running at his full-back, playing neat interplay in and around the box with his No. 10 and forward, but can also deliver both deep and bye-line crosses.
Questions have been raised around Jamie Vardy’s waning powers, such as his pace and athleticism as age inevitably catches up with the Foxes stalwart. The Brighton defeat was a tough day for City, but possibly more so for Vardy as both of the club’s reserve strikers netted on their first league starts of the season.
If any of these are to be the natural heir to if Leicester City’s No. 9, then surely Patson Daka is the ideal candidate to lead the line, with his profile being more suited to both holding up the ball and stretching defences by making unselfish off the ball runs. Not to mention the rapid player’s steaming in behind opposition back lines. Kelechi Iheanacho has improved in recent years, particularly with his back to goal, but his skill set does not automatically lend itself to lone forward play.
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The likely scenario is that Daka and Vardy interchange frequently this season, especially due to the tightly packed schedule imposed on the Premier League due to the timing of the World Cup. Iheanacho is very unlikely to be deployed in a singular striking role, and the chances are that Vardy will be deployed up top slightly more than Daka. A typical front three could see a line-up of: Albrighton, Vardy, Barnes.