3 Things learned as Forest plunge Leicester towards relegation battle
By Ethan Henson
Back in December, I wrote a piece on this website detailing just how damaging the winter World Cup was likely to have been for Leicester City, but nobody could have foreseen the extent to which the momentum built up prior to the tournament has quickly unravelled. The fall from grace has been so sharp and so spectacular, that the Foxes went into yesterday’s East Midlands battle with Nottingham Forest knowing nothing less than a win would draw them into a scrap they don’t want.
Brendan Rodgers’ depleted side couldn’t even muster a point – something that while not ideal for their own points total, would’ve at least denied their opponents a maximum haul and a three point buffer back to the Foxes. With no quality, no concentration, and seemingly no spirit, the short-term future looks nothing but bleak for the blue contingent in the region – here are three things we learned from Forest 2-0 City.
Investment is needed, and quickly
Much of the criticism aimed towards the club this season has been down to the downgrade in standards for this season compared to years gone by. This is abundantly clear in the regular playing staff, with the likes of Boubakary Soumare, Nampalys Mendy and Daniel Amartey featuring heavily in match day squads.
The financial reserves previously available to invest in high-quality talent are simply not there, with only Wout Faes coming into the first team in the summer window. With injuries inevitably catching up with the Foxes again, and six arguable starters out injured yesterday, new faces are an absolute necessity if they are to steer clear of the relegation zone.
Nico Gonzalez is rumoured to be one of the names on the list, but with the Fiorentina man would likely command a fee in excess of €30million, something that would not be in keeping with the spending habits, or lack thereof, that the City board have exhibited in recent times. A central defender and a left-back are the highest priorities to invest in, and if those positions aren’t catered to, Foxes fans’ worst fears could be met.