Will Leicester City avoid relegation this season?

Leicester City remains in a situation where safety isn’t half-guaranteed, and danger looms too close for discomfort. The claws of relegation might soon catch us up by escaping our rear-view mirrors.

Brendan Rodgers looked to have hit a melancholic chord to reignite the outfit’s lost potential after the transfer window concluded its business. However, that assessment might have been an overestimation.

Leicester City’s mid-season efforts

It’s true that with new personnel coming in to fill in the blanks, the side saw a sudden resurgence in form by reinforcing certain areas that became fragile. Those privy aspects became the fixation of league-wide exploitation.

Key areas in defending got some much-needed re-work alongside forming the composures for covering oppositional corners. These were integral aspects that saw the Foxes bounce back momentarily from the perils of the relegation zone.

Their time at the bottom half of the mid-table again remains inconsistent. The side has gathered 24 hard-earned points from 24 games played this season. There are 14 games left, where the East Midlands side would try their best to break that 40-mark threshold. The calculation says 1.14 points on average compared to their 1-point per game record till now.

There is no apparent reason why this team, which has done relatively better against its 2022 performances, can’t do the deed. The concerns are with other challengers, who can turn the battle for survival much more challenging than it already is.

Too many challengers make the challenge more challenging

The Foxes are fighting with sides such as Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United, Leeds United, Everton, Bournemouth, and Southampton. The difference in their respective positions in the table spreads with a difference of only seven points.

It can all shuffle in the coming matchdays, and if Leicester City fails to cope, the pressure will choke the air out of their lungs with much fewer games in hand to make amends for their misfortunes.

We have to acknowledge the challenging predicament we are in right now. The least dangerous position is only three points away. Any team can usurp one another to secure their retention in the Premier League.

Fortunately, the Foxes are in line to have less challenging games now, as their first encounter with Chelsea could give them a fair chance to capitalize with at least a point. That game gets followed by an away trip to Brentford, which can be a tough test.

The next three games in line can provide Rodgers’ men to salvage the most out of their situation as they take on Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. That follows it up with an affair against a struggling Bournemouth.

The road becomes much harder from then on- as the King Power club faces a title race driven by Manchester City, followed by Wolverhampton. An away trip to Elland Road to meet Leeds would take the Foxes to face Everton and Fulham for the next two until they host Liverpool.

The last two games would be critical as Newcastle poses a direct threat. Then West Ham would prove to be an ultimate test, considering their targets for safety align with ours.

Strategising is the only way

To avoid relegation, the manager and his team need to make the most out of those games, where there is a fair chance of gathering points rather than overworking for draws in unfavorable matchups. Rodgers needs to play his cards right to go the distance quickly, as leaving things unattended- till the last day has had dire repercussions on the season’s final day.

Danny Ward doesn’t give us much confidence, but the backline has definitely shown some promise to provide him with a credible backup. The midfield selection resides with the manager. Without James Maddison, the team lacks creativity. There is no real solution for the attackers. Still, Kelechi Iheanacho remains our best bet.

Defeating the teams below us should be our priority for the remainder of the season. That will further ensure the chances of our survival.