Leicester City do possess a vastly superior EFL Championship squad on paper. An [allegedly] glittering collection of high-market-value assets valued by Transfermarkt at approximate €145 million. That is a figure that should, by any metric of logic, see them competing for the title rather than gasping for air in 22nd place.
Leicester City's gilded cage
Yet, football isn't played on paper: it is a game of grass and grit, not spreadsheets and ink. The reality at King Power Stadium is more akin to the gladiatorial warfare at the Coliseum.
There is a notable sense of detachment within the ranks; not to mention within the fan base. The roster collectively shrugs its shoulders as the historic weight of the LE2 outfit is discarded for the cold comforts of personal preservation.
Most contemporary LCFC players seemingly lack the passion for the badge or the stomach for a scrap. With the chief untrustworthy among the group likely already liaising with [often] unethical agents to engineer an escape from the wreckage of a six-point deduction and irreconcilably awful mismanagement.
Does the Leicester City squad have fight, faith and overriding quality?
While the Foxes' valuation dwarfs the modest €34m of Oxford United and the €35m entire valuation of Portsmouth, the WhoScored metrics reveal the Leicestershire team has lost its soul. Continuing the appraisal, Leicester's possession remains a shallow 50.6%.
But their "Very Weak" WhoScored rating in protecting a lead and avoiding individual errors betrays a psychological fragility. In stark contrast, Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion exhibit a feral will to survive.
Blackburn, having climbed to 19th after a gritty win over Millwall, manage a higher volume of aerial duels won (23.1 per game). Whilst West Brom, buoyed by a shock 3-0 demolition of Hull to move to 21st, create a higher frequency of shots per match (13.4) than City's lower 11.6.
"Tackles-per-matchWhoScored
Oxford United: 18.0
Blackburn Rovers: 18.0
Portsmouth: 15.5
Leicester City: 14.2
West Bromwich Albion: 14.1"
The U's and Pompey, though technically inferior in valuation and fighting in the trenches of 22nd and 20th respectively, have shown flashes of the "fight" Gary Rowett so desperately craves. With the Foxes' open play shooting conversion in stagnation, Oxford's recent ability to secure back-to-back points suggests a side that knows exactly how to punch upward.
"The City boss also said his team lacked energy again, and were not “desperate” enough to win the game."Leicester Mercury
As Rowett bemoans the "Christmas Day" lack of intensity during the Queens Park Rangers loss, the cold truth is that the so-called 'bigger' club is the one most likely to crumble. The King Power bunch are a collection of individuals eyeing the exit. Meanwhile their rivals are a phalanx of fighters. Unless a miraculous transfusion of pride occurs, the overhyped stars of Leicester are destined for the drop.