The King Power Club's struggles this season come down to a mixture of systematic concerns (with the team unable to adapt to the Spaniard's system) and player performances. Here, we are focusing on the players and analysing their performances, as well as supporter commentary around each talent.
To do this, I have amalgamated core statistics into three categories: 'offensive', ' creative' and 'defensive' contributions per 90 expressed as indices. This means each player receives a score out of 100, indicating the impact level they have on that area of the game. Additionally, using aggregate scoring, I have looked at over 150 social media + web article posts to score each player a favourability rating in the support base.
The statistics were gathered primarily from FBRef, FotMob, and Understat. There are limitations to the scope of data gathered: first, in analysing only 150 posts, we could see some skew one way or another; second, without paid memberships to sources such as SmarterScout, there is variability in how data has been calculated by each site. Again, this inevitably leads to some skewing of results.
Leicester City's best performers
Instead of listing every single player, let us focus first on the top five. Afterwards, I will briefly list the results for each player ranked descending by aggregate score total by contribution, although it will still be noted which Foxes players have the most positive favourability online.
Abdul Fatawu
Abdul Fatawu is lauded as perhaps our most important talent. Holding an almost uncontested starting spot on our right flank, he has by far the highest offensive and creative contributions of any player while also providing a not insignificant contribution to the defensive side. Aside from a slight lack of clinicality in recent matches, the right-winger offers penetration on the right and a major goal threat cutting inside, while creating chances for others with quick pass-backs or crosses from the byline.
Favourability is, of course, on Fatawu's side as well. With a +9 aggregate scoring, this places the superstar three points clear of any other Leicester City player in terms of online sentiment. Generally, supporters and experts are in agreement that much of the King Power's success is owed to the performances of Fatawu, as our MVP and his innate technical & physical ability to drive the ball forward and dribble beyond defenders.
As the contribution rankings help illustrate (82 offensive, 95 creative, 34 defensive), the Ghanaian has the joint highest goals scored, the most assists, and is a leading talent when on the ball. In the final third, Fatawu commands the tempo, dictates play, and creates chances. With a bit more experience and an actual striker working with him, we could see significantly higher returns.
Jannik Vestergaard
The redemption - for the second time - of Jannik Vestergaard. Often considered too slow, sometimes not good enough in the air considering his height, or understood by many to be a major step down from what we had, the Danish defender has - again - shone brilliantly in the Championship. As the primary pillar of our defence (with the most minutes of any player), Vestergaard has had plenty of time to contribute towards Leicester City's performances.
On the indices, the centre-back ranks comparatively high on offensive (compared to peers), and offers a team-leading impact on defensive metrics while offering some creative output as well. This is illustrated in his joint second-highest goals scored, club-leading long ball passing (2.8 accurate long balls per 90), and provides an outlet from defence with direct balls to a forward, cutting out midfield.
Regarding online favourability, the towering central defender has a +1 score. This seems to place the talent essentially just above the negatively ranked players. Supporters point out errors and physical attributes as well as disappointments in aerial challenges, but experts place Vestergaard on a pedestal: one without which the Foxes would be further down the table.
Ricardo Pereira
The Portuguese right-back offers an immense presence on the right, which complements the high-octane Abdul Fatawu nicely. Pereira's role is trifold: a possessive threat coming into midfield, a progressive threat running down the wing and interchanging with Fatawu, and an impassioned defender pressing wingers and midfield runners heavily. This is a critical role in Cifuentes' system.
In terms of his indices, ranking third overall, the right-back offers a balance between creative (74) and offensive (58) metrics, while still contributing nicely defensively (38), although this is not the player's primary goal. This has been reflected in the joint second-highest goals scored and being sixth overall in combined non-penalty xG + xA. The King Power Club do better when Pereira is creating chances or arriving in the box to take a shot.
The player's interchanges - overlaps and underlaps - with Fatawu make Leicester's right potent when in-form. However, thanks to this being an expected behaviour, it is unsurprising that Pereira only has +2 on the favourability. I would contend this is partly because the fullback is a reliable player, a goal threat, but not as exciting or game-changing as the player once was. Still, experts also agree he has lost that explosive pace which set Pereira ahead of the opposition.
Jordan James
An absolutely wonderkid. Already, despite having nearly half the minutes of Vestergaard, Jordan James has three goals, has been one of our best chance creators, and has offered a threat defensively for the Foxes. James is a box-to-box monster of a player.
The midfielder is lauded in his partnership with Harry Winks as the 'engine room' of Leicester City. They set the tempo, guide possession, and initiate the vast majority of final third entries. Where our strikers are failing to offer an end product, James is taking a massive lead in arriving late and getting a shot off. This obviously ensures the player's online favourability is +6 while the combined average of other midfielders is just +0.6 (Boubakary Soumare is the only one with a negative score).
Performance-wise, the Welsh midfielder is among the best. Ranked 76 offensively, 63 creatively, and 26 defensively. The player also acts as a brilliant link on the right side with Pereira, the AM (Aaron Ramsey or Bobby De Cordova-Reid) and Fatawu, passing swiftly between them to build-up play. With the second-highest NPxG+xA, James is a creative and offensive threat that needs to play.
Harry Winks
Sometimes criticised for 'not caring' or being 'too slow', Harry Winks is arguably the most vital midfield player the Foxes have. The English midfielder boasts outstanding technical passing ability and range, able to pick out direct balls to release Fatawu or help the team retain possession while supporting the defence. This means his best strengths are clearly creative (78) and defensive (46), and while he does contribute offensively, Winks has been wasteful with his shooting and has squandered some promising opportunities.
Supporters and experts generally agree that Winks is the metronomic heart of Leicester City, setting the tempo and directing play through midfield and along the wings. However, this has resulted in only a +2 aggregate favourability. Frustration over missed opportunities and early criticism of Winks may have contributed to a lower rating for a player who is otherwise highly regarded.
Foxes Players ranked
There are obviously plenty of other players who are not in the top five. This does not mean they played poorly; it just means in the grand scheme of things, their contributions were not as impactful in each game versus these five. However, to be fair to them, here is a brief list of the players ranked by aggregate total contribution index, with a sidenote of their online favourability score. This list will exclude those already mentioned.
Name | Aggregate Contrib | Aggregate Favour | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Wout Faes | 145 | -2 | Inconsistent, error-prone, but has good duel-success rate |
Jakub Stolarczyk | 118 | +5 | Reliable shot-stopper with decent shots saved |
Jordan Ayew | 116 | -6 | Considered toothless in attack and lethargic, two goals is best ST |
Aaron Ramsey | 104 | +1 | Absence-heavy season, but good goal returns and creativity when played |
98 | +2 | Solid defensively, decent third choice? | |
Ben Nelson | 90 | +4 | Great couple of games, unplayed most of the season |
Luke Thomas | 85 | -3 | Judged as poor on the attack and makes poor decisions defensively, passionate in progression |
Victor Kristiansen | 82 | 0 | Played rarely, not inspiring, not catastrophic |
Patson Daka | 76 | -5 | Some claim 'best striker' with zero goals, zero confidence |
Julian Carranza | 64 | -3 | Has made little to no impact when played, but good shots-on-target per 90 |
Bobby De Cordova-Reid | 63 | +3 | Has been a game-changer against Swansea City and Norwich City, not exciting but does the job well |
Boubakary Soumaré | 61 | -3 | Lethargic, uninspiring, and overall unimpactful in all regards |
Hamza Choudhury | 58 | 0 | Has seldom played, has not done much of note domestically |
Oliver Skipp | 54 | +1 | Has no standout moments. Not stylistically suited |
Louis Page | 46 | +2 | A good academy product |
Stephy Mavididi | 45 | 0 | Inconsistent, poor goal-scoring form |
Asmir Begovic | 40 | +4 | Has excelled coming in for Stolarczyk |
Jeremy Monga | 30 | 1 | With less minutes than Daka, one goal and assist, should get more gametime |
It is fair to look at these contributions and see that overall, we have some startlingly high-quality talents on the pitch, but a mixture of shattered confidence, inconsistency, and a struggle to get acquainted with Cifuentes' system has minimised the output of some forward players while contributing to defensive and midfield players being better represented in this ranking.
Positionally, strikers represent the main problematic cohort, with only two goals and two assists between the three talents and a -14 aggregate favourability. We painfully need a new centre-forward in January who can support Abdul Fatawu, empower Aaron Ramsey or Reid, and offer a real goal threat.