The Foxes need a positive start to this campaign. With an initially shaky win on their belt against Sheffield Wednesday on the opening Championship fixture, the League One leaders Huddersfield Town will host the former Championship champions in the EFL Cup. Although not a spectators dream of a match, it is still an important tie for Marti Cifuentes’ team.
On that note, I think there are three things supporters should keep an eye on as Cifuentes chooses his team, prioritises the cups, and tries to show what Leicester City ought to have been capable of for a long time: winning.
Leicester City’s team selection
A lot less transfers have happened than perhaps many of us were expecting or hoping for. With some key talents having departed and others we expected to depart (like Boubakary Soumare, Harry Winks due to a lack of game time, and Wout Faes), the Spanish head coach has big decisions to make in preparation for the EFL Cup. The match may be important, but it is also the right place to give players game time.
As such, you should look out for the youth and second team players who will get a chance to play. Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic could well be considered the cup goalkeeper: a spot traditionally taken by the now - finally - transferred Danny Ward. It would be logical to not play Jakub Stolarczyk in every single possible fixture, as the young Polish shot-stopper does need some rest and reduced pressure with already being tasked as the No.1 in the net.
In midfield, Will Alves and Michael Golding have seldom been granted the opportunity to play for the Foxes. The pair are young, promising, and certainly exciting prospects, with Alves being of keen interest to any supporter looking to our academy to shine through in the coming years. The playmaker ought to start, and I think will start as Cifuentes looks to show faith with the U23s.
Elsewhere on the pitch, it would be remiss to not see Olabade Aluko (Ben Nelson when available), Jake Evans, and Wanya Marcal-Madivadua. Unless two of them are going on loan, all three should start against Huddersfield. It would let the trio show their worth to the head coach ahead of possible league fixtures or transfers where players like Wout Faes, Bilal El Khannouss, or the like could leave the Championship side.
Prioritise the cup
Leicester City need some form of success this season if Marti Cifuentes is to firstly keep his job, and secondly build up the shattered faith and trust of the Foxes’ supporters. Dejected and angered by poor upper management and a seemingly lack of refreshment in the squad, success will need to be coupled with adaptation and attentive team selection to bring supporters back on side.
The cups are the easiest route from which to prove our level against myriad opposition, provide a genuine sense of belief in the team, and provide those players something to strive for apart from a return to the Premier League. It is crucial to be seen to succeed. That will build up player confidence, fan approval, and allow the focus of Leicester to move from the maelstrom of depression, to the singular aim of promotion.
This does not mean Cifuentes will be fighting specifically for silverware. However, the bench will likely be stacked with strong players like El Khannouss and Abdul Fatawu, so the Foxes can make an immense impact on the pitch to get further in the competition. The EFL Cup will be the best chance the King Power Club have to get something exciting out of this campaign beyond the expectation.
Later in the competition I would expect a significantly better starting XI to emerge in the cup. The best players from the Championship campaign will likely become the cup team at that point. For now though, look out for a strong bench and a youthful starting lineup.
Our level
At the end of the day, the EFL Cup and FA Cup offer Leicester City a platform from which to demonstrate their level as a football club. A showcase of what qualities the side may have across the squad. To this end, Cifuentes’ team will likely play an aggressive brand of football rather than playing it safe to see out the competition. They will want to show what they can do.
Look out for the young starlets running the show, wasting possession with needless carries and creative but ill-considered passes behind the defensive line. There will be mistakes, inspirational passes and attacks, and likely players drifting out of position. Yet, amongst all the possible chaos will be a hard-hitting Leicester looking to set right wrongs.
Their wrongs of the last few seasons have been to lack faith in their promising youth, a failure to utilise the ‘second squad’ to refresh the expected ‘starting XI’, the failure to prioritise competitions they had a chance of progressing in, and most of all, the failure to play like a Premier League team. The Foxes faltered, broke faith, and lost as a result: Cifuentes priority must be showing the supporters what Leicester City is all about this time.