Not so comfortable
Ruud van Nistelrooy made one change from the team that came away with a point from the City Ground last weekend, Boubakary Soumare coming in for Oliver Skipp. Fit again Ricardo Pereira was on the bench.
Despite the score line, this was a closely fought game. Ipswich spurned a number of chances in the first half, Omari Hutchinson the main culprit. As befits his legendary status, Jamie Vardy broke the deadlock on the half hour mark finding the target after a superb run by James Justin. It was the Leicester number nine’s third chance of the half.
In the second period, Ipswich threated to get back into the game with the Foxes reliant on counter attacks. Mistakes by Jakub Stolarczyk and Conor Coady almost got the Tractor Boys back into the game but a second for Leicester, a smartly taken near post shot by Kasey McAteer put the game to bed. Time, then, for the post-match celebrations.
What a send-off
After 500 matches and 13 years to the day since his move from Fleetwood Town, Jamie Vardy said goodbye to Leicester fans. As befits a Roy of the Rovers-style legend, of course the striker repaid his watching hero-worshippers with a goal, taking his Foxes’ tally to 200.
The GOAT’s contribution to the best decade in the club’s history was marked in impressive style by the club inside and outside the ground. Before the match, members of the Premier League winning squad appeared on stage in the Fan Zone. An announcement was made that all programmes – a special edition – had sold out.
Inside the ground, Leicester fans waved flags, provided by the club, to thank Vardy for his achievements since arriving at the King Power Stadium. His substitution after 80 minutes was marked by prolonged and loud applause. After the game, former Leicester players were invited on to the pitch where the Leicester striker was presented with a specially made trophy and a book detailing the highs of his City career.
All that remains is to see where Vardy goes next. With several top-level clubs, including Leeds United, said to be interested, as well as MLS franchises in the United States, the old firm in Scotland, and Championship bound Wrexham, Vardy won’t be short of suitors. I just hope he never has to play against his former employers. Imagine that.
The old and the new
Deprived of their talisman, Leicester City will have to plot a course forward after a disastrous season. Cameo appearances by Jeremy Monga and Jake Evans, the former doing particularly well, was a good sign provided the Foxes can keep them out of the clutches of Premier League giants. Who knows how many of the team that played in the last home game of the season will be here next year. The club need to make decisions and fast.
Although Leicester fans celebrated their hero, they hadn’t forgotten the parlous state the club finds itself in. Chants of ‘sack the board’ and ‘Rudkin out’ were noticeable and rather embarrassing boos were heard as it was announced at the start of the post-match presentation that the current team would take the field again. If the Foxes’ hierarchy thought that Vardy’s final game would be a way of diverting attention from the current problems they were seriously mistaken. It will be an interesting summer.