A tough ask
A failure to beat Stoke on Saturday may come back to haunt the Foxes as few expected them to triumph over a Middlesbrough side competing for automatic promotion to the Premier League. Going into the game with Leicester, Boro had won ten of their 16 home games at the Riverside this season, losing only two. By contrast, of their 17 away matches, City have won only four.Â
The odds were even more firmly stacked against the Foxes when it considered that, going into the game, a whole host of senior players were missing through injury. On a more positive note, Bobby De Cordova-Reid was back after a three-match suspension, replacing Jeremy Monga in one of two changes from the side that took the field at the bet 365 Stadium. Added to that, Abdul Fatawu was fit enough to take a place on the bench.
The bookies are very rarely wrong and their long odds on a Leicester victory were proven spot on. But a draw was a hugely creditable result for the Foxes. An excellent first half was spoilt by a mistake by Okoli who, up to then, had a good game. Indeed, it was the Italian who headed home a Divine Makasa free kick after 20 minutes. Just before the half time interval, the centre back gave the ball away and Boro exploited it to score an equaliser. That’s now 28 games without a clean sheet.
In the second half, the Foxes worked extremely hard to keep the home side out and could have scored another themselves, Daka missing a good chance heading wide when capitalising on a poor header by Luke Ayling. Middlesbrough, with an excellent home record, rarely looked like taking the lead.Â
It’s been an excellent start by Gary Rowett. The midfield pivot of Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks supported the defence well and were quick to move forward when they could. Divine Makasa was, again, excellent adding another assist to his total.
Not parking the bus
The Leicester Mercury made the point that Oxford United won a point against Boro at the weekend by defending deep and giving the home side most of the possession. In the past, the Foxes may well have tried to replicate that approach. One thinks of the recent second half against Southampton when, three-nil up, City sat deep and tried, ultimately unsuccessfully, to protect their lead.Â
One of the most notable, and surprising, aspects of Leicester’s performance against Stoke, though, was that, even when going ahead in the second half, Rowett’s team didn’t try to park the bus. Instead, they went on the front foot, dominating the ball and seeking a third. It almost worked, too. Given all this, it was interesting to observe how City set up at the Riverside.
At times, Leicester were forced back deep as Middlesbrough’s possession game became dominant. But, as with the Stoke game, the Foxes tried to press forward whenever possible. This is clearly the way to go. Too often this season, City have invited pressure and conceded by defending too deep..
Too late?
Under normal circumstances, a point away against the second-placed side would be very encouraging. Blackburn and Portsmouth's defeat and West Brom's draw helps to improve the mood amongst the Blue Army. The Foxes did not look like a relegation-threatened side. It does raise the question, though, how Leicester have got themselves into such a desperate position. Rowett has certainly made a big impact but let us hope that the club, not for the first time, took too long to make an appointment.