A double-edged sword
As much as Leicester are struggling at the moment, it is nothing to the disastrous start to the season experienced by Saturday’s opponents. Norwich, who have been there or thereabouts at the top end of the Championship table for many seasons, now find themselves this season on a losing streak that has seen them fall into the relegation zone. Prior to the Foxes game, the East Anglian side had only won nine points from their opening 14 games and, remarkably, had lost all of their home matches in all competitions so far. A great time, you would think, for City to play them.
On the other hand, defeat for the Foxes – or even a failure to pick up maximum points – at Carrow Road would have been regarded in a particularly negative light and could have meant the end of Marti Cifuentes’ tenure in the East Midlands. The failure to beat Middlesborough on Tuesday night, particularly given the conceding of a very late equaliser, has failed to quell the criticism levelled at the team, the manager and the board. ‘All just empty phrases’ was one Leicester fan’s website reaction to the Leicester bosses’ pre-Norwich press conference with ‘no expectations’ of a positive result for a team without an obvious plan.
Victory snatched from the jaws of defeat
For a long time at Carrow Road, it looked like the same old story. In a scrappy game, lacking in quality, neither side looked likely to break the deadlock. Things threatened to get even worse when Mathias Kvistgaarden put the home side ahead on the hour mark and they could have added a second soon after.
The turning point was the arrival of substitute De Cordova Reid in the 73rd minute. Two minutes later, the Jamaican’s sharp shot went through a crowd of players and nestled in the net. From then on it was all the Foxes and it was no great surprise when, two minutes into stoppage time, a pinpoint right-footed cross by Abdul Fatawu was turned home by Jordan James, to send the travelling Blue Army into raptures. It was the first ever headed goal by the Leicester midfield who, on the day, was the best player on the pitch.
What now?
The victory gives much-need breathing space for a manager and a team under increasing pressure. On the plus side, pundits are right when they say that the Championship is unpredictable and that clubs can quickly turn their fortunes around. It is true, too, that the Foxes worked hard at Carrow Road and, particularly in the latter stages of the game, there was an improved performance. Cifuentes’ substitutions had a really positive effect.
However, for a large part of the game, the Foxes were poor, particularly as they were playing a team in dire straits. Once again, there was no goal from the central strikers. With a points deduction of as much as nine points likely, a play-off position seems to be the height of the club’s ambitions this season, and that may be beyond them.
In a sense, I’m relieved for the Leicester boss. His position would have been arguably untenable had his team not beaten Norwich. As Foxes’ fans generally recognise, it is clear that the club’s problems, as I have previously written, go much deeper than the performance of one particular manager.