Two steps forward, one step back
As widely predicted, Marti Cifuentes, returning to his former club, named an unchanged team for only the second time this season. It was a decision that reflected the Foxes’ improved form and there was a hope that this would continue against the West London club. The Hoops sat just below Leicester in the Championship table having won three of their last five games.
The outcome was all too familiar. The Championship is extremely competitive and even the best teams can come unstuck, particularly away from home. Leicester’s 4-1 defeat against QPR, though, was completely unacceptable. In what is becoming a depressingly familiar pattern the Foxes displayed an inability to play at a decent level for the whole 90 minutes. This time, as against Sheffield United and Southampton, the first half performance was way below the expected standard. They were unable to cope with QPR’s direct and physical peformance. They were literally bullied. Once more, there was little offered going forward.
In the second half, there was a slight improvement with a goal from Silko Thomas (converted after Bobby De Cordova Reid's penalty hit the post) reducing the deficit. However, it was all much too little too late.
Internal dissent
There were disconcerting scenes after QPR’s third goal with Leicester players pointing fingers at each other. It is not a happy camp. All of this - the performance, the result and the internal dissent - reflects badly, of course, on the manager whose future at the club remains in doubt. QPR fans chanted ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ in the direction of Marti Cifuentes and such an outcome becomes more likely with every defeat, particularly if they are as bad as the one on Saturday
Strengthening the squad
The comprehensive defeat, and poor performance, on Saturday illustrates the need for Leicester to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window.
The Foxes have been linked with Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson. A few weeks ago, this would have seen a luxury but, since returning from injury, Jakub Stolarczk hasn’t looked as steady. He was certainly at fault for one of QPR’s goals on Saturday. With Victor Kristensen’s long-term injury and the consistently poor performances of Luke Thomas (three of QPR’s goals came from right win crosses), another left back, too, ought to be considered.
Another issue is the possible departures of Harry Winks and Wout Faes. Neither have featured much in the last few weeks, the former having apparently fallen out with Marti Cifuentes. With Harry Souttar almost fit again, the Foxes are well-staffed at centre back, although they have been linked with a loan move for Brighton defender Eiran Cashin. One mooted option in the case of Winks is to bring back Sammy Braybrooke from his loan spell at Newport, although this has been refuted by Cifuentes.
It is also necessary to consider the consequence of selling Jeremy Monga to one of the Premier League clubs apparently interested in investing in the young winger. I’ll leave that for now on the, probably erroneous, conclusion that the Leicester hierarchy wouldn’t be stupid enough to cash in on one of their most bankable assets.
Above all, Patson Daka’s departure for AFCON, coupled with the failure of the club’s strikers to offer much of a goal threat this season (the three of them have netted only five goals between them in 22 matches and two of these came from the penalty spot), should lead the Foxes to target a front man. It is particularly galling that Richard Kone, who scored for QPR on Saturday, was strongly linked with Leicester during the summer.
Christian Benteke, most recently plying his trade in the MLS, has been mentioned as a possible target. A more likely candidate is Michail Antonio, the former West Ham striker who was released by West Ham following a horrific car accident and is now training at Seagrave. The 35-year-old is actually a free agent and City wouldn’t have to wait until January to sign him. It would be worth a shot providing there is evidence that he is back to full fitness.