Jamie Vardy
Goals win you games and that’s what Leicester haven’t seen much this season. And if there is one man in their squad who is capable of turning things around for the Foxes, he is Jamie Vardy. While winning the title one season can definitely be a freak, his quality cannot be. The 30-year-old surely has it in him and just needs the inspiration to get started.
Vardy has scored only five times in 22 appearances for Leicester City and it is one of the main reasons the club has been suffering. His work rate has been slashed by more than half this season. The centre-forward did all last season. He pressed opposition defenders, won tackles and slotted the ball in, and sometimes from impossible distances. Whether it is the lost faith in the manager or the club’s inability to hold on to key players, Vardy has lost it. And if Ranieri is aiming to survive relegation this season, he has to get Vardy to perform.
Wes Morgan
Leicester City’s back line was unbelievably strong last season, which had stopped the mightiest of attacks in England time and again. They were ambitious, confident and were the foundation of the team. However, the same defence has conceded 43 goals this season already with even the weakest of forwarding lines finding a way past them.
What Leicester essentially lack is leadership and it is their leader who needs to take a closer look in the mirror, sooner rather than later. The duo of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth were unbreakable and they need to revive that sync again. Morgan has been quite underwhelming so far, winning only 33% of his tackles, creating only 3 chances so far from the back, which indicates his failure to find the target man that he did so impeccably last season.
Daniel Drinkwater
Ranieri could never really replace N’Golo Kante and his departure has hit hard his former midfield partner. Drinkwater was nearly invincible in the middle of the park last season and has been nearly invisible this campaign. Although his ball distribution up front hasn’t been that disappointing, it is his defensive contribution that has been affected.
The English midfielder has won only 40% of his average duels so far and the aggressiveness is missing. Also, the injury hasn’t given him much time to sync with Nampalys Mendy or Ndidi. However, with everything at stake now, Leicester badly need him to deliver.
Stats via Squawka.com
