Foxes trot to giddy heights

Just 22 matches ago, Leicester City had “lost cause” emblazoned on the backs of their shirts. Rock bottom of the table, relegation looked like a formality, but somehow they survived. Now, just a matter of months later, the Foxes sit proudly on top of the Premier League pile. Ahead of their table-topping clash with Manchester United, our EPL expert Adrian Clarke (sports [at] mediacorp.com.sg) analyses the reasons behind their incredible turnaround.

INDOMITABLE BELIEF

Winning seven of their last nine games to pull off “The Great Escape” last season filled the Foxes with faith that they belong at the highest level — and you cannot put a price on that precious state of mind.

Instead of feeling like they were making up the numbers, a sense of spirited ambition suddenly consumed them.

With his calm persona and trusting personality, Claudio Ranieri is the perfect manager to fuel that confidence.

The Italian’s positive attitude has shone through whenever they have suffered setbacks this term. Earning 10 points from losing positions (more than any other side), they refuse to accept when they are beaten.

When Ranieri took charge last summer, he promised his team would be “fighters” and he has been as good as his word.

KING KANTE

Leicester were way too passive last season but, late in the campaign and inspired by midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, the importance of ball-winning dawned on them.

They pressed harder and squeezed the space for opponents, and by revving themselves up to be more proactive without the ball, it opened the door for lots of opportunistic breakaways. It is a counter-attacking philosophy the Foxes have built on under their new head coach.

Recruiting N’Golo Kante to replace Cambiasso was a masterstroke. Blessed with a similar skill set, but far younger and more athletic, the Frenchman has been a revelation in the engine room.

Reading play brilliantly and with a wonderful defensive nose, no one in the EPL has made more than his 55 interceptions. His 37 successful tackles put him among the leading lights in that department, too. He is an unsung hero.

FAITH IN FLAIR

Previous boss Nigel Pearson knew forward pair Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy possessed raw talent, but he never had enough conviction to build his team around their strengths. Ranieri has, and it has made the world of difference.

Earmarking Mahrez as the principal playmaker as soon as he walked through the door, Ranieri urged the Algerian to express himself without the fear of being told off for not tracking back. Knowing Vardy’s pace was his squad’s most fearsome asset, Ranieri did not hesitate to ask the former winger to lead his line. It paid off handsomely.

THE HUTH FACTOR

There is an argument to suggest the £3 million (S$6.4 million) Leicester City invested in Robert Huth was the biggest bargain of the summer.

The former Chelsea and Stoke City centre-back’s top-level experience and sensible defending have transformed what had been a naive Foxes rearguard. They no longer make anywhere near as many elementary mistakes.

Ranieri chose Huth to partner captain Wes Morgan in his 4-4-1-1 system and the pair has gone on to form one of the most solid partnerships in the league.

Leicester’s record with Huth and Morgan is 10 wins, four draws, and one defeat. To thrive in this league you need central defensive partners to share chemistry, and they have it.

IS THEIR SUCCESS SUSTAINABLE?

At the risk of sounding like a killjoy, I suspect Leicester’s stay at the top will be a brief one. Enjoy it while it lasts. Upcoming fixtures against Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton, Manchester City and Liverpool are likely to provide a few reality checks. Besides the key men that form the core of the side (Kasper Schmeichel, Huth, Kante, Mahrez and Vardy), the club’s back-ups are not of equal standard.

I do expect the Foxes to stick around in the top eight — they are an exciting, passionate, quality team — and that in itself would be a fine achievement.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Adrian Clarke is a former Arsenal midfielder who has played at every level of the English game. Now an experienced sports journalist, he writes for many international publications