With Leicester City’s opening day clash versus Sheffield Wednesday just one week away, pre-season preparations have come to an end. Marti Cifuentes is at the helm, and his Johan Cruyff style tactics are at the forefront of the Foxes’ new era in the Championship. Players young and old featured, as City breezed past a tough Fiorentina side.
What We Learnt From Leicester City’s Victory
Changes To The Starting Eleven
Throughout the friendlies, over 30 players have appeared, which emphasises the depth of players within the squad. This time out, Mads Hermansen started in between the sticks for the first occasion since late April. Jakub Stolarczyk looked set to become City’s number one, especially considering the Dane’s links to West Ham.
Full-backs Hamza Choudhury and Luke Thomas both appeared due to James Justin and Ricardo Pereira’s potential injuries. Meanwhile, Caleb Okoli and Jannik Vestergaard formed a centre-back partnership, with Ben Nelson and Wout Faes coming on late. The departure of Conor Coady is one of the major changes to come when compared to the last outing versus Koln.
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Wilfred Ndidi didn’t register a minute, which alludes to a possible departure. Despite this, Bilal El Khannouss still played for over 80 minutes and looked like one of the standout players on the pitch. The Moroccan is a target for many Premier League clubs such as Leeds, Crystal Palace and others, but a start today suggests a deal may be far away.
Young players Jeremy Monga, Louis Page and Olabade Aluko all came off the bench to round up a successful pre-season. The academy graduates look set to be a part of the first team, regularly this season, and to come on over the likes of Ndidi or Woyo Coulibaly, supports the idea that they will play a major role.
Tactical Revolution
As talked about previously, Cifuentes has successfully installed his philosophy after just weeks of being in charge. Today, his squad looked even more in sync with his principles, as they pressed high and constantly rotated.
Abdul Fatawu flourished under these tactics, despite the game marking his first start since early November. The Ghanaian offered width and was often isolated, which allowed him to be explosive and beat his man. For the first goal, his pressing forced the turnover, whilst the second goal proves his quality as he flicked it past his man and then curled it past the keeper.
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Fluidity through rotations was also on display, through wide triangles. Thomas often drifted into the left half-space, and Bilal El Khannouss was dropping towards the base to circulate the ball. Although the wonderkid’s time in the East Midlands looks to be coming to an end, he looked stellar within the system and even managed an assist.
The press also stood out as the Foxes constantly forced mistakes out of the Serie A side, who struggled with the intensity. After the disappointment against Koln, Cifuentes’ adjustments seem to have made the difference, and when Patson Daka led the line, the side looked even better.
Will Leicester City be Ready for the Upcoming Season?
Sheffield Wednesday’s trip to the King Power is now just days away, and preparations look to have worked. The squad looks much more energetic, in shape and positive ahead of the 46-game season. Even players who looked out of their depth last season are showing promising signs. Oliver Skipp at the heart of midfield pressed high and broke the lines on occasions, which clearly shows he is improving under the new regime.
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However, in terms of recruitment, the club aren’t as prepared. Conor Coady’s move to Wrexham marked the first departure, and with the Spaniard wanting a smaller squad, issues may arise. For example, Ndidi, El Khannouss and Hermansen were all present at the King Power, and their sales will be important in bringing in new profiles.
Richard Kone will certainly remain a target to compete for the centre forward position against Daka and Jordan Ayew. Although both of the current options performed well, a more well-rounded player like Kone could help City get over the line. Likewise, if El Khannouss is to leave, identifying a replacement needs to be quick, as his role is integral to the system.
