I very much doubt that Monty Python is top of the watchlist in the houses of the 5 Leicester City players caught breaking Covid-19 regulations last week, however the eternal phrase, “he’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy” could equally be applied to all of them. The dust is now starting to settle, after the weekend’s revelations that sent Fans forums and Social media into a frenzy, that all 5 had been caught attending a house party thrown by Ayoze Perez, and subsequently 3 of them being dropped from the side to face West Ham on Sunday. To have happened at any point in the season would have caused anguish, but to have done it prior to a crucial 2 week period for the club almost defies belief, especially as the memory of last year’s collapse in form lingers very clearly in the memory of all Foxes fans. But as the attentions now turn towards the rest of the season, what happens next for Leicester?
Well the immediate focus is on Sunday, and the small matter of an FA Cup Semi-Final against Southampton. It is a shame that the week building up to the club’s first appearance at this stage of the competition since 1982, has been overshadowed by the events of last week but it is what it is. The pressing matter is what Brendan Rodgers does with the 3 players of the 5, who are uninjured and in theory available to play. There has been plenty of outrage doing the rounds on Social Media and in different outlets, with many fans trying to outdo each other with how angry they can get over what happened – all leading to proclamations that are bordering on the near farcical. To suggest, as some have, that all 5 should be on the transfer list with immediate effect and should no longer be at the club is an overreaction, and a severe one at that. What happened was stupid, desperately so, but these are in the most part young men. Young men make bad decisions, and make mistakes, it is part of life, it is what we do. Certainly, I’m sure those doing the most hand-wringing have also made mistakes themselves, in their own lives, do we hold them to those mistakes I wonder?
For me, Brendan handled the weekend as well as he could have done given the circumstances, and made exactly the right call in dropping the 3 from the squad. In regards to this weekend, they are all back in training now, and reintegrated within the squad environment. For me, I would judge how they are training – you would like to think that all 3 have a point to prove to themselves, their coaches and their fellow players, let alone ourselves as fans – and that they are training with a higher intensity as a result. I would also, if I was Brendan, look at how the other players are and have reacted to them being back in the training group, and if there are any lingering issues that that has caused. If the training levels are good, and there are no bad feelings amongst the wider squad, then I would look to involve them on Sunday. Whilst I can understand the argument of not playing them as further punishment, and it does have merit (more so than not picking them for the whole remainder of the season), I feel not picking them, would be cutting your nose off to spite your face at this point. This is especially when you consider the occasion and the importance of the game. For a Semi-Final, especially an FA Cup Semi-Final, I think you should pick from the strongest group available, that for me would include those 3. As it goes, it is really only James Maddison that could come into starting contention – Perez and Hamza would have been bench options in any case. However, those 2 would strengthen a bench that against West Ham, looked like one more suited to a pre-season friendly at Mansfield, not one of the biggest Premier League fixtures for the club all season.
As to the game itself, this will be a test, but one where Leicester should, and most probably will, start the afternoon as favourites. Southampton are no pushovers, however currently sit 14th in the Premier League table, a position lower than they would have anticipated being before the season began. The two sides have met already this season, with the boys in blue coming away the winners with a 2-0 home victory secured. On paper, Leicester should be confident going into the game – they sit 3rd in the table, even with 2 defeats in row to contend with. Even allowing for those 2 consecutive defeats, the Foxes have been in good form in 2021, and have shown a greater level of consistency at this stage of season compared to 12 months previously. This has been achieved with a much worse injury list, and a greater workload compared to last year with Europa League fixtures having to be negotiated with. It is of no surprise to those watching, that performances have looked better ever since Leicester tumbled out of the Europa League, with no more midweek fixtures to have to contend with. The form of previously written off Kelechi Iheanacho has been a revelation, with his player of the month award for March truly deserved. It is his goals that has hidden the surprisingly poor form of star man Jamie Vardy, who is on a very rare dry spell in front of goal. However it is this poor form that almost presents hope – there is no way that this is a permanent drop off, even at the grand old age of 34 that he is. At some point Vardy is destined to begin scoring goals again, and if so, it would almost feel like a new signing again, so why not begin on Sunday? Law of averages says he has to score soon, a big occasion like Sunday could be the trigger that he needs to rediscover the form that shot him to the top of goalscoring charts earlier in the season.
Whilst they may have played and looked like competition winners for the first 70 minutes against West Ham at the weekend, in the last 20 minutes, Leicester looked every inch a top 4 team, and resembled the side that has been the norm under Brendan Rodgers. They created numerous chances, played with more aggression, and managed to score 2 goals, and put the sweat on the Hammers, even with an initial 3 goal deficit to overcome. Personally, if there had been another 5 minutes, I think we may have snatched an equalising goal, but we will never know. Play like that last 20 minutes and Southampton, as stubborn a side as they are, should not be able to live with the Foxes. Combine that with the addition of Maddison, and Çağlar Söyüncü, returning from his Covid-19 quarantine period into the starting 11, then Leicester should be in a much stronger position. Personally I am slightly nervous about the game on Sunday, but they will not have a better chance of reaching the final of a trophy we are all desperate for them to win, it is in their hands. If they do not, then they only have themselves to blame.
The weekend just gone has quite rightly posed questions of Leicester and how their season pans out. What should be remembered most of all, is that their destiny remains in their own hands. Their prize, if they can play to their capabilities, is a return to Wembley for the FA Cup final, as well as a top 4 finish. Goals which they have been working to all season, and would be a sensational achievement for a club very much punching above its weight, and disrupting the top 6 party. There is a lot of football still be played, and many challenges to be overcome, but Leicester are in a great position. They just need to take this opportunity with both hands, let’s hope that they do, and we can all forget the breaking of the rules. Come on Leicester!