Leicester City’s form has fallen off a cliff of late, and even their former players have been sitting up and taking notice.
Robbie Savage was part of a squad that experienced highs and lows, winning the League Cup in 2000 but suffering relegation two years later, so he’s well placed to speak about the troubles facing Claudio Ranieri’s squad.
The Foxes are 16th in the Premier League, just two points off the bottom of the table, and defeat to Swansea this weekend could see them slip into the relegation zone.
It is a far cry from this time last year, when the eventual champions sat top of the pile, and Savage has pointed out a number of changes, not just the loss of key man N’Golo Kanté to Chelsea.
N’Golo Kanté: Has made at least 10 more tackles + interceptions (461) than any other player in the last 3 Premier League seasons #cfc pic.twitter.com/qXwSG2yZIv
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 3, 2017
Writing in his Daily Mirror column, Savage has no doubt that he’d have traded his career for one in which he won the league and then suffered relegation.
‘But that mindset, in itself, may be the biggest problem for Leicester as they try and stop the tide coming in,’ he says.
The former midfielder notes that manager Claudio Ranieri has reverted back to his ‘Tinkerman’ persona after keeping a relatively unchanged squad last year, and this is just one of the many small changes which – when combined – make for such a drastic drop-off in form.
0 – Leicester are the first top-flight club to fail to score in their first 5 league matches of a calendar year since Spurs in 1986. Blank.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 5, 2017
Savage lists ’10 acid tests of a team’, things he believes Ranieri’s title-winners had in common with the squad that escaped relegation under Nigel Pearson, and argues many of these have since disappeared.
Things such as work ethic, body language and energy – all of which ought to be achievable regardless of personnel.
‘If you look at recent performances in the Premier League, where Leicester have yet to score a goal in 2017 for heaven’s sake, how many boxes do they tick now?’ he adds.
‘Work ethic? According to the stats, they are not running as far in matches as they did in 2015-16
‘Body language? What has happened to Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez? They were unstoppable at times last season, and enjoyed a near-telepathic understanding.
‘Energy? There is no doubt Leicester have missed N’Golo Kante. As a defensive screen, he gave Wes Morgan and Robert Huth more protection than a bodyguard. Now they have gone back to looking like… well, Morgan and Huth.’
Leicester can still turn their season around – indeed, let’s not forget they’re also still in with a chance of glory in the FA Cup and Champions League – but Savage believes they need to act quickly.
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