Did Leicester City win the Premier League by luck or judgement?

Thu 26 May 2016 18:30, UK

✃“Claudio Ranieri? Really?” That was the of one of English football’s famed pundits Gary Lineker. He was hardly alone in taking this view at the time though, and trying to name all those who tried to mock this humble east Midlands city’s rise and rise to English football’s history books would be a pointless task.

𓆏Such has been the story of this small but proud football club’s ascent to prominence that every club in and around England is wary of thought of having to face Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. Everyone loves the story of an underdog. A team with a big heart and the will to work through any and all obstacles, only to conquer the impossible dream. Leicester’s tale is on similar grounds, but was it just fate, a good old-fashioned fairytale or one of football history’s most well-hatched plans and well-structured success stories?

🐈When Nigel Pearson was sacked and the Italian Claudio Ranieri was appointed, fans of the club were divided regarding the sacking of the former and the appointment of the latter. Let’s take a minute to establish the fact that Pearson was one of the largest influences in Leicester’s Premier League triumph. The two signings that took England by surprise were the cheapest buys by any Premier League champions. The combined cost of buying Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy did not even amount to a meagre two million pounds.

🎉To put it into perspective, Manchester United’s revenue from ticket sales per match is greater than the amount paid by Leicester for their two stalwarts. When Pearson was sacked, the Foxes had a settled defence where Robert Huth and Wes Morgan had formed a solid partnership and Mahrez and Vardy had started to show sparks of brilliance. However, a tactical analysis of the team’s philosophy reveals the fact that Leicester were the most well-prepared team in England.

The bazookas

✅Mahrez, Vardy and Shinji Okazaki were given crystal clear instructions. Press high up the pitch, make the opposition go long or make them concede possession. After you get the ball back, go for goal. Ranieri was clearly aware of the fact that his forwards will have to contribute for a major chunk of goals because his midfield was not designed to score.

🅷Mahrez was given the freedom to drift wide and run through the middle. His goal against Manchester City was a clear example of this, as the Algerian wizard wandered all the way to the left wing, took the ball and scored a peach of a goal. He was allowed to cut in and swing crosses into the space between the centre-halves created by the live-wire Vardy. Mahrez’s freedom was at the cost of Danny Simpson being not allowed to go forward for overlapping runs. The former Manchester United right-back was to stay behind and let the forward line do the attacking.

The attacking shape

🐎Okazaki was used intelligently by Ranieri. The 30-year-old Japanese international was never going to be one of the most flair-filled players in England, but he is a tireless worker and is never afraid to go for the audacious. He would slot in between the opposition midfield and the defence, making it difficult to mark him.

🦩Vardy was simply unstoppable. He is fast, full of life, and one of the most excellent timers of his runs. His physique meant that he would not be able to win aerial duels with the centre-halves pitted against him, so a plan was hatched that was as simple as it was effective. Okazaki and Mahrez would slot into the holes between the holding midfielders and the centre-halves.

🐻To stop them from picking up the ball and turning to face them, the opposition’s defence had to maintain a high line. This enabled Vardy to position himself between the two central defenders and chase long balls knocked into the space behind the often physically opposing centre-halves. His goals against Arsenal, Stoke City, Liverpool and Sunderland were the best examples of the execution of this plan.

Midfield masterclass

ಌLeicester City’s formation was a peek into the system employed by teams in the early 2000s. Ranieri instituted the traditional 4-4-2 to great effect. The most amazing fact about teams in England not having an answer to their high octane football was undoubtedly the midfield. N’Golo Kanté was; without any second thoughts, one of the biggest lynch-pins of any midfield in recent memory. The Frenchman was the first to reach 100 interceptions in the Premier League, displaying an energy and will to win the ball back that was second to none.

🅰Danny Drinkwater and Andy King were two other midfielders who excelled at their jobs. Ranieri wanted his midfield to be as little involved in the attacking process as possible. He was more interested in recovering possession. Drinkwater and Kanté would crowd out the number 10 players and the other attackers playing in the hole between defence and midfield.

🙈Furthermore, Leicester had one of the greatest assets which acts as a prerequisite for a title-winning formula – speed. Leicester’s wings moved at lightning pace. Jeff Schlupp and Mahrez made counter attacking look beautiful whereas Mark Albrighton’s clever thinking was always surprisingly special.

The midfield shape

⛄Defensively, Albrighton would narrow down the space and play as a virtual left-midfield, making it a three man group in that area, and two high pressing full-backs. This meant that for all the possession in the world, once teams tried entering the attacking third, they would be outnumbered for good.

𓃲The midfield’s other job was providing balls into channels for Vardy to run into and to ensure that the ball reaches Mahrez and isolates him in a one-on-one situation against the full-backs. The rest was left to his immaculate skill and footwork. The midfield’s job designation was simple. Make the opposition play in front of you and make sure that your defence is never exposed to counter attacks.

🍰The close-knit midfield meant that the only way around the midfield was going on the outside. As far as that was concerned, Leicester were not apprehensive. They boasted of two strong and agile full-backs backed by two bullying and experienced centre-backs.

The last line of defence

ဣIf teams were able to get beyond the two challenges mentioned above, there was the impregnable defence of Leicester City. Simpson and Christian Fuchs did a commendable job of providing conservative support while attacking and also being sure of the fact that the back-line did not become vulnerable to counter attacks.

𝕴Following in his father’s footsteps, Kasper Schmeichel made some exceptional saves throughout the campaign. His distribution was splendid, while his shot stopping was expertly carried out. Confident and authoritative in the box, his father must be supremely proud of his son.

𒆙The two centre-backs were the arguably the heart of the team. Robert Huth; the former Middleborough and Chelsea defender, has been an excellent second-in-command. but undoubtedly, Morgan’s meteoric rise from a Notts County reject to the captain of the Premier League winning team is astounding. For a side possessing not a single player with first-hand experience of being in a Premier League chase, he was the calming yet inspiring influence in the dressing room that was required. The ever vocal and animated defender has bullied forwards of the highest quality, while also marshalling his troops into not thinking beyond the next game.

The men behind the scenes

🍎The most remarkable realisation of Leicester City’s season was that despite the high-intensity football they were playing, they were the least vulnerable to injuries. Full credit must go to the back-room staff. Ranieri appointed experts to deal with nutrition, physiotherapy, psychology and conditioning. Judging by the results, they did an impeccable job.

♛Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea did slip up this season, but credit needs to be given where it is due. Ranieri managed to overpower each of these teams en route to their quest, was responsible for keeping the team calm and composed when the eyes of the entire world were transfixed onto them, and above all, the former Chelsea boss displayed to the entire world how to pull off a perfect managerial master-class.

🐎The future for Leicester City is uncertain yet optimistic. Yes, there is a responsibility to represent England on the world stage next season. Yes, there will be teams who are tactically and technically far more superior than them. Yes, there will be the added sandbag to hold on to their stalwarts like Kante, Mahrez and Vardy from big money offers. Yes, there is the pressure of playing more number of games next season and the threat of not being able to maintain the same levels of intensity for every match. However, ꦚfor now, it is time for them to bask in the glory of their achievements. It is time for them to revel in the fact that they were able to show the world that the fight in the man is more important than the man in the fight.

The post first appeared on

Follow us on

News

Did Leicester City win the Premier League by luck or judgement?