Our Biggest Assets For The Remainder Of The Season

OUR BIGGEST ASSETS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON – By Tom Shapland

This week has been hectic for us. Losing so late on against Crystal Palace felt cruel, that feeling even more so for the man who ultimately suffered the consequences of that defeat, Brendan Rodgers. Would he have kept him job if that 90 +4^th minute goal didn’t go in? who knows? That’s why football at this level comes down to the tiniest of margins. Now we find ourselves 19^th in the Premier League and without a manager, in full crisis mode. The club has to pull together to find every ounce of strength to get out of this situation. So who are our biggest assets going into these immensely important last 10 games, and can they help us battle through this?

James Maddison

By far and away our most influential player, James Maddison. The midfielder has put up 9 goals and 6 assists in 21 Premier League appearances this season. When you consider his injuries and the fact we are 19^th in the table, 15 goal involvements in 21 games is nothing short of exceptional from Maddison. He sits in the top 6% for non-penalty goals for midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, top 8% for assists, top 20% for total shots and progressive passes. Even more crucially, the top 14% for tackles, averaging 1.86 tackles per 90. During his time at Leicester he has developed into a top quality, complete midfielder. Going into the last 10 games of the season, a fit James Maddison could be the key to survival, his creativity could win us some vital points. Not only that, but his passion and determination to win and succeed as a top level player could be imperative to creating a fighting atmosphere across the whole squad. A player of his quality is meant for much more than a relegation battling side, and it may well be that he departs in the summer, but the sheer fact that he is someone much above this level, could give us the edge over our relegation rivals.

Harvey Barnes

Along with Maddison, Barnes has scored 9 League goals this season, making them our joint top goal scorers. Although Barnes has had a slight drop off in his numbers from last season, it’s not exactly been the perfect environment for him to flourish in. What is noticeable about Barnes’ game is the fact he is willing to put in the hard yards for the team, being in the top 9% for ariels won from attacking midfielders/wingers in Europe’s top 5 leagues. Barnes’ willingness to put in a shift could be really important to the team going into these last 10 games. A workhorse of a winger who seems to flourish when Maddison is fit, could be the link up needed to score the goals that keep us in the League. There’s no doubt he is a Premier League quality player, and if we do go down, clubs will be sniffing around him as he has a lot of quality. We know the player he is and what he can do. If Barnes is on it in these last 10 games, then Leicester might have a fighting chance.

Jamie Vardy

11 years, 360 League games, 154 League goals, Jamie Vardy. A player written in the folk law of this football club, arguably the club’s best ever player and signed for a mere 1 million Great British pounds. At the age of 36, Vardy’s drop off this season has been sad to see, but inevitable. 1 League goal in 27 games is the worst of his career by a long way, but understandable given his age. Although Vardy may not be able to influence the game on the pitch as he used to, he could play a massive part in the dressing room. Vardy knows the club better than anyone in that dressing room, the highs, the lows and everything in between, his experience could spur on a team that are really lacking confidence this season, and what a fitting tale it would be. If anyone can, Jamie Vardy can.

These last 10 games are 10 finals. War. Survival of the fittest. We have immense quality in our squad, tremendous players that are more than capable of holding their own at the top end of this League. The situation we find ourselves in now is difficult and by no means ideal, but a squad with this talent has what it takes to get themselves out of this mess. It’s going to be a nail biting end to the season that could end in elation or heartbreak for us, it’s up to this group of players to pull together and show the fans why they are that same team who won an FA Cup and finished 5^th back to back. Maddison, Barnes, Vardy and the rest, it’s time for the boys put up a fight and prove that we deserve to stay in the League we took home 7 years ago.