It was dubbed the “Great Escape” last season and that was certainly a fitting name for what Leicester City did to avoid relegation after it seemed as though they were destined for demotion throughout a good portion of the year. In the end, they finished six points clear of 18th place Hull City. It was a rollercoaster of a season for the team and its fans and by the time it was all said and done there were six clubs that finished with a worse record in the Premier League. Here is a look at four important things we learned from Leicester City this past season.
Reinstating Pearson Was Crucial
There might not have been a more bizarre situation in the Premier League this past season than when Leicester sacked Nigel Pearson following a defeat to Crystal Palace…only to reinstate him later that day. The story is told that Pearson headed to a pub after being dismissed and before he finished his drinks he had been informed the club wasn’t done with him just yet. For whatever reason, Pearson’s firing and then rehiring on the same day seemed to spark the club as they ended the season with 22 points in their final nine games to finish comfortably above the relegation zone. It was a complete turnaround for a team that had just 19 points in their first 29 contests. We’ll see if the team still believes in him next season but it sure looks like they fought for their guy after hearing the news.
The Strikers Are More Than Capable
One of the biggest issues for Leicester over the first half of the season was their lack of goal scoring as they were limited to just 17 goals over the first half of the year. That boils down to an average of under a goal per game. However, the strikers certainly found their groove in the second half as Leicester scored 29 goals in the second half – including 22 over their final 10 games. They ended up finishing with 46 tallies on the season, which isn’t great but it’s still better than eight other EPL teams.
David Nugent, Estaban Cambiasso and Jamie Vardy were all excellent down the stretch for Leicester and all three are expected to be back next season where they will carry over the momentum from this past year.
The Back Line Needs Reinforcements
Leicester should be fine in the attacking third as well as the middle of the field, but the one area they could certainly stand to improve is their own third. Wes Morgan, Jeffrey Schlupp and Robert Huth are all capable defenders but none of them are elite and if this team is going to be more consistent, they could use some reinforcements at the back. Leicester City ended the year giving up 55 goals, which is an ugly number. Only three other teams in the entire league allowed more. It’s pretty clear that they struggle against elite offenses as Leicester did manage to record seven clean sheets in 12 matches versus teams from the bottom six in the Premier League table. They could definitely use one or two key defenders to bump up the level of play in that third of the pitch.
There Is Hope For Next Season
Avoiding relegation was an achievement for a club that seemed destined for demotion throughout a good portion of the year but considering the way they rallied down the stretch, there is certainly a lot to like about this team. A 5-3 win over Manchester United represented a high point in the season and by the time it was all said and done, Pearson’s team ended up just seven points back of Crystal Palace for 10th in the table. A better start and more consistent effort throughout next season could yield a better result. The offense is decent and if they can clean up the mistakes on defense, there is definitely hope for this Leicester side looking forward to next season.
