Leicester City Faces Challenges: No Vardy Replacement, Struggling to Win

Leicester City is experiencing significant challenges in the Championship this season. Once revered for their triumph in the Premier League in 2016, the club now finds itself languishing in 14th position, marking their lowest point in over a decade.

Current Season Struggles

As of early November, Leicester City has secured only four victories in 13 matches. Alarmingly, they have managed to win just once in their last nine outings. This poor performance mirrors a troubling trend for the club, which faced relegation in 2023 only to bounce back immediately under manager Enzo Maresca.

Lack of Goal-Scoring Ability

The team’s current strikers—Jordan Ayew, Patson Daka, and Julian Carranza—have combined for a mere one goal this season, underscoring a significant deficiency in their attacking lineup. Jamie Vardy, a key figure in Leicester’s past successes, has not found a proper replacement. Now at age 38, Vardy’s two goals in six Serie A games with Cremonese highlight the gap in Leicester’s goal-scoring capabilities.

Leicester’s total of only 15 goals in the Championship ranks them among the lowest in the league. Their Expected Goals (xG) figure stands at 15.3, indicating that they are neither effectively creating chances nor converting them. Jannik Vestergaard, a centre-back, has outscored all the strikers combined, further emphasizing the team’s offensive struggles.

Management and Off-Field Issues

Leicester City’s management has also faced scrutiny. Since their title-winning campaign, only two permanent managers have achieved notable success: Claudio Ranieri and Brendan Rodgers. Current manager Marti Cifuentes is under pressure to improve results quickly.

Off the pitch, the situation is strained due to potential points deductions stemming from financial instability. An independent commission is assessing the club for alleged breaches of Profit and Sustainability Rules for the 2023/24 season. The club has not made any permanent signings during the summer transfer window, limiting their options moving forward.

Upcoming Matches

The Foxes have a crucial week ahead, with two games scheduled before the next international break. After a disappointing home defeat to Blackburn, Cifuentes acknowledged the frustrations of fans and expressed the need for improvement.

• Upcoming Fixtures:
• Tuesday: Hosting Middlesbrough (2nd in the table)
• Saturday: Away to Norwich (currently without a home point this season)

With Cifuentes emphasizing accountability and hard work, the next few matches could be pivotal for Leicester City. They need to regain momentum quickly to avoid falling deeper into a relegation battle.