Two weeks out from the new campaign, Leicester City find themselves in a position many clubs are familiar with during pre-season. It’s one where fans, after the latest less-than-stellar performance, ask themselves: ‘How worried should we be?’
There’s an acknowledgement there that this is pre-season, and that expecting City to be at 100 per cent is unrealistic. Equally, summer friendlies should show signs of promise, and there was little to be excited by in City’s 1-0 defeat to Augsburg. They were short of where many had expected them to be in the penultimate pre-season outing.
Let’s start with the positives. There is a clear gameplan and system, and City are sticking to it. Even against an established mid-table Bundesliga side, they kept possession well. Most of the players look pretty fit. Ultimately, the game was pretty close, and the result, even if inconsequential, was decided by fine margins.
Now the negatives. City mustered very little goalmouth threat, especially in the second half, with Augsburg comfortably seeing out their victory. In transition after losing possession, they were a little unorganised. At crosses and corners, they looked vulnerable.
Picking out issues to address, Steve Cooper said his players “need to show more desire to score a goal”. Read the wrong way, that’s a startling criticism. A desire to score is a fundamental part of the game. It’s not something that should need to be addressed.
But, equally, it can be seen where Cooper’s coming from. City are doing enough to get the ball into the final third. When they get there, it feels like there’s a lack of impetus and determination. They’re not forcing the opposition to work hard to keep the ball out of their net. It’s all too nice, too timid.
Ensuring they win more duels than they lose was the other concern picked out by Cooper. That weakness was perhaps emphasised by Augsburg’s physicality, but again, City probably do need to be a little nastier at times. Even during the winning runs under Enzo Maresca last season, the Italian said his team needed to show more grit.
But Cooper’s assessment probably doesn’t help calm concerned fans. Those issues are basics of the game. The season is too close to still be working on the basics.
