“The first name I told them…” – As January approaches, Enzo Maresca gives Leicester City transfer intel.
Enzo Maresca has hailed the impact Harry Winks has had on this Leicester City squad
HIGHLIGHTS
- Leicester City secured a narrow 2-1 victory against Queens Park Rangers, demonstrating their unstoppable form and solidifying their position as a Premier League side in waiting.
- The team’s perseverance against 10 men showcased their determination to win, with Harry Winks’ sensational strike proving to be crucial in sealing their eighth straight victory.
- Maresca praised Winks as an “unbelievable player” who has made a significant impact on the team, with his professionalism and work ethic earning him praise from the coach.
Leicester City continued their unstoppable form at the beginning of the season with a narrow 2-1 victory away at lowly Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
Although just 14 Championship games have been played so far this campaign, it’s hard to disagree that Enzo Maresca’s Foxes are a Premier League side in waiting, given the staggering run of form they find themselves in the midst of.
So far, only Hull City have won points off Leicester in the second tier, with the side winning the other 13 league outings and sitting an incredible 14 points clear of Leeds United who occupy third place at present.
How did Leicester City perform against Queens Park Rangers?
Coming into this clash of two sides in contrasting fortunes, Leicester were obvious favourites and set about compiling as much misery on the West Londoners as possible.
Cesare Casadei went close early on, missing a free header from close range, but the Foxes did eventually take the lead as Stephy Mavididi’s shot spiralled over Asmir Begovic via a deflection from Albert Adomah.
After 40 minutes, the Leicester defence was breached for the third straight away game as Andre Dozzell’s effort flew past Mads Hermansen. However, Dozzell would be in hot water just 15 minutes into the second period, accumulating two yellow cards in a minute following an altercation with Abdul Fatawu.
Afterwards, Gareth Ainsworth’s side would drop deeper and deeper in search of maintaining a valuable point against the leaders, but the experienced Harry Winks had other ideas through a rasping effort which curled past Begovic into the top right corner and seal an eighth straight victory for the East Midlands outfit.
Post-match, the Italian head coach dedicated the victory to chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha’s family, a day after the fifth anniversary of the tragic events at the King Power Stadium which led to the passing of his father Vichai.
“Also because this has been an emotional week so the fans they deserve it. This win is for the chairman’s family. So I just told them to go closer and enjoy with them. Then they can enjoy you and you stay together.” He said via the Leicester Mercury.
Maresca stated that his side’s perseverance to break down the 10 men of Rangers meant they deserved to win the contest.
“Everyone is thinking against 10 men it’s more easy, but they sit even more and it becomes even more difficult. We tried to move them from side to side. We tried to change the shape with Ricardo inside and Cesare in behind the striker to try to attack with six players. At the end, we completely deserved to win the game.”
“Unbelievable player” – Maresca on Winks impact
Whilst the fee of £10m proves the gap between the likes of Leicester and other Championship clubs in terms of finances is quite remarkable, the impact which Harry Winks has had on this side cannot be underestimated.
The experience which the 27-year-old brings from his time at Tottenham and in the England setup might not have got the credit it deserves until his sensational strike at Loftus Road, but he has been a steady performer with an average WhoScored rating of 6.87 and stats such as a pass completion rate of 94.9%.
| Leicester City – 2023/24 Signings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player Name | Signed From | Loan/Permanent |
| Harry Winks | Tottenham | Permanent |
| Tom Cannon | Everton | Permanent |
| Conor Coady | Wolves | Permanent |
| Stephy Mavididi | Montpellier | Permanent |
| Mads Hermansen | Brondby IF | Permanent |
| Yunus Akgun | Galatasaray | Loan |
| Cesare Casadei | Chelsea | Loan |
| Callum Doyle | Man City | Loan |
| Issahaku Fatawu | Sporting CP | Loan |
Maresca has claimed that he was the first player mentioned throughout the club’s summer recruitment meetings, having been impressed by the midfielder’s spell in his native Italy for Sampdoria last term.
“When I met the club for the first time, he was the first name I told them,”
The 43-year-old believes that Winks can show his full capabilities through the way his Leicester side operate.
“I saw him at Spurs, I saw him last year in Italy. With us and with this idea, he’s an unbelievable player.” Maresca continued.
“If you analyse our game, Harry already arrived there many times and had a shot,”
“That means the two holding midfielders are at the edge of the box which means the opponents are inside the box and you need to find some solutions from outside the box.
The midfielder has also earnt praise for his professionalism since moving to the East Midlands.
“I’m happy for Harry because he deserves it. The way he works on the ball and off the ball, every day trying to learn, it’s fantastic.”
What next for Leicester City?
Leicester will continue their pursuit of an instant return to the top flight with a home clash against fellow high flyers Leeds United on Friday night at the King Power Stadium.
