Premier League season preview: Leicester City heading for another relegation battle in 2015/16
By Chris Mendes
Predicted finish: 19th
Nigel Pearson pulled off the great escape in May, but there was no happy ending in Thailand where his son's sex tape ruined everything.
Avoiding relegation under Claudio Ranieri will be a struggle, and Leicester's new manager must hit the ground running immediately against Sunderland, West Ham, Spurs, Bournemouth and Aston Villa.
Signings:
One of Leicester’s most important tasks after avoiding relegation was securing Esteban Cambiasso’s services for another season. The Argentina legend, crowned player of the year after a string of classy and composed midfield performances, has decided against renewing his contract under Claudio Ranieri. Finding a suitable replacement will be an uphill challenge because players of Cambiasso’s ilk are rarely available to clubs at the lower echelons of Europe’s top leagues.
The biggest question mark surrounding Robert Huth, who joins on a free transfer following his three-moth loan spell, is whether he can remain injury-free for the entire campaign. Last season, the 30 year-old suffered for his bruising style with calf and knee problems, and this could become more of an issue with age. Austrian left back Christian Fuchs, another free transfer, was deemed surplus to requirements at Schalke – something he found difficult to accept because a new contract had been mooted. Fuchs, 29, has signed a three-year deal and boasts Champions League experience, but he struggled for pace against Chelsea’s Willian last season, and this is likely to develop into a recurring theme in football’s most unforgiving league.
Shinji Okazaki, 29, has penned a four-year contract after 27 Bundesliga goals in two seasons with Mainz. According to German football commentator Sven Heist, the £8m fee Leicester parted with is too much for someone of Okazaki’s standard. The striker failed to reach double figures during three years with Stuttgart, where admittedly he was deployed in midfield against his wishes. While it’s touch and go whether he returns a respectable goals tally in the Premier League, the Japanese international should prove a nuisance to defenders with his carefully timed runs and tenacious style.
The first additions of Ranieri’s reign, centre-back Yohan Benalouane and central midfielder N'Golo Kante – for around £6m each – were ever-presents at teams in the lower reaches of Serie A and Ligue 1 respectively. They are both unproven in one of Europe’s top leagues, and the Foxes could struggle unless both adjust to the increase in quality immediately.
Manager:
It was a minor miracle that Nigel Pearson kept Leicester afloat considering they were still rooted to the bottom and seven points from safety with nine matches remaining. He won seven of those nine fixtures, but was sacked in the summer when relations with the club’s Thai owners broke down. It’s thought the catalyst was an unsavoury and allegedly racist sex tape that resulted with the manager’s son, James, and two other fringe players being dismissed before Pearson’s own fate was sealed.
The obvious replacement was not Claudio Ranieri, nor was he a particularly popular one among Leicester supporters. The Tinkerman, as he was affectionately known during his time at Chelsea, is relatively inexperienced when it comes to fighting relegation. In fact, the only time Ranieri has been involved in a relegation battle was at Parma, who he successfully steered to safety in 2007 after taking over from Stefano Piolo with 15 matches remaining.
Aside from Ligue 2 title success for big-spending Monaco and a Super Cup his predecessor at Valencia, Rafa Benitez, had qualified for, Ranieri has failed to win silverware since leaving Chelsea in 2004, despite managing the likes of Roma, Juventus and Inter Milan. Keeping Leicester in the Premier League will be the equivalent of a trophy at either one of those clubs, and Ranieri has everything to prove again after his disastrous spell as Greece manager.
One to watch: Andrej Kramaric
Kramaric was targeted by several of Europe’s top clubs before opting to join Leicester in January for a club record £9m. He averaged more than a goal every game in Croatia’s top-flight last season, but found rippling the net slightly trickier when thrust into a Premier League relegation scrap.
With a six month bedding-in period under his belt, it’s hoped that Kramaric will return somewhere closer to 15 league goals this season after managing just two in 13 outings so far. It says much about his character and hunger to succeed in England that he chose Leicester instead of Chelsea. Kramaric had provisionally settled on a move to Stamford Bridge before discovering that Jose Mourinho would immediately send him overseas on loan.
"This was just the beginning for me,” the 24 year-old boasted after Leicester secured their Premier League status against Sunderland in May. “I am sure I will be better next season.” Even if he is better, a flurry of goals won’t necessarily keep Leicester out of trouble in 2015/16 – just ask QPR and Charlie Austin, the subject of a failed £12m bid from Leicester this summer.