Leicester City picked up their first win of the season on Monday night, when they comfortably beat Nottingham Forest, but is this the turning point that they are so desperate for?
Article By: Callum Moseley (@CallumMosMedia)
Leicester City's victory on Monday evening, was their first win of the Premier League season so far, which subsequently lifted them off the bottom of the table. Goals from Patson Daka, Harvey Barnes and a brace from James Maddison sent the Foxes on their way to all three points at the King Power Stadium against a struggling Nottingham Forest side.
However, to date, in eight league games, the club have lost six of them, conceding 22 goals in the process which is still the worst defensive record in the entire division. It means to date, the Foxes are conceding on average 2.75 goals per game and are scoring just 1.75 goals per game. Without the clubs standout performer James Maddison, Leicester would have scored just nine goals and four of those are from Patson Daka and Harvey Barnes which isn't exactly ideal.
But to be more positive, is their big victory the lift that they need to transform their season and remove all the negativity which currently surrounds Brendan Rogers who until Monday was the bookies favourite to be the next manager to leave in the Premier League.
Monday also saw the club earning their first league clean sheet of the season which is arguably the bigger confidence booster when it comes to goalkeeper Danny Ward. Granted, the Welsh international has had a disappointing start to the season for sure, conceding the vast majority of shots on target that he has faced, but he does have big boots to fill after Kasper Schmeichel left the club in the summer, without a replacement being drafted in for financial reasons. He also pulled off some smart saves to deny the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White which again will give him and the defensive ahead of him some newly found confidence.
It goes without saying, Leicester have got to do whatever it takes to keep James Maddison fit due to him being the major figure behind the clubs Premier League goals this season. This is because 50% of the clubs goals have came as a result of his doing whether that's scoring or turning provider. It also means that the club have to stick to their guns and not offload him in January because that will create a hole that will potentially be too big to fill.
A lot of questions have also been raised regarding whether Brendan Rodgers is the right man for this current Leicester side but tactically he got it absolutely spot on against Forest. This is in-part due to the excess amount of experience that he has possessed throughout his managerial career to date and that is something that personally, I don't think the Foxes should even consider losing. Sometimes sacking a manager has the reverse affect on a team and I believe that this would have been the case with Leicester.
Away from Maddison, the club still have some very important players, especially for a side not considered one of the big six. For example, Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes and Jonny Evans are all players that contribute massively to the team. I don't think it's a surprise to see the Belgium's performances dup this season, with the uncertainty regarding his future, but at this stage, he will be crucial for the Foxes when it comes to turning their fortunes around and escaping the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Can Leicester City turn their season around and use the confidence gained from Monday's victory to fire them back up the table as they take on AFC Bournemouth at the weekend or do you believe it's simply a small glimmer of light before the inevitable doom for the club?
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