Leicester City suddenly have wingers - but which two have impressed you most so far?
Long gone are the days of Harvey Barnes being Leicester City’s sole wing wizard. Enzoball demands a plethora of widemen to choose from and we’re being treated to some very decent options at Championship level. So which two stand out so far?
What a time to be alive
Iain Wright
The fact this question exists in the first place is something in itself! Best TWO wingers? What a time to be alive!
We've recruited really well in this area it seems, even if that has meant our own homegrown winger Wanya Marcal has been demoted down to about 5th (5th!) choice. Hopefully he'll still get some game time as I felt he did well at the start of the season.
I think at this point the best two are top scorer Kasey McAteer and top bloke Stephy Mavididi. That said, Abdul Fatawu looks absolute mustard and Yunus Akgün has shown a lot of fight and talent in the short time we've had him. When comparing Championship with Championship, this quartet are certainly as exciting as their predecessors in Knockaert, Dyer, Mahrez and Schlupp.
I think comparisons with players like Barnes, Lookman and Premier League Mahrez are irrelevant at this point as we can all see the enormous difference in 'level' between the Championship and the Premier League. Whether they can make the leap to the elite level is up for debate at a later date - for now I'm simply enjoying seeing a selection of players who can get fans off their seats.
With the options available it should lead to some sensible rotation to prevent injury and without any detriment to the team - it's a long while since we've been able to say that.
And now for something a bit different…
Jamie Thorpe
It’s feast or famine, from one extreme to another, like London buses and other such cliches.
We have 5 decent options for the two positions, and whilst still pretty early in their careers (Brummie Messi, aka Marc Albrighton, aside), I have two emerging favourites.
Kasey McAteer. Local boy, doing good. Raw, direct and confident - just what you would expect. What has surprised me is his workrate and tenacity. He tracks back, gets stuck in and presses relentlessly, often making lung-busting runs deep into injury time to support a breakway. This quality is what sets him apart, and also what gives me real confidence in his potential.
Just to be different, I am going to say Yunus Akgün. We’ve not seen a lot from our latest Turkish import just yet, but my prediction is that he demonstrates some real moments of quality between now and May [To give Jamie his due, this was written before Yunus’s delicious through ball for McAteer’s goal at Anfield - Ed].
Honesty time
David Bevan
I’m possibly being harsh on Stephy Mavididi here but I’m going to go with Kasey McAteer and Abdul Fatawu.
I’ve been extremely surprised by just how good McAteer has looked and the composure he showed for his goal at Anfield is becoming his calling card, after rushing a similar strike against Coventry on the opening day. I absolutely love that he’s taking his chance and he’s making himself one of our main men.
As for Fatawu, I just think his pace coupled with the ability he’s showed to beat a man and pick out a cross puts him in front of Mavididi.
Perhaps this is partly because Mavididi cost a bit of money and came with some pedigree but I’ve been a bit disappointed with his decision-making and lack of decisiveness so far. I think there’s a lot more to come from him. But right now, I’d prefer to see Fatawu start.
Complementary pieces
James Knight
Right now, it’s definitely Mavididi and McAteer. Partly because they have complementary skills: Mavididi is more direct and explosive, while McAteer is a good system fit who takes up good positions and is better defensively to balance out the team.
Even though Mavididi has been a little frustrating at times, I’d trust that the goals are going to come. It may turn out that he’s just not a great finisher, but his xG is actually higher than McAteer’s so far and there’s a part of me that feels like he should have scored in every game.
Having said that, and despite his goals, McAteer should end up losing his place to one of the other options for me. I was seriously impressed with the amount of good defensive work Fatawu did against Bristol City. Playing him with Mavididi could really scare defences at this level because they won’t be able to double up on anyone - we saw some of that last weekend, particularly after half time.
McAteer, for all his positional sense, doesn’t offer the same threat. After being deprived of excitement for so long, two wingers shredding their full back on the regular is what we want to see.
