Have Leicester City done enough in the January transfer window?

Leicester City made three signings for the first team squad during the January transfer window - but will the additions of Victor Kristiansen, Tetê and Harry Souttar prove enough to stave off the threat of relegation?

Yes

Helen Thompson

Yes. In theory. I'm definitely in the yes camp, but I do feel like it should come with an asterisk, based on if we can pull off something we haven't managed in years; keeping our squad healthy. Which may be a challenge given the latest news on Souttar and Vardy. It's got a little bit of a buzz back into an understandably drained fan base too.

Anybody who is unhappy may do well to remember how frustrating the summer was when we signed precisely nobody, despite how often Rodgers complained about a squad that was stagnating and full of holes. There's no denying that the business the club has done is impressive on paper.

There were three red flags positionally where we have been either short of talent, or just short of bodies to fill said positions. Kristiansen, Tetê, and Souttar give us a big tick at left back, right wing and central defence. When the latter is available, anyway.

Those names alongside a squad that, on paper, should be translating into more than the sum of its current league position, should be enough. Tetê is the signing that excites the most, for obvious reasons. We haven't really had a winger since Riyad Mahrez. He should relieve some of the pressure to create chances that seems to fall solely on James Maddison's shoulders these days. If nothing else, the signings introduce some fresh blood to reinvigorate the squad and provide competition for left back and possibly centre back. Though surely Faes and Souttar is the future if it's a back four? 

We still look a little exposed in some departments, Tetê is young and hopefully able to play every game because without him, we're down to just Dennis Praet as official 'cover' and whoever else we can shove there. Then there's the Castagne risk. We put a lot on the guy already and until Ricardo is fit enough to play (I am just rejoicing to see him train), it's all on Timmy. One injury or suspension leaves us short. Particularly given the heartbreaking loan of Albrighton to West Brom. I understand why he wants to play more and he deserves to but I hope we aren't left rueing the loss of his versatility.

Given The Athletic reported that the Jack Harrison deal was as good as done before Leeds pulled the plug, it makes the decision to loan out both Marc Albrighton and Ayoze Perez more understandable and less of a risk. Like it or not, Rodgers clearly views both as fringe players and had we not been under the injury pressures we had, neither would have got anywhere near the game time they've had in recent months. 

If this cash injection of players and fresh commitment from the owners can't help us turn it around then I'm not sure anything will, except a managerial shakeup.

No

David Bevan

Only a couple of days have passed since I praised our approach in the transfer window (albeit that was written before the Albrighton news surfaced). I’ll stick by that despite still worrying because I was impressed with the signings we made. They all make sense in a way that previous arrivals haven’t and even if they don’t work out, I think fans will look back on this window with the feeling that the club has tried to do the right thing.

But.

We were in a huge hole before this started. We essentially have one good first eleven and as soon as the chances of fielding those eleven players are under threat, we’re in trouble. This has happened so many times before and I worry it will happen again because the threat of an injury epidemic (which seems to be spreading throughout the club now with three ACL injuries to Under-21 players in the past few weeks) is always around the corner.

The difference this time is that the slip from 2nd or 3rd to 5th, as happened in 2020 and 2021, isn’t anywhere near as devastating as the slip from where we are now to where we could be in the coming weeks.

It might have all been fine had we clung onto one or two of our existing attacking players but now an injury to one of the wingers and we’re back to a situation where we’re either playing players out of position (as with James Maddison so far this season) or changing formation entirely (as we did on the opening day when Harvey Barnes was unavailable).

This isn’t necessarily to denigrate the club’s efforts. They couldn’t have foreseen the Jack Harrison scenario and Leeds United pulling the plug at the last moment on a signing that would have done wonders for our squad depth. It’s just where we are.

To place everything in context, this weekend’s game will tell us a lot because in recent years, Villa away has been a good barometer for how we’re shaping up.

The dominant 4-1 win in December 2019 was one of the famous 8-in-a-row that showcased the best of Brendanball. The following season’s 2-1 win in February 2021 was evidence of a side at the top of its game, coming eight days after Liverpool were dispatched and forming part of a fantastic away record that campaign.

At the other end of the spectrum, we struggled to cope with set pieces during the 2-1 defeat in December that year as the rot set in, conceding twice to Ezri Konsa.

Let’s hope for a return to the glory days at Villa Park because the fixture list beyond Saturday looks gruelling.