Still more questions than answers in the latest chapter of the Leicester City story
There are still more questions than answers after five league games under Enzo Maresca - Harry Gregory examines the evidence so far.
Indulge me for a moment please. Anyone who has studied media, film studies or creative writing will be familiar with Roland Barthes five narrative codes. The combination of these codes produces a story, and they are tactics a storyteller uses. Almost subconsciously.
One of these codes is named a Hermeneutic Code. Effectively the writer leaves hints and clues which make the consumer produce questions. More importantly it keeps you engaged as you question actions and motives of the characters.
Film ‘23
The opening five games of Leicester City’s season is comparable to a Christopher Nolan film. Lots and lots of questions. Despite the loss to Hull City on Saturday, the answers are still very few.
I had rather misguidedly thought that a defeat would eventually give a true indication of where we were in terms of progress. Yet it deepened the quizzical nature of Enzo Maresca’s time so far at Leicester City. On the way to the King Power on Saturday, it’s fair to say you could summarise the ponderings into two posers.
What would happen if City clicked into gear and moved the ball at slick speed? Some poor team were going to get hammering weren’t they?
Or what was going to happen when an opposition finally used the multiple chances they had been allowed in previous games? A proper humbling?
As the ninety minutes played out, neither of those were answered. Rather it produced something more complex.
Personnel problems?
Rotherham previously tested Callum Doyle and found some joy. Liam Rosenior used that and doubled down by selecting his best attacking player on the right wing. Liam Delap continually beat Doyle by cutting inside. He looked like a centre-back playing at left-back. There’s no denying his ability to pass out surpasses what else we have in defence.
However, you do wonder if we’ve hurt ourselves letting all the left-backs go. Including Victor Kristiansen who starred on debut for Bologna, winning a penalty, setting up a goal and, rather interestingly, taking up a space in the middle of the pitch regularly.
The two central midfielders continue to put in sub-par performances bar when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was possessed by the ghost of prime Andy King at home to Coventry. Repeatedly against Rotherham, both Ndidi and Dewsbury-Hall slowed down the possession as they had to take an extra touch or rather be less ambitious in their passing. The same happened again or led to poorly executed attempts at goal. Can these pair push the ball around the pitch as we need?
Another league game without a striker scoring. Albeit the signing of Tom Cannon suggests we aren’t happy with that and if there was a conclusion I could take from the Hull game, it was that the frontline pressing needs to be better and, quite simply, the shooting at goal needs to be better.
It took a whole half to realise their back four weren’t particularly good at passing out from the back and we had a second half where they continually punted out to no-one. From 21 attempts, we had just a single shot on target.
Plus points
That’s not to say it’s solely negative questions arising. Rather, more lessons learned and then encouragement of how this system can functions with wingers. Abdul Fatawu’s time on the pitch added urgency and pace. His ability to keep the ball moving rather than static keeps a defender guessing. Is this the sort of player who will be the difference in our bid for promotion?
After all, at times, we looked more balanced and better in our patterns of play. The back four which had been opened up far too much didn’t give much away. Conor Coady is soon to be added into this. Hull had a good spell in the first half keeping the ball and probing away. However, they reset deeper and deeper as the game wore on.
Interestingly, the fixtures coming up provide two teams who’ve shown an appetite to score goals and keep possession; Norwich and Southampton played out a 4-4 draw in mid-August. Will we benefit from playing opposition who will attack and take control of the ball at times, leaving space in transition? The omens for that are good given what happened when our game against Coventry went to ‘Basketball’, coining a phrase from the Brendan Rodgers handbook.
The next chapter of the season until the October international break brings up an intriguing set of fixtures which should address where we are in the pecking order. Bristol City have picked up decent wins alongside some poor results whereas Preston North End have belittled early season predictions and looked very impressive in their 2-1 win over Stoke to go top of the Championship. Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City are wickedly inconsistent but boast quality in areas of the pitch.
Finally, to finish on a final mystery, how did the referee only give three minutes injury time on Saturday?
