Hazzetta dello Sport 2025: Crystal Palace (H)
In my childhood, at the bottom of the road, was my Auntie and Uncle’s house. Their lawn was immaculate. It was like Wembley. However, my Uncle was quite protective of the hallowed turf. But as time wore on, I was begrudgingly allowed to kick a ball on it.
My Uncle slowly had a change of heart and every week or two, I’d pop down the road in a full Royal Blue Leicester City kit. Each time he’d have a different colour combo symbolising the opposition. We’d have the walk out onto the pitch. The whistle would blow and for the next thirty minutes, it was simple, joyful fun.
Simple, easy fun. I did not imagine as an eight or nine year old that football wouldn’t be focused on this easy notion of just a game but rather a battle of the accountants calculations and lawyers' scrutiny of rules or definition.
From the very first day of 2025, the Guardian were the first to start the noise and the volume has been turned up bit by bit last week.
You had your Maguires, your Borsons, your Swiss Rambles. They added their opinions and mock calculations to the fray. The discourse around Leicester City had less in common with the Sports Mercury than another orange tinted paged publication, the Financial Times.
Isn’t it boring? This is the hill we find the club on.
Ultimately, the board is worthy of the criticism that we find ourselves dishing their way. A club which receives transfer income like no other of its size or benefitted from such revenues driven by the success it achieved. They gambled on further glory. And when the time of reckoning came, it was a solicitor who became the saviour.
Hence we find ourselves here on receipt of the news that Leicester City will not be charged with the accounts ending in 2023/24 but rather an ambiguous opening that the previous charge (and decision) is still under adjudication. Much like the fog of Saturday afternoon, City fans think it’s a goal but we aren’t entirely sure. Sadly, the caveated verdict might make any potential signings think twice before putting pen to paper.
I am desperate not to make this an article on Modern Football’s rubbish because on Saturday, there was a welcome freedom of the Cup where no potential points deduction was hanging over us.
This was despite utter bedlam on the turnstiles due to digital tickets. The early FA Cup games give a chance for those who can’t jump the obstacles of membership or high prices to catch a game. Thus, we were duly rewarded with six Leicester goals, a couple of cracking strikes and a free eye test.
While there was disappointment that there was no youth on show (the 3rd Round home tie with a Covid hit squad to Watford may be a sleeper hit for one of my favourite Leicester games), it gave a chance for that sexy front four of M.E.F.V.
Mavididi, El Khannous, Buonanotte and Vardy. The free interchange of their play is the highlight of our season. The question remains when will Ruud let the breaks off on these four teaming up against Premier League opposition rather than selecting Jordan Ayew?
On paper, this pair of fixtures to London opposition at home represent City’s greatest chance of gaining points since the disastrous loss to Wolves. The balance which is difficult to manage for Leicester is making the game play to our tempo and our tune; there’s been sections of games where we've succeeded and the most impressive was the first half to Bournemouth.
The defensive set up of the team is shambolic at best; the press at the front of the pitch is chaotic. El Khannous prefers to really push up and the other parts of the front four follow. This often leaves a huge gap in the midfield which is then preceded by another huge space in front of the defence. James Justin has been poor in his decision making but he’s often left with no protection at home.
The annoying part of it is that it's rather not that lack of organisation in the press which is causing us to concede goals. It is the needless attempts at maintaining possession in the wrong parts of the pitch. To partly paraphrase Mick McCarthy ‘Can it go long? It can.’
Harry Winks twice ignored those words on Saturday, Justin the guilty party the week before. It’s admirable to attempt that bait-hanging way of play from last season but the level is higher now and the quality just isn’t there for Leicester to do it.
There’s a fear when highlighting those poor defensive mechanisms that Palace’s 5-2-3 into 3-4-3 system will tempt Ruud into being more conservative. The Eagles wing backs push up and support their wingers to overload the Leicester full-backs.
Therefore, help is needed and Ayew is supposedly more willing to give that than Buonanotte. Equally if Leicester lose the ball, something of a common theme in Palace’s trips to Leicester, they will zoom up the pitch on the counter. The gut is that Palace will look to be quite stand-offish and attempt this counter-attack style.
Ultimately for all those words written about tactics and shape, the game is more likely to descend into pure effort and willpower above all skill. There’s no doubt that Palace are that tricky opponent who have slowly steered themselves away from danger but Leicester need to impose themselves and really get the ball rolling.
Regardless, it will be just nice to watch ninety minutes and be focused on Leicester City without the need to stare at an Excel spreadsheet.
