Alex Smithies has made a decision to retire from football and his contract at the club has come to an end. Smithies (33) was not included in the first team squad, so no space opened with his departure, but of course one more body out and not to think about.
Another player that has an uncertain future at the club is Patson Daka, recently returning to the first team, but since then gone to the AFCON with Zambia, and yesterday scoring in the 1-1 draw vs. Tanzania.
Cesare Casadei has left the building and returned to Chelsea, with his place being filled by Inter midfielder Stefano Sensi (28), which we feel looks a massive upgrade, with the experience the Italian full international will bring to the squad.
There are of course those injury worries to consider, and of course all the contracts running towards the end and decision making to be done. Wilfred Ndidi, Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho, Jannik Vestergaard, Marc Albrighton and Dennis Praet are all out of contract in the summer, and will if they move on leave massive gaps in the squad and dressing room.
This transition must be done carefully and again hopefully be able to bring in quality players and build a squad of good balance, which at the moment looks a bit untidy.
The ultimate squad balance is build with a number of criterias in place, and that is of course to have the correct blend of experience and youth. A good plan regarding contracts, so you will shape the departures in the best way possible and not get your best players leaving at the same time. Be able to have the correct avarage group age, around 27 to 29 years of age, at times it can be younger, but should definately not be older.
You should not either have players not in balance with their goals and demands. The wage structure must also be carefully planned so that the players with the highest salaries are on the pitch and not on the bench or in the stands. To have control of the hierarchy among players and not have grown men around at least not too many, that just add up the numbers.
It’s a lot to take into consideration when planning a squad, to have full cover on all positions is not something Leicester should think about, but as we have seen this season, being able to play some of the players in several positions, being able to fill gaps when needed. Hamza Choudhury, Ricardo Pereira, James Justin and Wilfred Ndidi are all good examples of players who can cope with playing in different positions and roles in the team.
You also need to know what your best eleven is, but as we have seen at Leicester lately, that can be difficult, with so many players either equal in quality or some stepping up when getting a chance. Tom Cannon, Kasey McAteer and Abdul Fatawu are three players who have done that and made the best of their starts. Lovely to see as it gives the manager a pleasing problem.
What we like is a group of players, around 16 to 17 that really push for a starting position and are good to start whenever called on, the rest of the squad as we count to 22, must be players with potential and younger prosepcts, having too many established players from 18 to 22, makes it difficult to keep them in the correct frame. There should be little or no doubt who is the first choice goalkeeper, that is a role that cannot be doubted and if deciding to change, you need to understand what you are doing.
Enzo still have too many first team squad players at the club, with Harry Souttar and Danny Ward both players that should be considered sold or loaned out. The midfield area looks well covered at the moment, up front it is still very crowded. To have four alternatives for one top forward role looks “too much” and it will in the end tire out players not getting game time. It’s not ideal.
To have a 37 year old forward as your first favourite, is not either an ideal strategy, then to have players in the prime age sitting on the bench. It’s a difficult pick. When you are not considering three of your best players, Vardy, Daka and Iheanacho, as alternatives in other positions, you have a major problem.
Leicester also have a job to do regarding the standard of the squad, and you cannot be fooled to believe that your team is getting better by selling players for £10 to £20million each and then sign new faces on loan or free to increase quality. You can be lucky once or twice, but in truth you will decrease the standard of your squad.
At present Leicester have the following.
Goalkeepers: Hermansen, Stolarczyk, Ward Defenders: Pereira, Thomas, Justin, Doyle, Faes, Nelson, Vestergaard, Coady, Souttar, Midfield: Dewsbury-Hall, Ndidi, Praet, Choudhury, Winks, Sensi *, Forwards: Mavididi, Daka, Vardy, Iheanacho, Cannon, Madivadua, Yunus, Fatawu and McAteer, Out on loan: Brunt (Mansfield), Soumare (Sevilla), Kristiansen (Bologna) and Iversen (Stoke). 31 players in all, regarded as part of the first team structure.
To get this in better shape, you need to get the numbers down and the quality up, and to get there, you need three to four major signings in the summer, get the correct players out and reduce the group to not more than 24, as the 25 men squad should not stress you to fill it up, but if you get in problems have an opening for a new face or two if that is needed in a January window.
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