Leicester have completed a lot of business in this transfer window, but also been able to hold on to some of their best talents as well as very important players.
Braybrooke, Evans, Joseph, Otchere, Briggs, Golding, Hutchinson, Alves, Aluko, Nelson, Gray and Page are still at the club. Some are loaned out, but still here. Souttar also here, something that was far from certain a few days ago. To have Okoli and Faes around is luxury.
The job for Russell Martin is to understand how he should get the team in best possible shape.
The only two youngsters to have been given top trust is Braybrooke and Joseph. Alves is the best foitballer at the club, please understand what is best for results and getting three points in as many games as possible.
So far none of the new signings have been brilliant and shone in the starting eleven. Bristric and Chaplin are yet to get their chance on regular basis. Howell and Watson have been chopped and changed. Cullen looks out of contact with the other players, Burns is not yet showing to be as good as we believed he is.
O’Hora and Riis, Kangasniemi, Lundstram and Doyle are not tested yet. The major challenge for Russell Martin will be to compose the correct set up and not juggle too much around.
He can’t be fooling around with his team selection and must understand the balance. Still a lot of combining work to do, smoothening up the connections, movement and passing. A lot of this can be spotted in games, lacking the correct decisions in certain situations.
We wanted two goalkeepers and a good enough third cover from the U21 squad to step in if needed.
We would have liked to see 11 of 22 players to come from the academy. We had two permanent signings, and four loan moves in our set up in May. The players suggested were all at higher quality than what Leicester have added, not counting McFarlane and Kangasniemi who could become fantastic additions. Bristric also one who could develope.
We believed that Skipp and Choudhury would have stayed, To see Alves still being at the club is fantastic, one we believed would have been sold.
We suggested Brannagan and Lauritsen, getting Chaplin and Riis, a downgrade, but hopefully good enough to get the results wanted.
McFarlane is an exciting loan player, given time, he could become a high quality player. We would have gone for the Heskey brothers at Man City, both high in demand, but still much better alternatives. Sad to see Mavididi leave, getting a better winger at this level, looks difficult.
O’Hora and Lundstram is in, a downgrade from Skipp and Choudhury, but brings another type of profile, hopefully good enough. Lundstram is a wildcard, dropping BDCR to the bench possibly. Page, Alves and Braybrooke are undroppable.
This is what we believed should have been the squad: Stolarczyk, Vieites, Defenders: Aluko, Nichols (L), Thomas, Galvez (L), Vestergaard, Souttar, Nelson, Gray, Midfield: Braybrooke, Skipp, Page, Brannagan*, Choudhury, BDCR, Forwards: Lauritsen*, Hutchinson, Evans, Mavididi, Heskey R (L), Heskey J (L). Other Players: French, Bausor and Joseph.
This squad was build on the belief of keeping a certain balance, 11 players coming through the academy, 3 players above the age of 30, all players on contracts balanced for a future sale, leaving when new players are needed, 5 players under 21 years of age, all spread correctly in the areas they play. 4 loan signings, position balance, not overloading any areas.
This is what happened.
Goalkeepers: Stolarczyk, McCarthy, Defenders: Aluko, Joseph, McFarlane (L), Thomas, Souttar, O’Hora, Kangasniemi, Okoli, Midfield: Page, Braybrooke, Chaplin, Lundstram, BDCR, Alves, Forwards: Bristric, Riis, Burns, Cullen, Watson (L), Howell (L), Other Players: Nelson, Doyle (L), Faes, Gray, Ravizzoli, Carr, Hutchinson
This squad has the following. 4 players above the age of 30. 7 players of 22 coming through the academy. Pretty good contract balance for future sales. 7 players under the age of 21, with a good spread in positions. 4 loan signings and still having players around who should have been sold, but all in all a squad able to challenge for promotion.
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