Leicester City 4 Town 1

Mark Harrison, Writer.
Twitter: @MarkHarrison15

I used to live in Leicester in the early 1990s and once had a job as a security guard which involved ‘being a presence” at Leicester City home games in the 1990-91 season. I think it is safe to say a lad with lesser presence would have been hard to find. But I had a pulse and Protec Security were happy to take me on having met that criterion. I was given zero training on how to deal with any crowd trouble and given a walkie talkie that I didn’t know how to use. I looked a prat in my old police uniform and vintage hat.

At the time, Leicester was languishing near the bottom of Division 2 (that’s the equivalent of The Championship for all you kids out there) and David Pleat was struggling to keep them up. He was never the same manager after he cast aside his brown suit by the way. Anyway, suffice to say, Leicester were rotten and the crowds were diminishing, but there was enough of them for a full scale demonstration at the games demanding Pleat’s resignation and the chairman’s head. These demonstrations were loud and at times violent, but I decided the less than average wage and my lack of training meant I should pretend it wasn’t happening and look the other way!

Eventually, Leicester escaped relegation, having eventually sacked Pleat, with a last day home win v Oxford. Usually I was ‘deployed” outside a turnstile and then at the back of a stand where I could just watch the games and ignore the messages on the walkie talkie. On this occasion, I had to stand on the perimeter of the pitch and face the crowd at the south end of the old Filbert Street ground. My orders were to be a presence and prevent a pitch invasion. I took a bit of abuse from the crowd throughout and decided to step away when the inevitable pitch invasion did take place at the end of the game. I just failed at holding back several 1000 fans and was never employed at Filbert Street again. I went and got a proper job, having taken the crowd’s advice to do so.

Roll forward more than 30 years and no security guarding for me, as I took my place in the away end on New Year’s Day 2024. Pre match having spent in the company of an old uni friend, a Leicester fan and his son. He worked on the planning process for the future development of the current stadium with an additional 8000 seats planned to extend an impressive ground and give the club more spending power when they return to the Premier League.

My previous visits to The King Power Stadium have always resulted in heavy defeats including a couple of previous ones on New Year’s day. I can still hear the Kasabian goal score music in my head, The Foxes were and are on fire! Leicester is a very strong side and heading back up, they’ve got quality players and are well coached. So, expecting anything other than a comfortable win for the home side was foolhardy.

The last two performances by Town, did give some encouragement that it would not be purely attack and defence. But a 4th game in 10 days with minimal rotation in the side, meant a pragmatic approach was inevitable.

For 37 minutes the game plan worked well. Town defended in numbers and held their shape with great discipline and admirable graft. The home side were playing some patient football but hitting a brick wall and the crowd was quiet.

The turning point was the injury to Headley. This exposed our thin squad as there was no like for like replacement available on the bench. Plus, it lost us a player who is growing into a potentially big asset for the club. If he continues his current trajectory, the future looks bright for Jaheim. He has pace and power and is adding poise and game awareness to these attributes.

The introduction of Loik Ayina, also meant a change in position for both Lees and Nakayama and further disrupted the team’s dynamic. Ayina has good attributes in his play, but his inexperience of Championship football was to be exposed as the game went on and eventually was to be lost. He is an example of a player who in an ideal world needs further loan experience, because it’s a tough ask for him to learn on the job at this level. His performances for Dundee United last season were enough to show he has talent, but that he is a work in progress.

On 40 minutes, Leicester’s 4th choice striker showed their strength in depth (oh for that) with an opportunistic strike from Cannon. Of the 4 goals that Town eventually conceded, this one was probably the least soft from a defensive point of view, but Ben Wiles might have got a block on.

Ben Wiles has yet to get going at Town, has he? It seems the effects of his bad injury last season are troubling him either physically or mentally or perhaps both. So far, he has shown fleeting glimpses of what he can do but has never really imposed himself on a game. His body language during the match showed that he is frustrated with himself and perhaps not ready to make a full contribution. However, the squad depth means he has had to be played.

A common theme for Town this season has been the concession of goals just before and just after half time. Mental and physical fatigue has led to that horrible phrase that they weren’t switched on. Lack of marking, lack of defensive cohesion, lack of strength, goalie error and rash tackles were all in the not switched on bracket and contributed to goals 2, 3 and 4 and the game which Town were in on 40 minutes, had gone 20 minutes later (not including the half time break).

To Town’s credit the more progressive attacking football came to the fore following the third goal. Rudoini, Thomas and Koroma showing their ability and created some decent openings, but good goalkeeping and the woodwork meant that Helik’s scrambled effort was all we had to show for it.

This period of play and the general attitude of the players and a realistic outlook, meant the away fans (around 750) stayed with the team. Even Smile Awhile had a rendition in the closing minutes despite the score line. Gallows humour rather than toxicity was the order of the day from the Town support. They could see a team with limitations, giving it their best.

Now it’s over to the physios and the recruitment team to work the oracle and give the squad and coaches their best chance of success as we move ever quickly into the second half of the season.

Meanwhile…. Manchester City, we’re coming for you!

Matt’s ratings

In this section Matt will rate the players on a scale of 1-10 with 6 being used as an average to passable performance. TRIGGER WARNING! half marks will also be used if a player is between scores.