LEICESTER head into this weekend’s games two points clear at the top of the Championship.
Enzo Maresca’s new-look side have hit the ground running after shaking off the hangover of relegation from the Premier League over the summer.
His Foxes have equalled the best ever start to a Championship season, since the league was revamped in 2004, taking 27 points from their opening 10 matches.
Indeed there hasn’t been a better start to a Championship season for 23 years, since Jean Tigana’s Fulham hit the ground running with 11 straight victories in 2000.
It is the perfect response to being relegated from the Premier League last season as Leicester look to make an immediate return to the top-flight.
Beaten Preston boss Ryan Lowe was quick to praise Maresca’s Foxes after losing 3-0 to them at the King Power in midweek.
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He claimed Leicester are the best team in the division, describing them as “a Premier League team in the Championship.”
“They have got a player in Dewsbury-Hall who shouldn’t be playing at this level,” he added.
“They have different qualities to most in the Championship.”
Lowe’s words echoed similar comments from fellow rival bosses David Wagner of Norwich City and Blackburn’s Jon Dahl Tomasson, who have already declared Leicester Championship champions elect.
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Enzo Maresca is no-one’s fool however and realises this unique division is a marathon, not a sprint.
However our Midlands reporter Graeme Bryce believes there are five reasons why Foxes fans can dare to dream about a speedy return to the Prem next season.
THE OWNERS
The Srivaddhanaprabha family remain a safe pair of hands, even though they took their eye off the ball during the relegation season.
There was one huge decision to be made during a summer, once they had finished licking their wounds.
Who was the best man to lead them back out of the Championship?
Dean Smith was already in place and it would have been easy to stay loyal to a man, who had an exemplary record in the Championship and had proved he could lead a team into the Premier League.
Instead they made a bold move and opted for a totally new direction of travel.
They placed their faith in Enzo Maresca – a proven number two and Pep Guardiola’s trusted No.2 at Manchester City.
But an unproven manager whose only previous experience as a boss had ended badly, when he was sacked early in his tenure as Parma boss.
Right now that choice is looking an inspired one.
THE MANAGER
Enzo Maresca was already on a high after helping Pep Guardiola deliver an historic treble for Manchester City.
But after enjoying a cigar and some bubbly on City’s open top bus, the Italian decided to hop off and strike out on his own.
The early signs are certainly promising and so far, Maresca and Leicester seem well matched.
The Italian has adopted a similar style to the one which swept Guardiola’s City to so much success last season.
At first the fans were suspicious of his high-risk and reward tactics of playing out from the back.
But nine wins from their opening 10 games, plus an encouraging performance against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup have convinced punters Maresca is the real deal.
They have now bought into his philosophy and show a lot more patience while City build patiently from the back.
They are convinced they have the right man in charge to take them straight back up and keep them in the Prem.
THE GOALKEEPER
Eyebrows were raised when Maresca swept in and splashed out £5million of his limited transfer budget on Brondby goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
After all, Leicester already had two perfectly acceptable Championship ‘keepers.
Daniel Iversen had done well in the final 12 matches of the Premier League campaign.
The last time he had been in the Championship, a year earlier, he had been named player of the season on loan at Preston.
He faced a challenge from Wales international Danny Ward, another competent Championship ‘keeper.
Other areas of the team needed more investment than the goalkeeping department.
However, Maresca made signing Hermansen from Brondby a priority.
Now Foxes fans can see why.
City have become an 11-man team in possession.
A massive 38 percent of Hermansen’s touches come OUTSIDE his own penalty area!
There has been the odd blip, like the pass which gifted Blackburn Rovers a goal last week.
But Hermansen gets involved far more often – with 53 touches per game on average – compared to Ward’s 38 and Iversen’s 34.
On average, Hermansen’s passes cover 634 progressive yards per match.
That’s double the average of 313 yards for Iversen last season, and way more than Ward’s 403.
The Dane has become as crucial to Maresca’s passing game as Kasper Schmeichel was to Claudio Ranieri’s title winners.
THE YOUNG GUNS
Mads Hermansen (23), Callum Doyle (20), Cesare Casadei (20), Wanya Madivadua (20), Abdul Fatawu (19), Yunus Akgun (23) and Kasey McAteer (21).
That’s seven players aged 23 or under who are all playing their part in Leicester’s revival.
At 19, Abdul Fatawu is the youngest of all – and potentially the most exciting of Leicester’s young guns.
Currently on loan from Sporting Clube de Portugal, the Ghanaian kid has already played for his nation at the World Cup in Qatar.
And he was voted the Player of the Year as he helped Ghana win the Under-20 African Cup of Nations.
In goal, Mads Hermansen has been a revelation since he arrived.
While at the other end of the park Kasey McAteer has been a massive hit, scoring four goals in his last six Championship outings, as well as scoring at Anfield in the Carabao Cup.
The future is exciting for the Foxes as Maresca shows he isn’t scared to give youth a fling.
THE OLD BOYS
No team in the Championship can match Leicester for experience at the highest level.
In the heart of his defence, born-again defender Jannick Vestergaard (31) had played in every minute of the Foxes’ league campaign.
But when the former Southampton defender was suspended against Preston in midweek, Maresca had the luxury of being able to call in Conor Coady (30) to make his league debut.
Ricardo Pereira (30) has been a revelation, starting out at right-back and then moving into a holding midfield role once Leicester gain possession.
Ahead of him, Maresca has transformed Wilfred Ndidi (26) from one of the best defensive midfield ball-winners in the Prem, to a goal-scoring No.10.
Beside him in midfield are Harry Winks (27) who makes Leicester tick, just a few years after appearing in a Champions’ League final for Spurs.
Meanwhile Kieran Dewsbury-Hall (25) has been an absolute stand-out and is ripping up the Championship.
But the daddy of them all is Jamie Vardy, who has hit four goals in his last seven games at the ripe old age of 36.
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He has rediscovered the spring in his step in the Championship and his understudy – Kelechi Iheanacho (27) is better than almost every Championship rivals first pick striker.
Maresca has developed a good blend between youth and experience and his squad is brimming with quality his rivals simply can’t match!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
