Leicester City required a reaction following the dismissal of Craig Shakespeare as head coach last week and they got just that with a 2-1 victory at Swansea. Michael Appleton oversaw a return to winning ways having succeeded Shakespeare at the King Power Stadium for the time being to end a six-match winless run. The win at the Liberty Stadium put marginal daylight between themselves and the bottom three, but it’s vital the Foxes not rest on their laurels after the three-point attaining performance in the south of Wales.
They avoided a dip in concentration and a cup upset with a comfortable 3-1 win over Leeds on Tuesday night, which will have boosted morale for what lies ahead. Appleton has done his reputation no harm with back-to-back victories, but even then, Leicester are supposedly closing in on the appointment of Claude Puel as Shakespeare’s long-term successor. The Frenchman struggled as Southampton head coach in his solitary season at the St. Mary’s helm, with Saints boasting the worst conversion rate (7.1%) in the Premier League last term, but the Frenchman, should he take charge, will inherit a squad with an attack capable of tearing apart any team on its day.
Leicester spent big over the summer to improve the squad, particularly in the final third with Kelechi Iheanacho the high profile arrival. The Nigerian’s acquisition improves a forward line consisting of Jamie Vardy, Islam Slimani and Shinji Okazki, yet with four forwards to select from, including Iheanacho, it’s the Japan star who should be one of the first names on the teamsheets.
“He is important for the team because he presses a lot – he is our dilly ding, dilly dong. He wakes up our players – he has the bell,” former Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri said of Okazaki almost a year ago. Indeed, his graft and tenacity is an asset for the Foxes. While he is hardly the most prolific of frontmen – Okazaki’s five goals in his debut season at the King Power Stadium is currently his best return in a Premier League campaign – his effectiveness out of possession is an unheralded trait that warrants greater attention.
A return of 1.4 tackles per 90 is the joint-best return of all Leicester players in the Premier League this season as Okazaki works tirelessly off the ball to apply pressure on opposition defences. This forces players into mistakes that could feasibly present Leicester with goalscoring chances as they look to spring surprise attacks in a bid to disrupt the flow of opponents. Leicester have the fourth lowest possession return (43.5%) in the Premier League this season, with the focus coming on soaking up pressure before hitting opponents on the counter attack.
The Foxes have the ideal personnel to carry out the duties as they counter-attacked their way to Premier League glory, with Okazaki setting the standard in the final third where required. His never say die attitude is also an asset in front of goal. Even if Okazaki isn’t the most prolific of forwards, scoring just 12 Premier League goals in his career, all 12 have come inside the 18-yard box, and seven of those from inside the six-yard box.
Even if a chance does not look on, the former Mainz striker isn’t one to give up the opportunity so quickly, which is an additional bonus for Leicester. Of the strikers on the Foxes books, none offer the same attacking threat as Okazaki, both in terms of defending from the front and in the pursuit of goal. The former trait resonates throughout the team as Leicester strive to put the ball in the back of the net and is one of the key reasons why the Japan star is such a crucial asset for the team.
While there is the temptation to deploy Iheanacho alongside Vardy at the King Power Stadium, dropping Okazaki means Leicester lose a key man in attack and this impacts the team immensely. With Okazaki in the starting XI, the Foxes have won 50.9% of Premier League matches. That falls to 30% when he is relegated to bench. With such fine margins determining outcomes in games, Okazaki’s impact in the final third is one that needs to be utilised to its maximum by the new manager in order for Leicester to successfully stave off relegation and move up the Premier League table.
