Leicester 0-1 Liverpool: Three Foxes who stood out as relegation confirmed | OneFootball

The King Power’s next commerative shirt will be “Straight back down” to mark the disappointing collapse the Foxes managed to make a further mess of. Their Premier League season has been marred by subpar performances, defensive errors, and a lack of guile in attack. A most uninspiring relegation campaign, only beaten by the horror that has been Southampton.

Nevertheless, with the pressure gone, the fight no longer necessary, it is time to start observing those players we feel ought to have chances for the club: those that either the Dutchman or a new head coach might build a team around. For me, there were three players who stood out against Liverpool despite the loss.

Leicester City’s most passionate

It is difficult to single out praise in a loss, and even harder where several players had moments of quality (Wilfred Ndidi and Conor Coady for example), but realistically, the pitch can be divided into our defensive-minded and attack-minded players. With that, I have selected two defensive players (an honourable mention to Ricardo Pereira who performed well) and one attacking player as being particularity passionate.

At the back, the only reason the Foxes had any semblance of a chance during a litany of opportunities created by the marching league champions, Mads Hermansen offered Leicester supporters everything he could. The Danish goalkeeper was undoubtedly one of the bright sparks, and perhaps will be the first to leave the club.

Hermansen made several difficult saves as well as competently saving those he could be expected to. Most of those were from within the penalty box, where Leicester City’s defenders and midfielders converged into a tightly congested and disorganised but powerful defensive core. It was only this lack of organisation and a shot from further a field which saw the Dane beat.

Ricardo Pereira looked as the Foxes should have expected him to: one of our best players by far and obviously should have started every other fixture possible. However, it was Leicester-lad Luke Thomas that impressed me. Facing off against Mo Salah, under constant barrage, Thomas worked well with Conor Coady and Stephy Mavididi to block and keep Salah mostly controlled, while also launching the vast majority of Leicester’s counters down that left-flank.

The English left-back was not flashy, not rushing around putting in tens of challenges; but, he did not need to be. Luke Thomas was composed when it mattered most, made clearances and applied pressure when necessary, and kept aware of goal threats on his side of the pitch. There is nothing else Nistelrooy could have expected of the player. To me, Thomas should stay and should be the starting left-back in the upcoming Championship campaign: the player put in the effort, they deserve a chance.

Upfront the Foxes were obviously not particularly frightening, but perhaps the best two could have been Bilal El Khannouss - who was creative if a little wasteful - and Mavididi. The left-winger has had to fight to get his place back from a combination of Bobby De-Cordova Reid and Jordan Ayew, and has proven himself to be what the King Power side needed: a spark.

Sometimes in a match, a troubled team just needs someone that will challenge, take-on their man, and try something different. That was Mavididi against Liverpool: the vast majority of Leicester’s chances came from the left-flank with Thomas and Mavididi progressing the ball into the box before a cut back into midfield or a pass towards Patson Daka when he came on. El Khannouss and Ndidi could have made a chance count thanks to Mavididi.

Regardless of which head coach Leicester City end up going into the Championship with, two things are clear to me. Firstly, that Ruud van Nistelrooy should drop those expected to leave at this point and begin playing those we mean to keep in the next season. Second, that there is a core of that squad that is strong enough to compete, strong enough to challenge, and talented enough to put on a show. Those are the players who ought to start every last match.