Outfoxing the competition

The Foxes were bottom of the Barclays Premier League for 19 weeks last season, but could be champions by now

By Ignatius Koh

PHOTO: INTERNET

The fairy tale continues. And it might yet have the proverbial happy ending.

Leicester City have enchanted fans all season by defying all odds, and a quick glance at their squad will reveal how the Foxes have achieved cult status in the league.

The case for defence

This season, Leicester’s starting goal-keeper Kasper Schmeichel has been a man possessed.

Channelling the spirit of his father, Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel, the Dane has kept 15 clean sheets so far — tied on top with Manchester City’s Joe Hart.

While the younger Schmeichel can hold his own in goal, it helps that there is a brick wall that shields him from opponents.

In Robert Huth and Wes Morgan, the Foxes have two centre-backs with the vision of rugby players.Both boot the ball into orbit instead of simply making slick passes out of the defence.

You can almost hear Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger turn in his bed at night.

Compare this with Manchester City’s Arab-funded defence and you can see why Leicester is on top.

With the Citizens boasting the most expensive Premier League centre-backs in Argentinian Nicolas Otamendi and Frenchman Eliaquim Mangala, you would expect them to be tight at the back after spending a combined £72 million (S$138m) on the pair. Unfortunately, both defenders have resembled a man-made disaster at the heart of defence with more spills than thrills.

Patrolling the midfield

Holding the fort in the middle of the park are N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater, the tireless midfielders with possibly the league’s best sur- name combination.

The most sung-about unsung heroes of Leicester City would not look out of place in former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho’s bus, which had broken down earlier on in the season.

What Mourinho would give to have two more players defending in the penalty box – in addition to the goalkeeper, defenders, groundsmen, and the tea lady.

Deposed champions Chelsea’s season unravelled faster than they could change their tyres with Serbian Nemanja Matic and Spaniard Cesc Fabregas looking a pale shadow of them- selves.

You might be forgiven for thinking they contracted the Eden Hazard syndrome – both were nowhere to be found in midfield.

Frontline finesse

Even Arsenal’s Mesut Oezil, the league’s assist leader with 18, needed help opening his huge eyes further after seeing how well Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy have combined this season.

Mahrez, the Professional Footballers Association’s Player of the Year, has 11 assists — second only to Oezil — and 17 goals this season, compared to the German’s six.

In a season where the Gunners’ forwards have displayed the accuracy of a recruit at the firing range, Oezil must be lamenting the lack of a clinical finisher like 22-goal Vardy as a teammate.

The Englishman broke Dutchman Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in 11 consecutive games last year.

Vardy, who was playing non-League football four years ago, could be on the plane to France for England’s European Championship campaign this summer.

It would be the biggest turn of fortune since Wayne Rooney got his hairline back.

Tactical maestro

But Leicester’s season would not have been a success had Claudio Ranieri not taken over from Englishman Nigel Pearson as manager.

Ranieri’s tactics have been criticised since his time as Chelsea boss more than a decade ago, but he got them right this season.

Aside from employing the old 4-4-2 formation, the wily Italian also whipped up his players’ appetite for success after promising them a pizza treat if they kept a clean sheet.

The move was worth it, as the players picked off opponents like pepperoni slices and kept 12 clean sheets in the next 25 games.

Leicester will now be licking their lips at the prospect of a maiden league title.

They had better prepare for a lot more pizzas.