Leicester City have hit a little bit of a stumbling block, having gone into this month’s international break on the back of successive defeats.
Leicester City remain at the top of the Championship table after the opening 16 games of the season.
But the Foxes now see Ipswich Town in 2nd sitting level on points, with Leeds United in 3rd just eight points behind now.
The break probably came at a good time for Enzo Maresca and his players who’ve set themselves a very high bar this season.
January is just around the corner and it’ll be a good time for the Foxes to bolster and assure their promotion push; there’s also AFCON to think about with Leicester City likely to lose a few players for that in the New Year.
Strikers needed for Leicester City?
Whilst Leicester City have been the standout side so far this season, they’ve not exactly blown teams away.
They have firepower and prowess, but the Foxes have scored seven less than chasers Ipswich, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Kelechi Iheanacho their top scorers on five goals each.
There’s rumblings within the Leicester faithful that a new, more prolific striker is needed in January.
But writing in a recent Q&A for Leicestershire Live, journalist Jordan Blackwell played down the idea of Leicester signing a new forward, writing when asked the question:
“No, I don’t think so.”
Tom Cannon is yet to make his debut following his summer move from Everton, though he was on the bench for the last outing vs Middlesbrough.
“I think the door is certainly open for Cannon to stake a claim because neither Vardy nor Iheanacho are in top form,” said Blackwell. “However, Iheanacho is the club’s top scorer and Vardy is one behind him. Iheanacho is scoring one goal every 138 minutes, which is about a goal every one-and-a-half matches. That’s pretty good. Vardy is averaging one goal every 171 minutes, which is still better than once every two games.”
Blackwell added:
“There is definitely scope for improvement up front.”
Tom Cannon to fire the Foxes to promotion?
It was a testing summer for Cannon.
After the Irishman’s goalscoring exploits on loan at Preston North End last season, he wasn’t short of suitors, and he eventually landed himself an exciting move to title-chasers Leicester.
Injury has kept him out so far, but this international break will have given him a chance to get up to speed and expect him to make his Foxes debut against Watford this weekend.
He’s a similar type of player to Vardy in that he’s a very fast, poacher-type striker, and with neither Vardy or Iheanacho performing overly-well, there’s certainly a chance that Cannon makes the no.9 spot his own.
Maresca will be hoping that Cannon can use the time between now and AFCON to get up back up to speed with the Championship and to get to grips with this current style of play.
If not, then Maresca and Leicester may be forced to bring in another attacker in the January transfer window.