The Foxes have been impressive so far in Brendan Rodgers’ first full season at the helm of the King Power Stadium side.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has praised Brendan Rodgers’ work at Leicester City thus far but doubts the Foxes could mount a Premier League top-six push this season, largely due to what he feels is over-reliance on Jamie Vardy.
Leicester have been one of the Premier League’s most impressive sides so far this term, with such impressive results as the 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, the 5-0 hammering of Newcastle United and the 1-1 draw with Chelsea helping them to third in the table.
Vardy, who has been lining up as the lone striker under Rodgers in a 4-1-4-1, has been crucial to the Foxes’ bright start, with five goals and an assist under his belt in just seven league games (Transfermarkt).
Beyond the 32-year-old, however, Leicester have just Kelechi Iheanacho and Ayoze Perez as senior forwards, leading Merson to describe the lack of strength in depth as a “major problem” waiting to happen in case Vardy gets sidelined.
Brendan Rodgers hasn’t even been a Leicester a year and he’s already improved that squad 10-fold,” Merson wrote on Sky Sports. “There isn’t one player that has gone backwards since his arrival, every one of them looks a better player. There will be a lot of clubs sitting up and thinking they missed a trick not trying to get Rodgers in, he’s very good.
“It’s going to be hard for Leicester to break into the top six. Jamie Vardy is going to have to play every game, but if he gets injured who will come in for him? That’s the problem over a 38-game season, a major problem.”
Up next for Leicester is Saturday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool.
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