Three things Leicester must do to get back into Europe next season, including helping Drinkwater

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Leicester City currently sit 12th in the league, but covering these three things could see them return to the top half.

Premier League champions Leicester City’s title defence is not off to the best of starts. They currently sit 12th in the table and, perhaps understandably, have been unable to recapture the blistering football which brought them such success last season. However, addressing these three things should give them a viable route back into European contention.

New tricks

Foxes defender Danny Simpson recently came out and said how much his side were struggling to defend at set pieces due to the refereeing crackdown on grappling. This would imply that the more physical culprits such as Robert Huth and Wes Morgan have been unable to assert themselves as effectively as last season.

Danny Simpson (left) says Leicester have struggled with new grappling rules

Leicester either need to adapt to the new rules or find a new way to defend, whether that be a change of system or an increase in discipline.

Back to basics

While their defending needs tinkering, their attacking needs to remain the same. Islam Slimani has done well since his arrival, but he does not offer the same industrious attitude or canny movement which Shinji Okazaki exhibited so effectively alongside Jamie Vardy. A return to this old system could see Leicester reap similar rewards.

It took until the game against Swansea for the Foxes to really show their menace on the counter attack – more of the same against their opposition and the champions should have the King Power Stadium rocking again in no time.

Shinji Okazaki has seen his playing time reduced this term

Help out Drinkwater

With N’Golo Kante now at Chelsea, Leicester have tried a string of different options alongside Danny Drinkwater in the hope of recreating their magnificent partnership.

Leicester City’s Danny Drinkwater in action with Southampton’s Steven Davis

Sadly for Foxes fans, neither Andy King nor Daniel Amartey have been able to fill that void yet, while Nampalys Mendy has been injured since his reasonably promising league debut against Arsenal. If Leicester are to stand any chance of recreating even a fraction of last season’s success, they must give Drinkwater a hand in the middle of the park.