The fact an eighth-place finish felt like a disappointment speaks volumes for how far Leicester have come under Brendan Rodgers.
Barely even an afterthought in Premier League relegation betting, the Foxes have now clocked five consecutive top half finishes. A jaunt to the last four of the Conference League was the highlight of 2021/22.
With no European distraction in 2022/23, what would be a good season for Rodgers’ side? Is a top six finish reasonable? Will they be able to leapfrog David Moyes’ West Ham?
The sports betting markets place the Foxes behind the Hammers and Newcastle in the race to upset the big six. There’s work to be done if they are to replicate their 2019/20 and 2020/21 results.
No News Is… Bad News?
Leicester are yet to make a permanent signing this summer. Perhaps this is a sign of a refreshed, circumspect approach in the market.
Alternatively, fans could look at this as a club going backwards through inaction, particularly after a lack of squad depth hit them hard in 2021/22.
The 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 footage from pre-season training 🎥 pic.twitter.com/DI8mgSlEXl
— Leicester City (@LCFC) July 22, 2022
The future of Youri Tielemans is up in the air with Arsenal looming, and the Foxes have been heavily linked with several new signings including Levi Colwill of Chelsea.
It could be argued that having a fully fit first XI would be effectively like having new signings, but it’s clear Leicester need to bolster their depth if they are to contend for a top six spot again.
Defensive Woes Continue
Those injuries were particularly relevant to the defence with Wilfred Ndidi, Wesley Fofana and Ricardo Pereira missing time.
Missing such core members of the midfield and back line is going to compromise their defensive efforts, but it also shone a light on the long-running issue of defensive fragility in Rodgers’ teams.
Leeds, Watford and Norwich were the only teams to allow more expected goals against last season.
Leicester must make a serious improvement at limiting opponent’s chances to put themselves in contention to be best of the rest in 2022/23.
How Can Leicester Improve?
While it’s reductive, and ultimately true for every team, Leicester’s most obvious route to improving on last season is having their best players available. Rodgers’ first choice XI is still the best outside the top six.
Keeping hold of Tielemans is significant, and it would be a confidence boost for Leicester backers if they could add another midfielder even if the Belgian remains at the club.
Matches at the King Power are one of the best away days in the Premier League, but the Foxes need an improvement in 2022/23. Just four teams won fewer away matches last season.
Leicester Prediction For 2022/23:
There’s a relatively limited range of outcomes for Leicester Premier League predictions. Fifth is an absolute best-case scenario, and it’s unlikely to be worse than 10th.
The fact they finished eighth even with all the challenges of 2022/23 demonstrates how strong the Foxes are compared to other mid-table teams.
It could go down to the wire between Leicester and West Ham for best-of-the-rest honours in 2022/23.
Leicester Premier League prediction: 8th
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
