Leicester City have continued where they left off in the league last season, as a 3-2 victory over Birmingham City meant that the team enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season, which they then took into their league form.
Much has been made about their new strength in depth, with new signings slotting seamlessly into place, heightening the chance of players such as Centre-Back Robert Huth moving on, with Wigan one of the favourites to land him.
Leaister had the best possible preparation for the new season, and carried their form into the new season, even though they were one of the top bets on the StanJames betting website to be fighting against relegation come the end of the season. Ranieri’s only aim this season is to avoid relegation to the Championship.
A lot has happened in the last few months. Nigel Pearson has departed to make way for Claudio Ranieri, while important players from last season like Esteban Cambiasso have chosen not to stay with the club.
As a result, the starting line-up for the opening game against Sunderland could be vastly different from the team that finished last season. Manager Claudio Ranieri has his own ideas about running the club.
Defender Robert Huth, though, is unlikely to remain a central figure in the defence, even though his experience could be the key to avoid dropping points against the teams around them. Huth is hoping to start the new season in the positive fashion by playing in their first home game, but it’s increasingly unlikely he’ll play.
“Some players will have played themselves into the team, some may have put doubts in the manager’s mind. I thought we played well for pretty much all the game. They scored two good goals but, after that, we responded pretty well, especially in the second half, and I think we fully deserved the win.”
“It’s slightly different, he likes to set up a little more defensively or maybe look for a clean sheet more than previously. The way we finished last season was tremendous. We are trying to keep it tight at the back and score a few more goals up front,” said Huth.
