Match Ratings: Leicester v Southampton

Another lead, followed by another collapse. Let’s get to the match ratings from yours truly.

Leicester City dropped all three points at home to Southampton on Saturday. While the foxes dominated the ball and had the lead early in the second half, the now inevitable second half collapse made for another miserable weekend.

Danny Ward: Another game where neither goal was really his fault. He also didn’t really make many noteworthy saves. 5.

Timothy Castagne: Was really impressive linking up with Perez up the right hand side, even though the end product was severely lacking. Defensively he was solid again, although the argument could be made that he could have been better positioned for Che Adams’ winner. 5.

Daniel Amartey: I have been among the people most critical of Amartey this season, and that won’t stop today. Again, he was solid for most of the game. But he continuously attempted passes to bypass the Southampton midfield, which is great if a player has the ability/vision to do so. I am unsure if Amartey has either, and it put the foxes in tough positions on a few occasions. While he wasn’t at fault for either of the goals for once, that doesn’t mean he was good. 4.5.

Jonny Evans: A really solid first half from him and wasn’t at fault for either goal. However, he has been a member of a back line that has conceded 8 goals in 3 games. 5.5.

James Justin: Seemed to be in a slightly different role that suited him really well. He seemed to be drifting into a more defensive midfield role. He defended well, stopping most Southampton counters in their tracks. 7.

Wilfried Ndidi: Much better from him. Much more of what we expect from him as Leicester returned to a back 4. However, he did put the foxes in an awful spot after misjudging the flight of the throw-in for the first goal. 6.5.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall: Another player who was superb in the first half. Rolling over opponents in midfield, playing the ball forward well, and even showing off some nifty footwork in and around the box. He worked hard in the second half but was fruitless in many of his efforts. 7.

James Maddison: His set piece deliveries were great once again, and how about that free kick? The great thing about Madders is that he can influence a game even when he isn’t particularly involved, which he was not in open play. 6.5.

Ayoze Perez: Linked up well with Castagne, but somehow managed to be the player that seemed most likely to score while also being the player most likely to give the ball away at the same time. He also probably should have had his goal in the first half. 5.

Harvey Barnes: Leicester is a squad that clearly needs the presence of Barnes. The directness and pace he provides brings a different aspect to the Leicester attack. He started well but a player just returning from injury is bound to have fitness issues, which he did. 5.5.

Jamie Vardy: Arguably the most worrying sign at the start of this new season is the lack of involvement from Vardy. He genuinely has not had a significant chance in the first three matches of the season. This is not entirely down to him, I will say. He is still making those dangerous runs off the back shoulder, he just is not getting the service he needs. He was largely anonymous again. 5.

Substitutes

Patson Daka: Much like Vardy, he worked hard but was not involved. 4.5.

Youri Tielemans: One word. Sluggish. 4.

Kelechi Iheanacho: Barely involved and gave the ball away when he did get it. 4.

Brendan Rodgers: The Rodgers in/out conversation has arisen again. While that is a fair conversation, my only questions are, what can a new manager change? Also, what can Rodgers do differently? The squad is in severe need of an overhaul but he won’t get it because of FFP rules. The money is there, but we cannot sign any new players until we cut down on the wage bill. Although many of the players we want to move on were players BR pushed to sign. Beyond that, you have the transfer sagas of Tielemans and Fofana ongoing. I am just not sure what a new manager would change, and more importantly who we would even bring in.

Honorable Mention

A rare honorable mention to Wesley Fofana, who was left out of the squad due to his ongoing transfer saga with Chelsea. He was in the stadium and when Madders banged in his free kick, Wesley sat there and refused to celebrate, looking like a spoiled little kid who is pouting because he could not get candy at the grocery store. -50/10.

As always, hit the comments and let us discuss!