Everton at Leicester: The Opposition View | Blues look to spoil foxy vibes at King Power
Today at 12:43 AM
Toffees have yet to take points this campaign; Leicester City will not be keen to give up any either
Everton are in a hard slog currently; that much is obvious to anyone who has watched this side this year. With defensive injuries to Jarrad Branthwaite and others, two-goal leads have proven as unsafe as one-goal leads for these Toffees.
Last year, goals were more difficult to come by, but the combination of Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski was solid enough - with the help of others, of course - to ensure low-scoring matches, some draws, and even some victories.
The Blues need three points, but even a single point will do at this point. Meanwhile, newly promoted Leicester City - sans Enzo Maresca - is still trying to firmly establish their Premier League legs once again after their relegation following the 2022-23 campaign.
How will Sean Dyche fix this side? Or is the side unfixable for the gaffer? If he is going to, against Leicester City would be a prime time to start; with both teams currently in the relegation territory as September looks to October, something will have to give should either possess hope of remaining in the Premier League for another season next year.
Ahead of Saturday's affair, we spoke with our dear friend Jake Lawson, Foxes fan and writer for SB Nation's dedicated Leicester site, Fosse Posse:
RBM: First off, welcome back to the Premier League once again! Tell us about this team of Foxes, how they're feeling, and how this team differs from the last iteration we saw of them.
JL: It's good to be back, and it's good to be speaking with you again. I'll be perfectly honest with you: This fixture was one of the ones I missed the most when we were relegated, and I've been looking forward to it for months.
The team really couldn't be more different. There was an arrogance to Brendan Rodgers. Steve Cooper, on the other hand, is...let's call him "pragmatic."
James Maddison and Harvey Barnes are gone to big clubs. We've bolstered our squad with Jordan Ayew and Bobby Decordova-Reid instead, which suggests our level of ambition this year is to finish 17th.
For the record, I think that's wise. You'd need a microscope to see our possession numbers on a pie chart. In a lot of ways, we're back to the square one of 2014/15 when we were very nearly relegated. This time, we don't have Riyad Mahrez, Esteban Cambiasso, Kasper Schmeichel, et. al.
We do still have Jamie Vardy, so there is some cause for hope.
RBM: How has the transition from Enzo Maresca to Steve Cooper gone so far? What are some things the side does similarly and differently under the former Forest boss?
JL: Oh my; where to start? The two of them literally could not be more different.
As Chelsea are finding out, Maresca has a very particular way of doing things: He wants to dominate possesion, his left back must play as a centre-half out of possession, his right back must move into midfield, his DMC's only job is serving as an inverted ten, who brings the ball out of the back, and the keeper will never, ever, EVER hit long balls.
None of this is true of Coop. He plays a very conventional 4-2-3-1 and is looking to go long whenever possible. It's been a tougher transition for some of the players who did well under Maresca: Ricardo Pereira can't get off the bench, Abdul Fatawu isn't getting the ball where he likes it, and poor Harry Winks is being asked to defend more than he's comfortable with. Where Maresca was expansive, Cooper is pragmatic.
It hasn't gelled yet, but we live in hope.
RBM: What did this side do across the summer to prepare themselves for this campaign? Talk to us about incomings and outgoings, as well as expectations for the year, please.
JL: It's impossible to speak of expectations without discussing the spectre of points deductions. I'm sure you're not unfamiliar with the feeling of going into a season and not knowing how many points you're going to need to stay up. I feel certain that the Premier League will do everything in its power to inflict some penalty on Leicester City at some point during the season. When and how many? Your guess is as good (or better) than mine.
Maybe it's my blue-coloured glasses, but I feel like we did pretty good business during the summer. The majority of players we lost didn't play much last year. We did lose Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who was spectacular for us in the Championship, but we brought in some good depth in the aforementioned Ayew and De Cordova-Reid.
Defender Caleb Okoli is off to a promising start, as is midfielder Facundo Buonanotte. We haven't seen Odsonne Eduoard or Bilal El Khannouss yet, but they both look good on paper. Put me down as "cautiously optimistic" with regard to the squad.
If I'm being perfectly honest, my expectation is relegation. I'd love to be proven wrong, but given the strength of the squad and the potential for a significant deduction in points? I expect we'll be in the Championship next year.
RBM: We have to speak on Jaime Vardy of course; how does this player continue doing magical things at this stage of his career?
JL: I've run out of words to describe him.
Years ago, I worked for a Major League Baseball team in the scouting department. When trying to determine what a play might do in the future, we built statistical models that found players who were similar to the one we were looking at and looked at what they did for the rest of their careers. But, every now and again, we'd find someone who was so unique that there just weren't any comparable players. That's Jamie Vardy.
There's never been a player like him, so there's no model to explain what he's done and what he's likely to do.
I assume he's driven by energy drinks and spite; there's really no other explanation.
RBM: Who are some names we should become more familiar with that we perhaps are not right now?
JL: Good question! I'd start with goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. He's Denmark's #2 and will take over for Kasper Schmeichel before long. Maresca brought him in because he's absolutely fearless with the ball at his feet. It turns out he's also a terrific shot-stopper, and his long-range distribution is excellent as well. He's not the tallest keeper you'll see, but if we survive this year, he'll likely be the biggest reason for it.
If you haven't seen Abdul Fatawu, you're missing out. He's the first winger we've had to inspire any degree of confidence on the right since Riyad Mahrez. He's a very different player: He's a pitpull on defense, he's got a cannon of a left foot, and he's got a telepathic link with Vardy. He's only 20 and, in a perfect world, he's a future star.
Finally, I'd like to point out that, while Wilfred Ndidi is a familiar name, he's a completely different player. After spending years as one of the Premier League's top midfield destroyers and automatic trigger for opponent presses, Maresca moved him up the pitch and he thrived.
He's operated as a #10 under Coop, and he's currently joint-second in assists in the league. I would have bet against this working, but he's a tremendously coachable player, and he won't look anything like the Wilfred Ndidi you remember.
RBM: Should this side be in the mood to spend more in January, what and who might they be looking for?
JL: Honestly, I kind of doubt it. We did so much business this summer that I think the squad is largely set, and we're more likely to move players than to buy them.
The only scenario where I could see us spending is if we're on the edge of the relegation zone and have an obvious need (left back?) that needs to be filled. If we're looking like we'll be safe or, heaven forbid, we're already buried, I can't see us bringing in new players.
RBM: Who can you see giving Everton some trouble on Saturday, and how might the Foxes line up against Everton at home?
JL: We'll be in a 4-2-3-1; that much is certain. I would expect Vardy to be up top, and if he sees any of the ball, he'll cause problems.
You'll see conventional fullbacks, a double pivot of Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks, and some combination of Ayew, Fatawu, and Stephy Mavididi. What'll be interesting is that I expect both sides to invite the other forward, so it'll be interesting to see who comes out of their shell first. I'm expecting a very nervy match.
Even though it's September, it feels like one of those dreaded true six-pointers, doesn't it?
RBM: Finally, what's your prediction for Saturday's match?
JL: Given the start both of these teams are off to, it's really tough to be optimistic. I'm going to go with a 1-1 draw featuring a late equaliser by one side or the other. Let's just maximize the bitterness here, and say that it'll be a long-range strike by Doucoure in injury time that gives the Toffees their first point of the season.
Never forget: Football is pain.
Our thanks to Jake for his time.
