Foxes look to confound the critics again

After a turbulent season, capped by one of the most dramatic escapes from relegation in Premier League history, Leicester City might have wished for some peace and tranquility during the summer.

Instead, the club was plunged into further turmoil.

Incidents on a post-season tour of Thailand resulted in the departure of three junior players and – ultimately – manager Nigel Pearson too.

Weeks of intense and frenzied speculation about potential successors followed, before the owners eventually appointed veteran Italian Claudio Ranieri to fill Pearson’s shoes.

Many fans voiced doubts about the appointment, especially after talismanic Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso rejected the offer of a new contract at City.

But a run of impressive pre-season results, together with moves in the transfer market to strengthen key areas of the side, have helped to ease many of these worries.

In addition, the pursuit of veteran Serie A midfielder Gokhan Inler and Copa America winner Charles Aranguiz as potential replacements for Cambiasso has sent a strong message about City’s ambitions.

The squad has considerably more quality and depth than it did this time last year, with the arrival of Bundesliga stars Christian Fuchs and Shinji Okazaki, plus French duo Ngolo Kante and Yohan Benalouane boosting competition for places.

Many of the established stars will also benefit from the extra year’s experience of top-flight football.

In particular, Jamie Vardy, whose form during the end-of-season revival was rewarded with an England cap, and Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez have already served notice of their threat to trouble opposition defences on a regular basis.

Meanwhile in defence Robert Huth, now signed from Stoke on a permanent basis, should ensure that the City back line will prove rather more resilient than it did for much of last winter.

If Ranieri can conjure the same fighting spirit that the Foxes displayed during last season’s closing weeks, a more comfortable campaign lies in wait.

The media pundits who forecast relegation for City in the wake of high-profile departures may well be forced to eat their words.

Originally posted at http://ultrafox1963.tumblr.com