Nowhere Near Good Enough’: Morrison Identifies Root of Leicester’s Decline
Leicester City Facing Likely Drop Back to the Championship
While Leicester City’s survival in the Premier League isn’t yet mathematically impossible, their current form — just one win in their last 16 matches — means a dramatic turnaround is required if they’re to avoid relegation.
They have, of course, pulled off the improbable before. The Foxes’ miraculous escape from relegation in the 2014/15 season still lingers in the memory as one of the great Premier League comebacks.
However, that team appeared to show far more resilience and fight than the current squad.
Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison believes he knows the root cause of Leicester’s poor season.
Speaking on Gillette Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports, Morrison pointed the finger squarely at the club’s recruitment.
“Leicester’s recruitment has been nowhere near good enough,” he stated bluntly.
“To stay up in the Premier League, you have to strengthen, and they simply didn’t do enough in that department.”
Morrison highlighted the lack of attacking firepower as a particular concern.
“Apart from Jamie Vardy, I don’t see anyone in that team who looks capable of scoring goals. They’re still relying on a 38-year-old striker to carry them.”
Vardy, who has scored seven times in 28 appearances this season, remains Leicester’s top scorer.
No other player has managed more than four goals, a statistic that clearly underlines their issues in front of goal.
Leicester did attempt to address squad weaknesses in the summer of 2024, bringing in nine new players in a bid to give then-manager Steve Cooper the tools he needed.
Big-money signings included Oliver Skipp, Bilal El Khannouss, and Abdul Fatawu.
However, despite a decent start to the campaign, Cooper was dismissed after just 12 games in charge.
His replacement, Ruud van Nistelrooy, has overseen a significant drop in form.
Leicester’s financial limitations in January meant they could only bring in one new player — right-back Woyo Coulibaly from Parma for £3 million. Yet, he’s hardly featured, making only four appearances, three from the bench.
Other summer signings have also failed to make an impact. Skipp has started just once in the league under van Nistelrooy, and Fatawu’s promising form was cut short by a season-ending injury.
Altogether, Leicester’s transfer activity has lacked cohesion and effectiveness.
The result has been a squad that looks unbalanced and underprepared, both tactically and mentally, for the challenge of Premier League survival.
