By admin 
Leicester City, led by Enzo Maresca, are clearing each challenge thrown their way. They had another difficult test in Way’sednesd encounter at Norwich, but they prevailed once again. They faced a team with a perfect home record and statistically the greatest offensive in the division at Carrow Road. It is common for City to try to break down the opposition in the second half of games, but Norwich were pushing after taking the lead before halftime.
It was the first time this season that City had been boxed in and had to deal with a barrage of aerial attacks. Norwich threw in 32 crosses and 10 corners, the most City has faced this season, and they just kept clearing danger. There was only one good chance in the second half despite Norwich’s pressing.
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Ideally, they would have relieved the pressure by holding on to the ball better after Jannik Vestergaard thumped a header clear, or they would have been as dangerous on the counter as they were against Southampton to move the game beyond Norwich earlier, but that isn’t always going to happen. City has now demonstrated that they can withstand a bombardment. If they can do it against the best attacking club in the league, who couldn’t?
City demonstrated against Southampton that they are well ahead of their opponents when playing in a similar approach. They demonstrated patience to break through deep-set defenses late in games against Huddersfield, Cardiff, and Rotherham.
This team is also still in its infancy. The more frequently they confront each type of test, the better they should be at solving it. Everything appears to be in order.
The effectiveness of the rotation speaks well for late-season energy levels.
Despite the fact that five substitutions were made, the game was won. This alleviates some of the anxiety about what might happen if particular players are hurt.
Not all of the adjustments were successful. Cesare Casadei, who had been effective in cup and replacement games prior to the international break, was clumsy and slow. Yunus Akgun was energetic, although he could have been more involved.
Nonetheless, City’s performance was unaffected. Maresca has been emphasizing that he will need 20 outfielders to make this season a success, but that is easier said than done. There must be a balance achieved between regulating players’ minutes and maintaining the cohesion that comes with a stable lineup.
However, if Maresca is coaching the players so well that they completely understand the concept and that regular rotation does not result in a reduction in quality, City will be in a great position. It should keep injuries to a minimum and energy levels high till May.
McAteer’s growth demonstrates the influence of Maresca.
Kasey McAteer’s sustained efficiency is perhaps the best indication of Maresca’s teaching and techniques. You’d never guess that his career up to this point had just encompassed half a season of regular League Two play.
He was the least experienced player in City’s youngest starting lineup in a league game in more than a decade, and he scored his fourth goal of the season, making him the club’s all-time leading scorer. He did, however, do more than just put the ball in the net.
The manager is correct. McAteer was tasked with dropping into the back-line when Norwich attacked to guard against their forward-minded full-backs for much of the game, but he still had the stamina to make runs beyond the Norwich defense. Even as time ran down, he got forward to assist two fresher substitutes, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Jamie Vardy, and score the game-winning second goal.
McAteer’s regular participation demonstrates a player that is knowledgeable, understands the manager’s ideas perfectly, and works extremely hard to execute them well. As a result, he is advancing at a rapid pace and becoming increasingly important to this team.
Hermansen is a candidate for the best deal of the summer.
Mads Hermansen has only just kept his first clean sheet for the club, but there has been enough of him to call his £5 million signing from Brondby as a steal. He’s fantastic.
He nearly set up a goal in the first half with a ping downfield right into McAteer’s path. In the second period, he flicked up a hand to deflect Shane Duffy’s header that appeared to be heading into the net.
“We use him a lot on the ball, especially when we face teams like tonight who go man to man,” Maresca explained. “But the goalkeeper is there to save goals, so we needed him once tonight, and he was excellent.” He is a complete goalkeeper, capable of both playing and saving.”
More than that, he appears to be trusted by his defense. The backline clearly trusts him to go with the ball, but they also know he can claim crosses and make saves. It calms the nerves.
Brendan Rodgers noted last season, when City introduced a new number one in Danny Ward, that there would be teething problems in terms of communication as the goalie and defense learnt to work together and understand their patterns. Hermansen has never caused me any consternation.
He’s also only 23. Early indications suggest he has the potential to be a top-tier goalkeeper, and City will be hoping he can achieve that status with them.
City is on track for promotion after a successful statement week.
Back-to-back travels to Southampton and Norwich seemed to be the most challenging combination of games City would face this season. They came away with six points and a 6-1 overall record.
This has been a big week for Maresca and the club. They defeated a team that was expected to push them for promotion, and then a team that showed early on that they could be a contender. They accomplished this with little preparation following the international break and a rapid turnaround in between.
While Maresca’s first month was incredibly successful, the nature of some of the victories meant that there were still some skeptics. Not any longer.After the game, Canaries manager David Wagner predicted that City will win the Championship. Maresca won’t acknowledge it, but it was the kind of evening where onlookers would have struggled to conceive of any impediment to their promotion charge.