Leicester's tough start to the season

Leicester have so far played four times in all competitions this season and have scored a grand total of 2 goals. In one sense, having 1 point in the league after playing Liverpool and Arsenal while looking pretty solid in both games is not the end of the world. But against Crystal Palace,(a team that shipped 11 goals in their first two games)the Foxes only managed 7 shots and barely tested Palace keeper, Shae Yañez. In all fairness to Palace they were very defensively disciplined throughout most of the game, forced Leicester into their sloppiest performance so far and really limited the amount of time Leicester were able to be in the final 3rd while only giving up 2 big chances in the second half. In terms of the two big chances in the second half, Leicester's first saw Jutta Rantala slipped in by, half time substitute, Shana Chossenotte inside the box only for her right-footed, far post, shot to be cleared by Yañez's right foot. The second involved Noemi Mouchon deftly finding Ruby Mace on the edge of the box, where she was able to ghost in front of Katrine Veje, but her left-footed shot was tame and left the American keeper untroubled. 

The Foxes' only league goal came against Liverpool from a quickly taken free kick in their own half where some quick-thinking from Yuka Momiki managed to play Rantala through from a cross-field switch(and some good fortune after Taylor Hinds got a slight touch on Momiki's long pass). The Blues were arguably unlucky not to pick up all 3 points against the Reds as Ruby Mace's header from a pinpoint Jutta Rantala cross was judged to be offside. Against Arsenal they actually played pretty well when they had the ball and really could've come away with at least a point if either Rantala and/or Chossenotte been able to put away their big chances in the 2nd half.

I think there are definitely reasons to be hopeful that Leicester can turn around their winless form, which extends back to a 5-2 win against Bristol City in February who were later relegated. For one the average age of the six summer signings was 21, with Ruby Mace being the early standout. The team certainly has very good technical players such as Jutta Rantala, Yuka Momiki, Saori Takarada and the aforementioned Ruby Mace. In terms of wing options they can either use inverted wingers with Rantala and Momiki or to be more direct they have Chossenotte, Missy Goodwin and Deanne Rose. Last season's talisman, Jutta Rantala, who got 11 goal contributions(6 goals and 5 assists)in the league, still looks she could be a game-changer with her threat on both feet.

I'd like to see Amandine Miquel tinker with the formation and personnel in future games to maximise the players on the pitch. I think there's real potential in shifting the in-possession structure from a 4141 to a 4231 so that there'd be more options in the early build-up allowing the back line another central option and it would still be easy to transition to press in a 442. The holding midfielders could be any two of Mace, Takarada or Tierney which would create a good balance of combative defending in midfield and good ball progression. 

In front of the double pivot, moving Rantala into the 10 would probably suit her skillset and would get her into more effective central areas where she can either slip players through, take the ball in half-space channels to then get crosses into the box. As much as I'd like for both wingers to be very direct, I'm not sure Chossenotte is ready to start and I think it'd be hard to fully drop Momiki so the Japanese international should be the starting rw alongside Missy Goodwin on the opposite flank. Like her French compatriot, Chossenotte, Noemi Mouchon still looks quite raw and has been fairly starved of service in the final 3rd. I think Mouchon should still start but replacing her with the pacy Deanne Rose during the 2nd half would be a good opportunity to play balls in behind.

All in all, this Leicester team has some decent potential, and if they can improve their finishing, as well as stamp out some of the sloppy play that has cost them then they could improve and pose more problems to other teams.