Jamie Vardy has had a terrific season. Fourteen goals in fifteen games, a new Premier League record to his name, and thousands of very happy Fantasy Football managers.
Likewise, Riyad Mahrez has had a terrific season. Ten goals in fifteen games, six direct assists, and an equal amount of ecstatic Fantasy Football managers.
But ultimately, Leicester’s season is dependent on Mahrez, not Vardy. I’m not going to argue the impossible and say any Vardy disappearance wouldn’t damage the Foxes, but Mahrez is so much more important for them.
Some personal context may be interesting, in that I slated Leicester’s appointment of Claudio Ranieri, and claimed that “they’ll be extremely lucky to avoid playing Championship football next year” whilst plumping them to a 20th place finish. Right now, the Foxes are flying high at the opposite end of the table and I’m preparing the best side-dish to go with those words I’ll have to eat.
It’s impossible to ignore Vardy’s hot streak, which came to an end against Swansea the other day. Starting with a late penalty against Bournemouth on August 29th, the late-bloomer hit thirteen goals in eleven games to eclipse Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring in ten consecutive Premier League games. But I’m sure you’re all aware of that, and have all lauded him for that.
I can’t take this accolade away from the striker, but ultimately, Mahrez is instrumental to this accomplishment. For one reason, the Algerian was previously Leicester’s penalty taker, but as Vardy’s streak continued, Mahrez gave spot-kick duties to the Englishmen which counted for Vardy’s ninth consecutive goal against Watford.
But as a striker, his goal is to score goals, if such an oversimplification is possible. Mahrez on the other hand is the engine that keeps Leicester ticking over. To hit ten goals as a midfielder before the halfway mark is astonishing, and something that ranks alongside the skills of Premier League legends Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
Mahrez scored two to kickstart the season as himself and Leicester tore apart Sunderland. He made it four in three with goals against West Ham and Tottenham, the latter of which was another storming performance. Leicester were lucky to grab a draw against Bournemouth, as Mahrez was substituted at half-time for a lack of energy. He also had a poor first-half away at Aston Villa, but Ranieri kept faith in him this time around, wisely too, as he concocted all three of Leicester’s goals as they overcame a 2-0 deficit.
His creativity and trickery is key to Leicester’s dominance, rather than Vardy’s goals. The English striker can cause defenders problems, but like against Spurs, he can be extinguished. Mahrez on the other hand is always sparking. Against Stoke a week later, it was Mahrez’s genius again which helped the Foxes to escape with a point, thanks to a goal and another incisive assist for Vardy.
Mahrez was dropped for Leicester’s trip to Southampton after an ineffective display against Arsenal the week before, which Ranieri clearly rued as the Saints cruised to a 2-0 lead at half-time. Mahrez was brought on, and inexplicably changed the game. His vision for chances enabled Vardy to slot in the equaliser, and although Vardy’s double grabbed the headlines, Mahrez’s ability to completely turn a game on its head in 45 minutes was the real story.
The Algerian also hit two goals whilst dismantling West Brom, and also killed off Garry Monk at Swansea by hitting his first hat-trick for the club as Leicester ran out 3-0 winners. Vardy, as important as his goals have been, has really just been the end product of Mahrez’s magic. Any good striker can latch on to pinpoint passes and finish them off, but it takes someone special to be able to create these chances.
Leicester also have talented strikers at their disposal. Were Shinji Okazaki given consistent game time, he could easily have hit more than his two goals this season. Leonardo Ulloa was one of Leicester’s shining lights under Nigel Pearson last year, as he fired eleven goals to save Leicester from what looked like certain relegation. This year he has only recorded 360 minutes of action – equal to four games – but still nicked a goal against Newcastle as he grinded out a man of the match performance. Despite this, it was Vardy’s solitary record-equalling goal that stole the headlines.
But to feed these hungry strikers, only Mahrez can do it for Leicester. Marc Albrighton and Danny Drinkwater are solid enough midfielders to keep the Foxes’ shape in the centre of the park, but neither hold a flame to the exceptional talent that Mahrez unleashes on teams week in, week out. Without this wizardry, there’s no way that Leicester would have accumulated the points that they have now. Vardy has often just been a name on the scoresheet, little else. But Mahrez is the one who has secured Leicester the results they needed when they were up against it.
Their form has also brought around the unwelcome side-effect of January speculation. Will anyone dare make a bid for the hottest properties in England? And if so, which one is more likely to gain the more lucrative bid? For starters, I doubt either would leave. After all, Leicester are (whisper it) currently on course to the win the Premier League. But if a bigger, wealthier club comes knocking, a move would be hard to resist.
But in some ways, Jamie Vardy is comparable to Rickie Lambert. Both have fought to the top the hard way, and subsequently earned call-ups to the England squad late in their career. After 28 goals in two top-flight seasons with Southampton, Liverpool came knocking and acquired Lambert’s services. But he flopped and left for West Brom with only two league goals to his name. The problem was that Lambert was a classic striker, much like Vardy, who simply banged away the goals. The team played around him. Were Vardy to join Arsenal for example, can you imagine Wenger completely changing his football philosophy to accommodate this direct striker?
But Mahrez is different. He plays for his team-mates, and is a consistent stream of quality for Vardy to ride on. There have been rumours of Barcelona swooping for Mahrez at some point, and although this seems slightly disproportionate, it does raise a good point. Mahrez could easily join a top European team and fit in around his new exotic colleagues. But would anyone take a risk on the 28 year-old Vardy?
Liverpool only wasted £4 million on Lambert, who struggled to fit in alongside experienced internationals. Vardy would likely do the same. No club would risk any more than £10m on this in-form striker, but it’s not difficult to see clubs splashing north of £20m for Mahrez.
In a year’s time I can’t see Vardy being anywhere else than Leicester, and if so, there’ll be no way he’d be banging away the goals like he is now. A bit part player for a bigger club is Vardy’s only future, but Mahrez could easily be making an impact in the Champions League at the same time.