Leicester's Magician Mahrez

Article by e-Leicester Correspondent Jonathan Smith

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Nigel Pearson has regularly stated that the January transfer window isn’t his favourite period of the football season. His dislike for the window is probably partly due to unwelcome bids the club receives for players throughout the month but January isn’t the easiest time to grab yourself a bargain either. Other clubs realise that your need for a player may encourage you to part with more cash than you would normally be willing to. This season has been slightly different. With Leicester flying at the top of the Championship, the need for new players hasn’t been as great as it’s been in previous seasons. If anything, there was a feeling that adding to the squad may have a detrimental effect on the togetherness that’s developed during the past two seasons. It was important that City signed characters that would fit in with the group off the field as well as add quality on it.

One player that Pearson opted for was Kevin Phillips. The pair had worked together previously at West Brom. You know what you’re going to get from the former England international and he’s not disappointed so far. His goal at Bournemouth turned a point into three and his goal on Saturday against Blackpool, one of his numerous former clubs, made sure that City would score three goals at home for the third consecutive match. His penalty miss at the City Ground could have been costly if it hadn’t have been for fellow substitute, and January signing, Riyad Mahrez. Like Phillips, Mahrez has only made eight appearances for Leicester since signing from French outfit Le Havre but his impact has been huge. Not only did he grab an equaliser against Nottingham Forest but he has laid on two goals for Jamie Vardy with very similar through balls. The first came against Birmingham City and the second at Barnsley. Encouragingly, all of these positive contributions have come away from home. It’s sometimes difficult for players to come from a different country and perform on the road but Mahrez has shown that he’s as capable of doing so.

Saturday saw his first major contribution at the King Power Stadium. Trailing 1-0 at half time to Blackpool, it felt like it could be one of those days where City were going to huff and puff but not be able to blow the house down. It took a stunning strike from the edge of the box from the French-Algerian winger to get the home side back in the game. With half an hour left to play, the Foxes started to turn their dominance into goals to secure another three points. Mahrez played a key role for the second goal. His perfectly floated cross from the left was headed home at the back post by Wes Morgan for his first league goal of the season.

The signing of Mahrez from the second tier of French football comes almost a year and a half after the arrival of Anthony Knockaert from across the channel. Knockaert was also playing for a second tier French team at the time and has developed into a class act during his time at the club. He possessed a lot of raw talent when he joined but didn’t always play intelligent football like he is at times this season. Mahrez seems a little more advanced. He has plenty of trickery, much like Knockaert, but there seems to be a greater amount of control about the way he plays. Knowing when to shoot, when to take your man on, when to cross and when to pass can be the difference between a good player and a great one. Knockaert has improved in that regard and Mahrez already has that ability. I’m sure that behind the scenes, the coaching staff will be working on his strength and conditioning as he isn’t the biggest, physically, although his pace and trickery may make up for that.

Credit must go to the scouting system that’s in place at Leicester City for finding these rough diamonds and the coaching staff for polishing them up. Hopefully these two French gems will be shining in the Premier League come August.

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