As news filtered through of Arsenal meeting Jamie Vardy’s release clause back in June, eyebrows were certainly raised in north London. Signing a 29-year-old striker is not something Arsene Wenger is renowned for, but the veteran coach obviously saw something he wanted in the England international.
Fast-forward two months and Vardy has signed a new deal at Leicester City and is preparing to come up against the team that were desperate to sign him. But while scoring the winner against the Gunners would only increase the ire among Arsenal’s frustrated support, Vardy still has plenty to prove to the wider footballing world before he can be added to the ever-growing list of star names whom Wenger has tried and failed to bring to north London.
Having netted 24 goals to fire the Foxes to their fairytale Premier League title triumph, he saw himself explode into the wider public’s consciousness, with even those who do not identify themselves as a football fan being familiar with his non-league to Premier League story. But after a slightly underwhelming Euro 2016 – though that cannot be entirely pinned on him personally – question marks remain over whether he can retain his form heading into another campaign.
As he approaches 30 there is a feeling that his natural pace will soon start to fade, but while he still possesses that weapon he will be a threat to defences both domestically and when Leicester make their Champions League bow in the coming months. However, there were signs in the Foxes’ season opener against Hull City that the weight of expectation is finally beginning to catch up with the former Fleetwood Town forward.
Three presentable chances to open his account for the season came and went on Humberside, and after his superb finishing of last term there is already a lingering suggestion that he could yet become the latest “one-season wonder” to go from lighting up the Premier League to almost total obscurity. Whether it is a dip in confidence after a disappointing summer, the pressure of his own achievements or just a lack of match sharpness, the Vardy on show at the KCOM Stadium was a shadow of the man who broke records and challenged for the Golden Boot last term.
Of course, it would be ridiculous to write him off after just 90 minutes of the season, particularly as Harry Kane’s performances in winning the top scorer award last season put pay to those who doubted his longevity after a slow start to the 2015-16 campaign. But if we are to see a similar return in terms of goals, then how Claudio Ranieri selects his strikers will likely play a huge role in determining it.
Against Hull, the former Chelsea boss opted to partner Vardy with club-record signing Ahmed Musa, whose own pace and finishing ability has been noted during some encouraging pre-season performances. On the face of it, playing your two quickest and most direct strikers against a side that seems to lack any decent acceleration themselves is a logical decision, but there is a the question of whether in doing so they are limiting what Vardy can do on the pitch.
Seeing both Musa and Vardy lining-up and knowing that Leicester favour the counterattack will likely lead to opposition managers instructing their defence to sit deep, which in turn should – at least in theory – not allow the striker the space he craves to operate in. Last season when paired with Shinji Okazaki he was given far more freedom to roam along the backline, with the Japan international tending to drop deeper and in turn drag an opposition centre-back with him. It was a system the whole Premier League became familiar with but one very few were able to prevent from being effective.
Of course, Ranieri could opt to leave Vardy out on occasion and play Musa alongside either Okazaki or Leonardo Ulloa, but that would only further serve the notion that the England man is not capable of repeating his heroics of last season this time around. His eye for goal is unlikely to have faded so dramatically, and though it is unlikely he will reach the same heights again given his age and the predicted fall of the Foxes back into the Premier League pack, it would be unfair to label such a consistent goalscorer at all levels as a 'one-season wonder'. Wenger and Arsenal’s travelling support will only be hoping he does not choose Saturday evening to start proving some of his doubters wrong.
> ..... - Goal