Leicester City Fan View: Has Adrien Silva done enough?

Adrien Silva hasn’t had a dream start to life at Leicester City. Even ignoring the FIFA transfer saga that delayed his start to the season, it’s not gone as he would have hoped. His class isn’t in question but his ability to fit into this Leicester side is. With Claude Puel having been scathing about him previously, has he done enough to earn a place in the side on a permanent basis?

World Cup provides Silva another chance

With more regular starts of late, Silva should still be given a place in Portugal’s World Cup squad. The midfielder isn’t short of experience and we have seen some of that come into play for ourselves. Whoever is in charge of the Foxes by June (though I hope we aren’t so quick to lay off Puel) will be keen to see how he performs.

His performance against Southampton wasn’t perfect but he had moments that impressed me. It was another chance to see if there’s a viable partnership to be made with Wilfred Ndidi. The Nigerian midfielder will also be at the World Cup which may bring us more unwanted attention for his services. He and Silva haven’t had much game time together yet which perhaps contributed to a mix display. Certain passes, turns and a dedication to win the ball at all times are attributes we need.

So far Silva looks better for us when given the task of leading. As a Captain prior to his signing here, it’s not a surprise. His knowledge can be invaluable to the likes of Ndidi and for Hamza Choudhury too.

Vicente Iborra a noticeable absence for Leicester

While it’s good to give Silva more game time, stop-start chances aren’t helping him settle in, we have missed Vicente Iborra in recent weeks. His loss by injury coincided with Ndidi’s suspension and we look weaker without both. For Iborra, he adds much needed height and a commanding presence in the middle.

His injury has allowed the likes of Choudhury to get an earlier chance and the initial signs are promising. For a club whose record of successfully promoting good youth players is poor, we have him and Harvey Barnes waiting in the wings. Puel’s chance to bring both on against Southampton was criticised by some for not being attacking enough. If anything it was the timing, the changes coming on the cusp of additional time that was disappointing. Both showed a keenness and intensity that we needed.

It was disappointing to lose Iborra just as we finally got a chance to try Iborra and Silva together. The ideal scenario may be the chance to try the pair with the quicker Ndidi mixed in as well. As Puel continues to experiment with a best formation and different tactics, maybe there’s still time.

Puel’s issues run deeper than a lack of squad depth

Marc Albrighton is our James Milner. Asked to deputise as a right-back, the effort wasn’t lacking (see a diving header in the first half), but it’s not a particular strength either. With some injuries combined with a short break between games, experimentation was the key. While the first half play wasn’t so bad, the second half left a lot to be desired. It was suggestive of unrest and once again, we seem to have a player, or several, speaking to the press to bemoan certain things.

Working with a squad lacking in certain areas is difficult enough, more so if they’re not on your side. Those quick to accredit this to Puel may want to remember that this is now the third time we’re hearing of reported unrest. If true, given they’ve done this to three different managers, perhaps it’s time to accept that changes are desperately needed in the squad too. There’s a certain changing of the guard to happen if you look at the age of some squad members and something we can expect with Puel is a focus on replacing them with promising youngsters.

The Foxes have just four fixtures remaining. Seemingly little will change with our league position but moods could be lifted, particularly if we can get something from our last two home games. It would end a disappointing, boring run at the King Power.