The look of relief on Wes Morgan’s face as he went to lift the Premier League trophy was clear to see. “I had to fight back the tears, but I held them back and finally got my hands on it,” he said earlier this week when asked of his emotions on the day. In the space of 12 months, the Leicester City centre-back had steered the club from the brink of relegation to domestic glory. It’s no wonder rum giants Captain Morgan commemorated his achievement with a limited edition bottle.
When Morgan and manager Claudio Ranieri hoisted the trophy aloft at the King Power Stadium following a 3-1 win over Everton, it brought to a head one of the greatest sporting achievements of the recent times. Morgan has been central to that.
The powerhouse defender is one of only two outfield players to play every minute in the Premier League this season. Last term, he registered 3288 of a possible 3420 minutes of top-flight action, and while the Jamaica international endured a few hairy moments in his debut campaign, that was to be expected from a player enjoying his first season in England’s top tier.
That, though, isn’t to say he disappointed last term. Morgan was among Leicester’s best rated players, gaining a WhoScored rating of 7.20; only Robert Huth (7.42) scored higher. His exploits this term, meanwhile, have been somewhat overshadowed by the excellence of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante, but Morgan is as vital a member of the squad as the trio. With Leicester adopting a counter-attacking approach, the captain’s performances go a long way to Ranieri’s game plan coming to fruition.
His WhoScored rating may be lower this season (7.08) than last, but this says more about the teams’ collective performance rather than Morgan's as a whole. There is now less onus on the Jamaican to readily clear the lines, with the burden shared with the equally impressive Huth and alleviated by those in front of him. Leicester’s defensive solidity improved significantly with the German’s arrival from Stoke City 18 months ago and it goes without saying that he and Morgan quickly formed an impressive understanding.
In the 49 games the duo have started together, Leicester may have conceded 49 goals, but have kept 21 clean sheets. Importantly, though, Huth’s arrival put less pressure on Morgan to hold the defence together. It’s no coincidence, therefore, that Morgan’s average number of tackles (1.5 to 1.3), interceptions (2.6 to 2.5) and clearances (6.9 to 5.7) have each dropped from last season compared to this.
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Huth’s have also dropped, but this points to a more organised Leicester side under Ranieri than it was under Nigel Pearson. With Danny Simpson and Christian Fuchs tucking inside at right and left-back when necessary - not to mention the expansive defensive work carried out by Kante and Drinkwater - Leicester remain incredibly compact before breaking forward with speed.
This, though, does not put an end to Morgan's defensive responsibilities. Leicester average just 44.7% possession in the Premier League this season, the third lowest in England’s top tier, meaning the defence need to keep their wits about them in order to counter the opposition’s offensive threat. However, with Morgan leading from the back, the Foxes maintain their defensive shape to not only limit the pressure on Kasper Schmeichel’s goal, but implement successfully Ranieri’s counter-attacking style. Indeed, no team has scored more counter-attacking goals than the recently-crowned Premier League champions (5).
Morgan’s proactivity goes a long way to helping preserve Leicester’s defensive solidity. He has blocked more shots (87) than any other player in the last two Premier League seasons, reinforcing his statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘blocking the ball’, while only Ashley Williams (686) and Phil Jagielka (534) have made more clearances than the Leicester captain (468) in that time. Morgan’s willingness to put his body on the line for the sake of the team and ability to be in the right place at the right time to alleviate danger played a key role in the Foxes eventual title win.
Providing the foundation for Leicester’s success, Morgan has been one of the club’s most consistent performers this term. The gritty 1-0 wins as the campaign entered its business end were made all the more possible by the centre-back’s resilience. While Vardy, Mahrez and Kante, to name three, have earned the plaudits, Morgan warrants the praise for Ranieri’s approach working to perfection, culminating in Leicester’s incredible triumph.
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