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Kate Blakemore
Fan writer

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Jamie Vardy did what Jamie Vardy does best with his beautifully taken goal at Selhurst Park. He made light work of his opponent, the apparent £50m+ defender Marc Guehi, with his seemingly timeless pace and superb execution, rounding the keeper with a narrow-angled finish. The celebration wasn't the flying eagle from yesteryear, but a simple smile and 'chit-chat' with the furious home fans. Wonderful. How long will this old dog still be using his old tricks?

Leicester had done the hard work; a 2-0 lead, away at one of the trickier away grounds to navigate. Surely all that was needed was to see it home, right? Not quite. It seems the modus operandi for this was the bane of contention for some fans, fuelled by some divisive tactics from Steve Cooper and an ambiguous VAR intervention (this 'blog' would become a 'novel' if I opened the VAR can of worms).

Cooper's change of tactics around the 70 minute mark to a more defensive set-up, while understandable on one hand, the choice of personnel raised many eyebrows on the other, especially with the exclusion of Ricardo Pereira.

It's a hot topic of conversation, as the player who was the foundation of 'Enzo ball' has yet to feature in any of Cooper's first four league games. He's one of Leicester's best players; good on the ball, versatile and provides attacking and defensive options. It's incredulous that a player who was virtually un-droppable, and often captain, for one manager, appears to be frozen out by another. I do hope that 'Rickie P' isn't a hill Cooper is prepared to die on, as I fear this won't end well, especially, as with any newly promoted team, you have to rely on your quality players to pull you over the line. Always play your best players.

Find more from Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die, external

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