The upcoming cohort of Leicester City prospects are at last progressing through the hierarchy.
Ex-England defender Andy Hinchcliffe has commended Leicester City’s beginning to the campaign and has supported the Foxes to at minimum secure a spot in the Championship play-offs.
The commentator, who competed for Manchester City, Everton and Sheffield Wednesday, highlighted City’s resolve and dedication which enabled them to defeat two squads elevated from League One.
Although two excellent strikes from Abdul Fatwau allowed City to overcome Charlton Athletic and Birmingham City, what was most notable was the attitude and structure Marti Cifuentes has instilled in his group.
Hinchcliffe states that will serve them well this term – even with conflicts both on the pitch and beyond it, ahead.
The 56-year-old told Sky Sports: “The wins that they had against Charlton and Birmingham, you are probably going to need a lot of those during the course of a Championship season to be successful.
“So I think the signs, even with the shifting sands at Leicester, we didn’t know who was going to be there, who wasn’t going to be there. The players themselves probably weren’t even sure.
“Yet they still managed to put in really resilient, gritty performances, against team that arguably outplayed them yet they still managed to find a way to win.
“So I think Marti will think ‘You know what, there’s a bit of desire and hunger and resilience in this team, now I know the squad I’ve got to work with moving forward…’ – and there’s still a lot of talent, young talent especially in that Leicester team.
“Expectation is going to be piled up against them as well, regardless of what’s happened. You are Leicester, you have just come down, you do have a good squad, you should be challenging for the top six.
“And I think they will be challenging for the top six but getting a good start as well just gives a bit of breathing space for them going into the international break.
“Imagine they hadn’t won a game and they are down in the bottom six, everybody would be saying ‘Is Marti the right man? Should he be staying there?’ All that has gone because of the start they have made.”