After watching their team take a well-deserved point against Manchester United on Saturday evening, Leicester City fans were obviously very happy with their position in the Premier League table.

For most of the season the Foxes have been sitting in the upper-echelons of the top-flight standings but have, however, drawn doubts over whether they can compete with the so-called 'big-clubs'.

So, with Claudio Ranieri's men holding firm against a talented Red Devils side on Saturday evening, did anything point to the fact that they can uphold their astonishing position for the rest of the campaign?

Clinical nature

Since the formation of the Premier League way back in 1992, there has always been the cliche that you have to take your chances in order to succeed. Many clubs have tried and failed to make an impact in the English top-flight as a result of too many wasted chances. In a league where these aforementioned clear-cut chances are usually few and far between, teams have to possess a ruthless and clinical nature.

This is, ironically, something that was prominently on display in Leicester City's draw with Manchester United. With Louis Van Gaal's men arguably dominating the majority of the match, chances to score were somewhat limited for the Foxes.  However, they displayed their crucial clinical nature via record-breaking striker Jamie Vardy.

In what was their only real chance in the first-half, the Foxes sprung a devastating counter-attack following a threatening United corner and were soon ahead. Poking the ball past David De Gea, Vardy opened the scoring and in the end helped his team to a well-deserved point.

This sort of ruthlessness is representative of Vardy and Ranieri's Leicester team progression this season. Last campaign these sort of chances may not have been taken; highlighting the Foxes' improvement this season.

Counter-attack crucial

Much like their improved conversion rate displayed this season, the Midlanders have also settled into a preferred style of play. Against the Red Devils, the Foxes were willing to concede possession and flood forward as soon as the ball was won back.

Thanks to this extremely effective style of play, Ranieri's men were able to open the scoring. After defending a United corner, the Foxes broke forwards extremely quickly thanks to the clever thinking of Austrian full-back Christian Fuchs. Utilising a delightful through-ball the former Schalke man put Jamie Vardy one-on-one with David De Gea and there was only going to be one winner.

Nevertheless, this was not the only example of Leicester breaking at great pace. Throughout the game, Manchester United really struggled with the pace and could easily have been punished for it. It seems therefore reasonable to suggest that Claudio Ranieri has found a way to play against the so-called 'big-clubs' of the Premier League since the Foxes' sobering 5-2 defeat to Arsenal in September.

Defensive solidarity

Whether this result was down to United's wastefulness or Leicester's strong defensive work remains to be seen but it goes without saying that the Foxes have become more confident at the back. Throughout Saturday evening's clash, the back-line of Leicester did not seem troubled all that much.

In previous games, the Foxes have seemed rushed and possibly panicked when faced up with attackers. However, against the likes of Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial the Foxes backline (composed of Christian Fuchs, Wes Morgan, Robert Huth and Danny Simpson) contained their elite opponents extremely well.

Since taking the reins at the King Power Stadium, it appears that Claudio Ranieri has attempted to make his new team far more resolute in defence. So, with the Foxes having only conceded two goals in open play since the start of October, it really signals the Italian's stellar work in Leicester City's defence.

However, there are some problems in the Foxes' backline that the ex-Chelsea man needs to address if his team are to stay at the top end of the Premier League table...

Set-piece sloppiness

One weakness in this Leicester City side this campaign is their ability to defend set-pieces. In their last six top-flight games, the Foxes have conceded from  six set pieces and it appears teams are really starting to notice and exploit this occasional chink in the Midlanders' armour.

Against the Red Devils, despite the Leicester defence having a relatively untroubled afternoon, they really struggled against the United corners and free-kicks throughout the 90 minutes. With the likes of Daley Blind and Juan Mata whipping dangerous balls into the penalty area it was always going to be tough for Ranieri's men. However, the zonal marking that the Foxes seem to have adopted is making it a lot more difficult.

Every time that United gained a set-piece, Kasper Schmeichel's goal was threatened. As a matter of fact, it was a corner that allowed Louis Van Gaal's men to draw level. After shaking off Shinji Okazaki, Bastian Schweinsteiger was able to power a header into the net. As a result, most fans were left astounded that the World Cup winner was able to gain a free header to score.

Surprisingly, the men from Old Trafford had yet more chances from set-pieces as Chris Smalling (among others) came close to getting on the score-sheet. If Leicester are to compete at the top-end of the table, this is something that they will definitely need to work on.

Dynamic duo

Despite the whole team putting in a very positive performance on Saturday afternoon, only one man was going to steal the headlines - Jamie Vardy. After netting yet again, the former Fleetwood Town frontman broke Ruud Van Nistlerooy's record of scoring in consecutive Premier League games. Along with Riyad Mahrez, the two troubled the Red Devils all evening. However, there is reason to believe that the Foxes are getting a little reliant on the duo.

So far this campaign, of the 29 goals that Claudio Ranieri's team have socred, 22 of them have come from either Vardy or Mahrez - indicating the huge influence that they have on the team. This was convenientely also very apparent on Saturday evening.

Bar the tricky pair, Manchester United were not really threatened all that much by the rest of the Leicester team and without the aforementioned Vardy, the Foxes could easily have lost the game. If one of them are to sustain an injury, the Midlanders could be in a lot of trouble.

If Leicester are really to maintain their top four position they will need to find some attacking threat from elsewhere.

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About the author
Daniel Orme
A Sports Journalist with a passion for football and Leicester City.