Milton Keynes Dons 0 Leicester City 4
Report by Kate Thompson
A link from another website on Monday revealed that we were due to play a friendly against MK Dons the next day, but even the staff at the City seemed bemused by it. I read one report describing it as behind closed doors, but it wasn’t; I spent the princely sum of £3 to watch a very strong Leicester side.
I only live 30 miles from Milton Keynes and thought it would be worth the journey, in the hopes of seeing the two lads from Manchester United signed very late on Monday. In the event, neither of them featured but to my surprise others did.
I was especially pleased to see Cambiasso in action in a City shirt for the first time and he, along with other first-team squad members Albrighton, Drinkwater, Knockaert, Taylor-Fletcher, Vardy and Wasilewski played. Our other recent signing, Danny Simpson, was included at right back, along with the forgotten man (Zoumana Bakayogo), Ben Hamer and one youngster, Kieran Kennedy.
There were four substitutions in the second half: Smith for Hamer, Pearson for Bakayogo, Sesay for Kennedy and Hopper for Vardy.
MK Dons defended well in the first half and were unlucky to concede a goal when a shot from Drinkwater was deflected, and then again when a goal for them was ruled off-side.
In the second half, City were completely dominant, with further goals from Hopper, Cambiasso and Albrighton. So what did I learn from the match?
First, Cambiasso is a class act, he was the fulcrum through which much of the game flowed and he oozed confidence, surely a valuable asset on its own. Had I not known his pedigree, I might have seen him in a different light but he certainly seems like an inspired addition to the squad.
Knockaert did himself no favours in my opinion; I am not his greatest fan and he did nothing to change my view, frequently appearing to show off and lose the ball by trying one trick too many.
Bakayogo would surely have left the club but for, I assume, contractual reasons and I can’t see him every playing for the first team.
Simpson looked assured going forward but his defensive abilities were not really tested. Hopefully the City staff learnt a lot from the game, which will bear fruit in the Premiership.
CITY: Hamer (Smith 45), Simpson, Bakayogo (Pearson 45), Drinkwater, Wasilewski, Kennedy (Sesay 45), Knockaert, Vardy (Hopper 67), Taylor-Fletcher, Albrighton, Cambiasso. SUBS NOT USED: Cain, McCourt, Barmby.
GOALS: Drinkwater 35, Hopper 74, Cambiasso 78, Albrighton 79
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation