There's current a widespread feeling of confusion at Leicester's famous home, Filbert Way. After an impressive of haul of eight points against Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea, Stoke and Manchester United, the Foxes have failed to pick up more than a solitary point against less fancied outfits Crystal Palace, Burnley, Newcastle, Swansea and West Brom.
I'm not usually a fan of phrases like "typical Leicester" or "classic City". It's always used with negative connotations and it's the sort of arrogant fatalism spouted by nearly all football fans the nation over. However, Leicester's recent blip does seem to resonate with our rather unfortunate habit of helping teams on a bad run. At least, that's all I thought it was until one point in three became one point in four which then became one point in five.
Last season, Leicester were a beacon of stability. The formidable system of 4-4-2 was rarely tinkered with, and the same could be said for the personnel. Crucially, it seemed the Championship's big-hitters of last term; Leicester, Burnley, Derby etc., all used the fewest amount of players in the league. Consistency in selection led to consistent results.
I'm sure monotony, as you may dub it, is quite in tune with City manager Nigel Pearson's appearance. However, in recent weeks it couldn't be further from the truth. Leicester have started their last five games in no less than five different systems with the starting eleven from the previous game failing to survive intact for the next game once.
Nigel Pearson must take a sizeable portion of the blame for Leicester's recent blip. The manager's defensive and dismissive attitude when it comes to discussing tactics with the media has been challenged lately as he has been keen to explore different set-ups - it appears Pearson may have bought in to the anti-4-4-2 rhetoric of the Premier League's experts. Persistent tinkering is surely counter-productive, particularly when that tinkering has the side lining up to match West Bromwich Albion at home. Talks of a confidence crisis have been rife on City forums, and with the manager not placing ample faith in his side to undo Albion playing to their strengths there would be no surprise if there was substance to it.
Now don't get me wrong, Nigel Pearson has been a superb manager for the club and to want his dismissal at this moment in term would be madness but his decisions recently have raised eyebrows. His persistence with isolating previously free-scoring Leonardo Ulloa up top and his desire to transform our best striker in Jamie Vardy in to a makeshift winger have been thoroughly ineffective and ultimately a waste of time. It seems clear to everyone in the stands that Nigel needs to discover his best eleven and start playing to our strengths, like he said he was going to before the start of the current campaign.
Of course, it's also true that this slump is not all the manager's fault. The current Leicester team(s) haven't looked like scoring in their last five matches and the passing game has been erratic, rushed and panicked for weeks. Leciester's attacking and defensive strengths seem to be depreciating simultaneously but despite it not being all down to Nigel Pearson - it's his job to fix it.
However, it's important to remember that the sides that fought gallantly against the country's footballing elite are all still here, they just need to be unearthed. The Foxes face a seemingly impossible visit to Southampton on Saturday, but like we see every year, the haplessly out-of-form can undo the high flyers. So, as many of our club's favourite old adages go; Keep the faith, Foxes Never Quit, Pearson In, blah blah blah.