Fatigue, excessive pressing, lack of game-management: Leicester issues

A pattern is starting to form in Brendan Rodgers’ tenure, that isn’t too dissimilar to Claude Puel’s reign – a lethargic start to a half’s display that inevitably puts the team on the back-foot.

Under Puel, Leicester City became renowned for going behind in matches, primarily, through starting the first half with a lack of rhythm or tempo. This became the antitheses of the Frenchman’s era, as the consistent goal deficit was too high a hurdle to jump and the point tally for the Foxes represented that.

Now with Rodgers, the Foxes are providing blistering opening half displays, but, their second half’s mirror former manger Claude Puel’s first half. It’s laboured, lacking conviction and in recent weeks has seen winning score lines flipped, hence the loss of points against both Southampton and Burnley.

Leicester City’s second half issues

Even when winning games, such as against West Ham United and Brentford, this pattern is still emerging. Leicester led at half time in both fixtures but gave ample chances for both oppositions to reclaim a position in the game. Mark Noble converted a penalty for West Ham merely five minutes after half time.

With Brentford, it was slightly different. The Bees managed to control the second half but were unable to impact the result. Fortunate for the Foxes, as less than a handful of players performed to the level they should have.

The high-intensity first half press that Rodgers has implemented, is amalgamating in laboured and lethargic opening exchanges to the second half. The required press takes a lot of focus and concentration, but ultimately, a lot of energy.

The key detail is that Leicester City capitalise on this vigorous first half by entering the second half with a lead. Without this, they’ve exhausted a lot of resources without gaining an advantage in the match.

A drop in intensity is expected given the magnitude of the initial press, this places a lot of emphasis on the first half. Creatively, as without a goal the team seems to struggle but also just on performance levels in general.

Adding extra pressure on to individuals isn’t sustainable, as the individuals will inevitably drop their performances and the Foxes will see another poor run of results.

Putting it right

The answers to this aren’t simple, one could argue the team isn’t fit enough to implement Rodgers’ press, but Leicester City’s fitness levels are of top quality. The logical shift in the game plan is to lower the intensity of the press, but for longer periods.

This requires individuals acknowledging when to press and when to sit. Liverpool are the perfect embodiment of this, equal responsibilities across the pitch to ensure either the whole team presses to win the ball back, or they sit and allow themselves to restructure.

Currently, there’s a slight naivety to the Foxes’ press. In most avenues it’s very good, they win the ball back in advanced areas and are incredibly successful in doing so, but the unfortunate negative is that this impacts their second half.

They extend too much in the opening half to win the ball back, while the opposition hasn’t expended all of their energy, leaving a disproportionate energy level between the two sides for the rest of the game. It’s this differential that’s causing Leicester City so many problems currently.

The Foxes’ game management hasn’t been great in recent weeks either. Against Brentford, the ball was given away to haphazardly during the second half, resulting in needless presses to reclaim the ball. A slower, more possession retaining ethos for the second half would have been smarter.

Whilst chasing the ball, Brentford would have tired and further gaps in their defence would have formed. Instead, Leicester gave them the majority of possession and with that, the majority of the chances. Fortunately, Brentford rested their more clinical individuals or the fifth round of the FA Cup might have eluded the Foxes.