Leicester City have one of the most exciting and balanced defences in the league, so join FoL as we say it as it is: the Foxes can have the best defence.
This is the second article in my series of articles covering the defensive balance, flexibility, excitement, and possibilities for Leicester City. The first covered the centre-backs the Foxes have on display, today we shall focus on the fullbacks.
Before jumping right into this, I would like to stand and applaud the East Midlands outfit’s owners – the Srivaddhanaprabha family. They have taken our club from a yoyo championship side, to a team finally able to challenge consistently at the top of English football. This is in no small part to defensive signings and our coach – Brendan Rodgers.
Leicester City’s second marvellous trio
In the first article, I stated that we have a marvellous trio of central defensive talent: Wesley Fofana, Jonny Evans, and Caglar Soyuncu. Well, there is a second – and a third – marvellous trio which plays for the Foxes.
Those three fullbacks are obvious: James Justin, Ricardo Pereira, and Timothy Castagne. These three are ridiculously good. Though two of those are injured, when all three are fit, it is very difficult to imagine a situation where we do not play at least Ricky P and Castagne.
Let’s put their brilliance into some aggregate per 90 stats, courtesy of Squawka‘s comparison matrix.
Combined, they have made 14.8 ball recoveries per 90, with Ricky P leading the way. This means that they have broken 14.8 attacking plays per 90 and won the ball for Leicester. This does not immediately mean they have prevented goals, but it is presumable that some of those attacking plays would have led to goals.
Further, they have also contributed 0.9 blocks per 90. That is almost an entire goal every 90 minutes they play. Though not anywhere near as high as our centre-backs (since this is the role of the centre-backs), this number is effectively their direct preventions of shots on goal, almost certainly some of those would have bested Kasper Schmeichel.
There is a lot more to think about, and two more players I wish to delve into, and of course a transfer signing suggestion to make. Let’s look more in-depth at each of our options.
Ricardo Pereira
“he is a beast this season, as he was last season”
One of the best fullbacks in the Premier League. No. Better still, one of the best in Europe in this moment. Need I list the qualities this experienced defender? Well, I’m going to list them right here.
He can penetrate defences, attack with pace and intent, cross with elegance and intelligence, track back and form an organised defence, provide the determination to challenge for every ball, and yes, he can play anywhere vertically on the right very well.
There is only one quality he lacks as a fullback. He does not have a particularly impressive left foot. Or more acutely, he is strongly right-footed. This is great for a winger or right wing-back, but sometimes a fullback needs to fill-in for their horizontal opposite as well as their vertical opposite: sometimes he needs to play left-back.
He has played left-back for Leicester City only once – in the 3-1 comeback victory over Liverpool FC. He has played in that position a total of 25 times across his entire career. It would be very helpful for his development to improve his left-footed crosses and trust his own abilities more on the left.
What we saw against Liverpool was not bad. It was good. Defensively anyway. What it lacked was his constant penetrating drive forwards, I only remember one occasion he did this in the match. And what do you know, he did really well. He can play on the left but needs to develop it a little more.
Let’s put him into numbers (using a combination of the Squwarka matrix already linked, and Sofascore). In terms of his penetration and attacking intent, he successfully dribbles past 50% of those he challenges, this was 59% last season. He marauds down the right wing, creating a way to get around the defence and either put in a cross or pullback to an incoming midfielder.
In terms of defence he is a beast this season, as he was last season, despite not playing all that many games after his terrible injury last season. 5.4 ball recoveries per 90, a 66.67% aerially duel success rate, 3.8 clearances per 90, and 1.1 interceptions per 90. Considering he only recently got back from injury and is only just getting fully fit, this is inhuman, and very impressive.
Timothy Castagne
“He does it all”
The Belgium international joined the Foxes from Atalanta at the beginning of the 20/21 season. His debut was exceptional. He has nailed himself into the first team no questions asked. Well, one question asked: is he fit. Injuries have not been kind to him, so Leicester can only hope he will be back soon.
Anyway, Castagne is a more versatile Ricky P, with slightly less defensive acumen. He is young though so he will definitely improve this element of his game. Castagne brings pace, penetration, clinical passing, great tracking back, and intelligent defending. These are important qualities on top of his versatility to play in different vertical and horizonal positions.
According to Transfermarkt, Castagne has seldom played left-back. I want to correct this. He has seldom started left-back. For Leicester City, we have seen him and Justin rotate during matches, switching the pitch to provide a different attacking or defensive intelligence dependent on the wingers they will face.
He has mostly played as a right-back or a wing-back on either side. The question which many Foxes fans have asked and answered is whether he is in fact an upgrade on Ben Chilwell. Ben Chilwell was and is an incredible talent. He played his heart out for the club and deserves our respect and praise. Yet, Castagne has managed to bring something Chilwell did not: versatility.
In numbers, Castagne has scored a goal, created 0.9 big chances per 90, made 14.6 progressive passes per 90, made 2.5 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per 90, and has 4.9 ball recoveries per 90 this season thus far.
He does it all. Defending well, though not perfectly. Attacking brilliantly, creating assists and goals. What a great new member to the Foxes family.
James Justin
“He just knows where to stand”
The future England international joined Leicester from Luton Town, the same club who the East Midlands team loaned the simply superb Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to. What a great relationship we have with that club!
Justin has been fantastic. No way around that fact. He probably did not expect to be playing constantly at Leicester City when he joined, but injuries to either Chilly or Ricky P meant he was starting every game. In this new season, up until his untimely ACL injury, he has been nothing short of sensational.
two goals, 0.9 big chances created per 90, 18.9 passes completed in the opposition half per 90, 15 progressive passes per 90, a 64.29% ground duel success rate, 1.4 interceptions and two clearances per 90. Simply immense.
What Justin brings is different to what Castagne or Ricky P bring. He is less penetrative, less attacking. However, he is exceptional both positionally and defensively. He just knows where to stand to stop attacks or even score goals!
This positional and defensive strength make him a perfect counterpart for either Castagne or Pereira. Have Justin on the other side to either of them, and if a change of shape is required then Justin can go almost anywhere.
He plays right-back, left-back, centre-back, wing-back, and has even played as a left-winger during pre-season! How many more positions can he play? He is like James Milner!
Leicester City’s youngsters and new options
Also available are the wonderkid Luke Thomas and new boy Vontae Daley-Campbell. The two of them are young prospects looking to improve their games massively before trying to break into the senior squad on a more regular basis.
Thomas played exceptionally when he was called upon for the final three games of the last season. Simply put, he got an assist, looked lively, and defended well, though he was positionally off par.
VDC joined the Foxes from the Arsenal academy, so he is a talented and gifted youngster. He has played for the senior team once: the 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup. To summarise what I think of him, he is developing very well.
The two off the are once more different options providing different talents. Thomas is more of a pacey and technical player, able to conjure up attacking plays brilliantly, where his defensive skills are more energetic and risky.
VDC is strong and possesses a strong tackle and right-foot, able to prevent goal-scoring opportunities with decent positioning and inch-perfect tackles. He is by no means a finished article.
I would contend that neither of these two are ready for the senior team regularly, and should try and go out on loan together to a good team. I would recommend two locations: bring back some loanees from OHL and send them together to Belgium’s first division, or to Ligue 1 in France.
So, do we need to buy any other player? There is a very strong argument that we simply do not need to purchase anyone else. Daniel Amartey can play right back if called upon, Marc Albrighton can fall back into a defensive position on either flank, we have three senior first team players and two highly promising fullbacks coming through the ranks.
However, let’s be a bit speculative and make a suggestion. LOSC Lille’s Domagoj Bradaric. A player who has played left-back, wing-back, left-winger, and right back. He is another young first team player breaking out in this exceptional campaign for Lillie.
He provides the attacking intent, and defensive energy of Luke Thomas, while being more experienced, cultured, and positionally sound. This young player would be my pick of the crop to bring to the King Power.