Leicester: Unlocking the secrets to Brendan Rodgers’ new tactics

Brendan Rodgers used a 3-4-1-2 formation in the FA Cup quarter-final tie with Manchester United. FoL dissects why it was so successful for Leicester City.

Leicester City have reached an FA Cup semi-final for the first time since 1982, after the Foxes easily bypassed a weakened – and fatigued – Manchester United side. This article will explain Brendan Rodgers’ use of a back three and also their pressing setup.

Formations have been plentiful for Leicester City this campaign, as Brendan Rodgers has been forced into implementing a plethora of different personnel and systems to overcome the Foxes’ injury worries, and also the balance of multiple competitions.

Initially, Rodgers reverted into a back three – which played more like a defensive five (given the positions of the wing-backs) in an attempt to solidify the Leicester City back line – which had been plagued with injuries. Many can recall the first game of the season, West Bromwich Albion (A), that saw Wilfred Ndidi start as one of the three centre-backs.

This quarter-final offered a very different look for the Foxes – albeit still struggling with injuries – fielded a 3-4-1-2 formation with most of the starting defenders available. This was no longer makeshift, this is a fully-functional defence and I really like how it facilitated much more than just additional security at the back, but also in the building phases for Leicester City.

Let’s dissect the “building phases” for the Foxes, and why the three centre-backs have adjusted the initial stages for Rodgers in a beneficial way. It’s quite apparent that Leicester City “play out from the back”, although it’s not as linear as just that. There’s multiple ways to utilise the defence in buildup, and Rodgers has placed emphasis on the wide centre-backs inside the new structure.

Prior to the formation shift, the progressive players out of the defence would be the full-backs. Often, Kasper Schmeichel would pass into the centre-backs (who would spread wide to open passing lanes) and they’d build through the advanced positioning of the full-backs. This would ultimately play “in-to-out”, as the full-backs would link up with the deep-midfielders and try to either play one-two’s or advance their runs for later stages of the play. This isn’t *every* attack for the Foxes, but it’s a structure that Rodgers has built and utilises.

However, in the 3-4-1-2, the progressive defenders are the wide centre-backs – the most notable evidence being the marauding runs from both Wesley Fofana and Çağlar Söyüncü, who would capitalise on the extra space afforded to them. The pattern remained similar, the wing-backs would provide the extremities and eventually progression would come through them. It’s structured differently, and invites the opposition to press higher (because of the additional centre-back often fielded against only a single striker – or at most two), as the opposition’s midfielders look to support their outnumbered forward.