Leicester: Unlocking the secrets to Brendan Rodgers’ new tactics

It’s a credit to Brendan Rodgers, who has managed to elevate the Foxes into third place in the table, semi-finals of the FA Cup all whilst missing integral players all season. But, what’s even more impressive, is his ability to adjust the side to allow frequent goal-scoring without Vardy’s involvement. Cast your mind back even a season, if Vardy wasn’t on the scoresheet, Leicester City struggled.

That’s a stark contrast to this season, the Foxes have four players in double-digit goals for the campaign (in all competitions), as Rodgers is finding solutions to the idea of “replacing Vardy”. I’m not suggesting this system is the answer, it’s merely providing an alternative. Once he regains his confidence/form, this front three will be even more dangerous. For what it’s worth, I think there’s a couple of players in the footballing world who could potentially replace Vardy, but there’s very few that’ll offer what he has in recent years.

The last thing I want to mention is the pressing setup inside the 3-4-1-2 formation, which is drastically different any of the four-back formations. The core principles remain, it’s energetic and initiated in advanced areas, but the difference is it’s incredibly smart in its manipulation. What I mean by this is, the Foxes front three pressed in a “box” shape – often supported by one of the midfielders (ordinarily Youri Tielemans as Wilfred Ndidi sits). If the opposition try to play through the press they need to switch the play – frequently and accurately, otherwise they become trapped.

Essentially, the front three will press to a single-side of the pitch and cut all passing lanes internally. Against teams comfortable in possession, they will utilise the “additional” option (the goalkeeper) to alleviate the pressure and try to find pockets of space. I thought Alex Scott did an excellent job of explaining – and illustrating – some of the traps Leicester City set for Manchester United on Match of the Day. The unfortunate recipient was Fred, every time. He was the “pressing trigger” for the Foxes and he crumbled in the high pressure scenarios.

The traps revolve around giving a “free” passing lane to the opposition, which seems like a good pass for the player in possession, but as soon as they initiate the pass the surrounding players are suffocated by the high-octane pressing of the Foxes. This is quite the statement, but I think that Leicester would struggle to implement such an initiative with Maddison in the side – instead of the very smart presser in Pérez. All three of the forwards have to make smart individual decisions to cause the suffocation, and at the moment, they’re all succeeding.

Overall, I think the majority of the credit has to go to Rodgers. He’s consistently improvising, creating, and tactically masterminding the Foxes through the restraints of this weird and wonderful season. It’s quite easy to forget that Harvey Barnes is side-lined, James Justin is a long-way from returning, and Vardy has only scored a single goal this calendar year (from 33 shots). Yet, somehow, Leicester are performing to their absolute maximum. That, is when you should acknowledge how impressive the job is from Rodgers and his supporting staff.