Ndidi and Tielemans: the Yin and Yang of Leicester’s midfield
By Nathan Wong
Youri Tielemans of Leicester City
Conversely, most of what Ndidi lacks, Tielemans provides. As Rodgers’ tactician on the pitch, the Belgian’s footballing brain has endowed him with maturity beyond his relatively tender years.
The fact Brendan has been unable to really rest him from his line-up is a clear indication of what qualities he brings to the team, and without his presence, the team suffers.
As an all-round midfielder, Tielemans has a little bit of everything, with a deceptive level of defensive capability merely adding to his wonderful technical ability. At his best, the ‘Starman’ runs games, dictating the tempo and playing intelligent passes between the lines. Youri’s willingness to take risks with his passing can frustrate but as Rodgers has said repeatedly, he prefers players to be brave with the ball in attack and fail, rather than just take the safe option.
Moreover, this ability to break the lines, and manipulate the ball in tight areas is invaluable to breaking a press, with the Belgian also possessing excellent vision to thread killer passes through the eye of a needle. Though not blessed with exceptional physicality, Tielemans is no slouch and is adept at using his body to win fouls or turn away from pressure.
Although it is hard to pick out any glaring criticism in Tielemans’ game, set-piece taking remains a bone of contention. Leicester have been woeful from set-pieces this season (aside from one corner last night), prompting questions from fans and commentators alike. Yes, the success of corners and free-kicks do depend on the players in the penalty area, but some responsibility must be given to the taker. This isn’t to say he should be stripped of corner taking duties, but as the old adage goes, there is always room for improvement.
Yin and Yang
Whilst Ndidi provides the steel, Tielemans is the brain and the heartbeat of this Leicester side. Combined they possess bite and guile to give any side a run for their money and provide a solid foundation for the rest of the team to work around.
Often, Ndidi will win the ball, with Tielemans recovering the ball and using it intelligently to get the Foxes on the front foot. This effective combination has been the fulcrum of Leicester’s sustained push for Champions League football over the past two seasons.
Goodness knows how much a player with the combined attributes of Tielemans and Ndidi would be worth, but it would be an exorbitant fee.