Unfortunately, Foxes of Leicester needs to discuss Brendan Rodgers’ frustrating and increasingly worrying stubbornness and delusion, in relation to his Leicester City team’s set-pieces.
I must admit that I altered the title from ‘Why Brendan Rodgers is stubborn and deluded’ to ‘Is Brendan Rodgers stubborn and deluded?’ just before beginning to type. I didn’t want to be too harsh on the man who is so right for Leicester City Football Club at this moment. Yet he is also someone who let’s himself down with a fairly major persistently ignored issue or two.
I like Rodgers as a man, incidentally, as someone who has to analyse every facet of the side. The boss is inevitably going to be one of the most intriguing and standout figures of any outfit. Though the ex-Liverpool gaffer does not seek the limelight: he desires privacy away from the game, as well as being a total football guy in the game.
Over almost three years, Foxes fans have witnessed a rapid evolution of the players, style and squad in general; disappointment at failing to qualify for the Champions League actually, ironically, indicates the massive rise LCFC has made in ten years, along with Rodgers’ superb and elevating influence.
The calls for Rodgers’ dismissal from some overly-vocal social media dwelling ‘supporters’ recently, were themselves delusional of the fact that the Foxes could attract a more astute, better or higher profile manager to Leicestershire. Poor results and form dips happen for even the greats – just look at Liverpool’s and Manchester City’s weekend results under the brilliant Jurgen Klopp and football professor Pep Guardiola for reference, respectively.
Is Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers stubborn or delusional?
Basically, Rodgers must be one or the other thing, stubborn or delusional. And, as Leicester fans, we are kind of hoping for the lesser of two evils here: stubbornness. Why I have arrived at this judgement is due to a zonal marking policy on defensive set-pieces which clearly has a deleterious effect on the team’s confidence and, more often than not these days, negatively impacts Leicester’s results.
Once it was just one of the issues – such as not leaving a Jamie Vardy-type up-field whilst defending corners or attacking free-kicks – however, the amount of goals conceded through the zone system has cost the Foxes for well over a year if not longer. During that time the team tops, or is nearly atop, the lists for conceding from a set-piece.
If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, fundamentally and typically bosses employ two separate tactics to defend corners, etcetera: a zone or a man-to-man method. The former uses defenders to cover different areas of the box instead of marking one opponent; flexibility is key. Subsequently when turning defence into attack, players are supposedly in superior positions to begin a counter-attack.
Man-to-man marking is fairly self-explanatory and used more successfully in the Premier League, as I see it. Rodgers is known to favour some wider world and European tacticians, though one of his apparent heroes, Marcelo Bielsa, seemingly utilises a man-marking arrangement with Leeds United. While my research seems to point at many other prominent chiefs using a zone. It’s personal preference, I suppose.
Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman at the helm compounded the definite LCFC problem and upset the Blue Army following the uninspiring 2-0 loss to Arsenal on Saturday, by suggesting the situation has never been a difficulty for his side. That is just political-esque spin or a downright lie, to be frank, being as another went in thanks to the Gunners’ Gabriel. Statistics and numbers never tell untruths.
"“It’s [defending on set-pieces] never been an issue for us in our time here, but certainly we need to improve on it.” – Brendan Rodgers, via Leicester Mercury"
Essentially, all Leicester fans want is honesty off the pitch, when realistically allowed. In addition to effectiveness or at least attempts to try while playing. This instance is regrettable because ‘BR’ is such a decent guy and very good manager.
Yet the Leicester team needs to be drilled correctly; a simple switch to a man-marking strategy will suffice, surely. With tough and dogged competitors like Caglar Soyuncu it is more suitable, trust me. Rodgers doesn’t even have to acknowledge his error, ensuring his pride is intact. But must resolve it!
We all make mistakes and have egos to massage at times. Just so he knows, Leicester conceded the sixth most in this scenario last season. This campaign they are seventh on the list, with generally relegation fodder clubs above.