Something’s got to change in Leicester City’s defence

Brendan Rodgers hinted at a potential lack of aggression and energy being a further issue, and it does seem Leicester shoot themselves in the foot at times. Winning 50/50s and second balls is a basic prerogative of any team and at times it seems like the Foxes have lost that proactive defending that was so successful in recent years.

Furthermore, the slow speed of passing around the back has not only detrimental effects on building attacks but also has led to an increase in mistakes, with the opposition winning the ball high up the pitch. More than one time this season this has led to conceding goals, whether through dodgy distribution from Kasper Schmeichel or Soyuncu/Amartey dawdling on the ball.

Finally, set-plays are an issue that must be solved, and the existing LCFC set-piece coach must quickly implement much-needed improvement. One potential solution is to revert to a man-to-man marking system instead of the current zonal marking favoured by Rodgers. This would ensure the opposition ‘danger men’ are picked up and cannot get a run on the static defenders in a zone.

Furthermore what about attack being the best form of defence? This applies firstly to the mentality in which the Foxes approach games. Going on the front foot aggressively is a great way to deny the opposition goalscoring chances, they can’t create when you’re putting them under pressure.

This also is applicable to set-pieces. Leicester ought to leave Jamie Vardy and one or two attackers outside the box for counter-attack opportunities. Not only does this increase the danger of LCFC on the break, but it will force opposing teams to leave several players back to defend. By making the box less crowded, it may help Leicester defend set-pieces more adequately.