Southampton 2-2 Leicester: 3 Things we learned about Foxes

Midfield problems and a potential solution

There is currently a giant Youri Tielemans shaped hole within the team and against Southampton that was becoming painfully clear. Wilfred Ndidi seems lost in the middle of the park, unsure of whether to press up the field or sit in deep, he mostly achieved neither. His passes were erratic at best and his timing into challenges was starting to look wayward. Were it not for an offside flag he would have conceded a third consecutive penalty after a bizarre kung-fu style kick clearance that landed in the chest of a Saints player.

Next to him, Boubakary Soumare seems lost as well and lacks identity as a central midfielder. Is he an 8? Is he part of a double-pivot? It was hard to see in the first half as he was overrun by Southampton’s aggressive press. Unsurprisingly, Soumare was hauled off at halftime and replaced with Dewsbury-Hall, to great effect.

Deswbury-Hall’s desire to get on the ball and move the play forward with a range of passes and movements cannot be ignored anymore. The second half of this game was evidence of what Dewsbury-Hall offers and as he played a key part in creating space for Maddison’s equaliser he also found players in dangerous positions which Ndidi and Soumare are not doing enough of.

Given the profiles of the players, it feels as though to maintain balance and consistency ‘KDH’ should be Tielemans’ understudy and Soumare should be Ndidi’s. We’ll find out what Brendan Rodgers thinks at Villa Park on Sunday, when he makes his selections.