Foxes of Leicester
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Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester to-do list is long and squad transforming

By Elliot Mackness

Leicester City's Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)
Leicester City's Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Kasper Schmeichel of Leicester City (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /

A tactical shift

Let us be clear, Leicester has been tactically weak for a whole season. This has not been helped by incessant injuries forcing mild or wild changes to the line-up and style on an almost match by match basis.

From a back four to a back three, a front two to a midfield diamond, the Foxes have changed their formation and tactics more times than in any other season. Luckily for us, we already have an idea of what has erred and what has been successful for Rodgers.

Tactically, our weakest elements are deconstructed into just two. The defensive setup and midfield setup are the undeniably fragile parts of the team. This is not just due to the players or formation, but down to the coaching of those players and their understanding of the role.

Looking at the backline, my only bit of analysis comes down to an inability to sense danger on our right and a lack of pace in negative transition. It is bewildering how our defensive woes could not be solved this season. Looking at our goals conceded per game (currently 1.64) we can see

Both are mostly rectified with the appearance of Wesley Fofana and Ricardo Pereira. Nevertheless, any defender in those positions should have the same role and understanding as those players.

In midfield, there are four archetypical roles: ball-winning, possessive, progressive, and creative. The King Power club does not need ball-winning roles in our primary tactic. Our midfield currently consists of two possessive players, despite both of those players being better suited to a progressive role.

Tielemans and Dewsbury-Hall are being tasked with holding onto the ball and retaining possession as we build out from the back. Additionally, they will work together – one further forward, the other staying back – to transition the ball negatively when our attacks lead to nothing.

Instead, a flexible midfield with a possessive, progressive, and creative talent should be preferred. surprise, we had this previously with a combination of Wilfred Ndidi taking on both possessive and ball-winning roles, the Belgian being progressive, and James Maddison.

The to-do for Rodgers will be to set up a balanced midfield once more. One that provides the flexibility mid match to be more positive or more negative when required.