Castagne praises teammate Wout Faes for Leicester start

Leicester City have made a terrible start to the season. One player who has done well has been new signing Wout Faes, here is what Timothy Castagne thinks.

The Belgian right-back was asked about the performances of the team in recent weeks, and although he stressed the positives, it was clear the players know where they are doing poorly. However, the Belgian centre-back has come into a struggling team and performed admirably.

According to FB Ref, Faes is now rated in the 77th percentile of central defenders for progressive passing, 83rd for clearances. The defender has intercepted and either cleared to protect Danny Ward, or brought the ball forward. What a brilliant addition to the side.

What Timo Castagne said of Leicester City and Belgium buddy

As per Leicester City’s website, the Belgian defender has commented on the arrival of Faes and on his performances in the few fixtures we have had a chance to see him. The player’s style certainly impresses.

"“it’s always difficult to come in to a team that’s going less well than it should… to be fair, we haven’t seen that. He’s come in and played well directly”"

These remarks show the impact the Belgian has had in the dressing room. Coming into a side bottom of the league, low on confidence, and performing poorly, then actually putting in a shift and playing well, is something to celebrate.

What is fair to say is that despite his inclusion, the defensive situation remains volatile, and the player has been caught out of position from time to time. These issues are easy to rectify, however there is clearly more to change than just including Faes.

"“He’s helping us push forward more and be more aggressive. Also, on the ball, he can take it and run up the pitch with the ball to give great passes, so that’s helped a lot”"

Critically, the largest impact of Faes has been the passing, the play style, the aggression. Firstly, as a better defender, he frees up midfielders and fullbacks to go forward and support attacks. Second, the Belgian himself creates play by winning the ball then bringing it forward.

As Castagne says, that really benefits the side, and I do think the team will benefit in the long run as more defenders join the side. Although, it seems the Foxes are more in for a midfielder at the moment.

The one thing possibly holding the defenders back has been Jonny Evans’ injury and the continued inclusion of Daniel Amartey. Check out this article about why Amartey continues to be played over Caglar Soyuncu or Jannik Vestergaard.