Dean Smith and John Terry likely to use these tactics at Leicester

Versatility

What Dean Smith’s coaching career has shown up to this point is that he is willing and able to adapt to the players at his disposal, altering the system around what the players can do. While it’s admirable for a manager to have a philosophy or a distinct playing style, sometimes it’s necessary for this to take a back seat and for the system to be deployed to get the best out of what’s available, rather than trying to put square pegs in round holes.

During his time at Brentford, Smith would often target the middle of the pitch as an area to hurt the opposition. After moving on to his boyhood club at Villa Park, a certain Jack Grealish provided a much bigger threat from wide areas, and Smith sought to take advantage of that.

This approach was one of the reasons the Villans were promoted back to the Premier League after three years away. Grealish being a key part of an incredible run that saw the West Midlands club marching towards the play-offs where they defeated Derby County in the final. Once in the promised land, the versatility was shown once more as more systems were deployed to combat the threat of higher-calibre opposition.

The arrival of Danny Ings in the summer of 2021 meant there was a strike partner for Ollie Watkins, but Smith made sure not to sacrifice his midfield to accommodate this. A three-back system was often deployed, with the introduction of wing-backs, a tool that could prove useful with the personnel at the King Power Stadium.