For all of the stresses those involved with Leicester City have been put under since the start of the season, there’s no denying that with just eight matches remaining, we’re now at the business end of the season. At this point, it’s not performance, promise or potential that are important, simply getting enough points on the board to secure the Foxes’ Premier League status is paramount.
And despite the shockingly neglectful absence of a plan thereafter, something had to change, and Brendan Rodgers’ departure gave the East Midlands outfit its best chance of avoiding the drop. The way the club went about fixing the managerial situation was not ideal, but in appointing Dean Smith, at last there seems a realisation and acceptance at the severity of the situation from those making the key decisions at the club.
Smith was most recently in charge at Norwich, where he landed just six days after being sacked by Aston Villa. It didn’t end well for him at Carrow Road, but here at Foxes of Leicester, we’re outlining what Leicester City fans can expect from Smith on a tactical level.
Dean Smith and John Terry likely to use these tactics at Leicester City
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.
A compact midfield
Keeping it tight in the middle of the park is something that is often associated with Dean Smith sides, as mentioned previously with his Brentford side putting onus on the middle of the pitch in both senses. John McGinn and Douglas Luiz would often be tasked with doing so at Aston Villa, with both also carrying an attacking threat from long-distance and set pieces.
City have the capacity to achieve this with defensive midfielders in Wilfred Ndidi, Nampalys Mendy, Boubakary Soumare and even Daniel Amartey, although none of these are exactly adventurous in an attacking sense. James Maddison, while excelling as a ten, has it in him to be a fantastic 8, although it’s like Smith will view the Foxes starlet in the same light as he did Grealish and look to use him as an outlet to frighten opposition defences.
The issue Ndidi has faced for many years is having another midfielder alongside him, often working better as a single pivot, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could be the perfect partner for the Nigerian should he be first-choice, with the Shepshed-born midfielder arguably the most similar player to McGinn that Smith can utilise.
This, combined with expected defensive stability given John Terry’s arrival, could stand City in good stead as they look to claw towards Premier League survival. Craig Shakespeare is back at the club, with both men part of Smith’s coaching staff.
Up and down the line
Whether it be in a three-or-four-man defensive system, Foxes fans can expect to see their wide defenders encouraged to be part of the attack – something that alludes back to Smith making the most of his players’ individual qualities.
This is something that both Ricardo Pereira and Timothy Castagne will be accustomed to operating within, and will also allow for that midfield to remain as a solid structure that the manager will typically aim for.
This is particularly likely to occur given the aforementioned lack of adventure in City’s pivot, and the fact that James Maddison will probably be given a license to roam freely between the lines of opposition midfields and defences. The more men involved from wide areas can act as a distraction or even a decoy to help the Foxes No.10 operate effectively.