Leicester 2-1 Coventry: 3 things FoL learned

Leicester City fans must be patient

There is much to be excited about on a tactical front, even if it did not always translate to statistical dominance. Maresca’s style of play showed it can be supremely effective when the opposition are drawn into pressing, with technical players such as Harry Winks and Ricardo able to exploit the space that has been created. Clearly, there will be a period of adaption in the final third as he implements his attacking philosophy along with the addition of new personnel.

Similarly, on the defensive front, LCFC looked extremely vulnerable in defending transitions. Due to the use of a ‘3-2’ build-up structure, it meant that opposition strikers were often left 1v1. For the first half, LCFC maintained control with Coventry restricted to infrequent counter-attacks.

The period after halftime showed the problems of losing control as Leicester struggled to contain Coventry’s dynamism on the break. This can be down to two reasons; a lack of physicality in Leicester’s midfield pivot, which is the price to be paid for technical security. Neither Winks nor Ricardo are going to be anything like  ‘Prime Ndidi’ when stopping a break.

Furthermore, the lack of pace at centre-back is another area teams may well attempt to exploit.  Just before LCFC scored the winner, Coventry had hit the bar due to Haji Wright outstripping Vestergaard and Doyle, despite the former having at least five yards head start. Vestergaard has come under somewhat unwarranted criticism, but his physical limitations cannot be hidden, especially when he is forced to defend out wide or in a footrace.

This issue will no doubt be ameliorated by the return of Conor Coady and his organisational abilities in a few weeks. Even so, Leicester would do well to get ahead by signing a young athletic centre-back, allowing the Foxes to defend wide spaces and transitions more comfortably, which will also hopefully come with more time on the training ground under Maresca’s guidance.