How will Leicester City line up next season?

The personnel chosen by Steve Cooper will be to some extent determined by the formation employed. The evidence from his managerial career so far suggests that the Welshman is prepared to be more pragmatic than his Italian predecessor at the King Power Stadium. In the Championship, Forest played a back three with wing backs and a high press. As FoL have previously pointed out, however, some heavy defeats in the Premier League forced Cooper to change his formation becoming much more defensive and relying on rapid counter-attacks. 

We will know more when the team lines up in the first pre-season friendly proper against Shrewsbury on Tuesday evening. Hints about Cooper’s intentions have come from centre back Conor Coady who told a reporter that the Leicester boss doesn’t intend to change too much and from the Leicester Mercury’s Jordan Blackwell who pointed out that the Foxes lined up with a back four during their training camp in France. 

On the other hand, what happens in a training exercise is not necessarily a good guide not least because four key outfield players – Jannik Vestergaard, Wout Faes, Victor Kristiansen and Bobby De Cordova-Reid – are still on holiday after competing in international tournaments. In addition, why bother to sign Caleb Okoli if the intention is not to play with a back five given the club already has a surplus of players in that position? In the behind-closed-doors friendly against Villarreal on Saturday, City played, again according to Blackwell, with wing backs when in possession and in a 4-4-2 when they didn’t have the ball.

 For what it’s worth, I suspect that Leicester’s formation next season, and therefore the starting eleven, will change as needs must. Against lesser opponents, a more adventurous 4-3-3 is likely whereas against the Premier League elite, particularly away from home, a more solid 4-5-1 or 5-4-1 might be preferred. 

 If we assume that a back five will be the manager’s preferred option, I predict the following starting eleven for the opener against Spurs on August 19th. Between the sticks will be Mads Hermansen operating behind a back three of Wout Faes, Jannik Vestergaard and Caleb Okoli. Predicting the wings backs is trickier. Ricardo Pereira is likely to be on the right, although last season he was more effective in an inverted role. On the left, the most obvious choice would be the naturally left-footed Kristiansen if he chooses to stay with the club.

There’s also Luke Thomas who is back with the club after a loan spell. James Justin’s pace might, however, be preferable. A more left-field choice (excuse the pun) would be Abdul Fatawu who has shown his ability and desire to defend when it’s necessary. I have a sneaking suspicion Cooper might try the Ghanian as a wing-back at least initially.

The two central midfielders are likely to be Harry Winks and Wilfred Ndidi, with the latter reverting to his more familiar number six role after the experiment of playing him further forward in the last campaign.

Two of the three forward players will be Jamie Vardy (or Patson Daka depending on the Leicester number nine’s fitness) and Stephy Mavididi. The third might be Bobby De Cordova-Reid, although the club seem to be in the market for another attacking midfielder. The move for the Argentinian Matias Soule seems to be dead in the water with the Foxes gravitating towards alternatives such as Celtic’s Matt O’Riley and Colombian international Richard Rios.

 So, my team for the opening day fixture against Tottenham is:

Hermansen

Pereira

Faes

Vestergaard

Okoli

Fatawu

Winks

Ndidi

De Cordova-Reid/new signing

Vardy

Mavididi

Do you agree Foxes’ fans?