Plymouth 1-0 Leicester City: 3 things we learned

The manager failing to pick the right starting eleven

At the start of the season, the 'Maresca Magic' was in full flow with a confident edge to the team that even if they conceded a goal early on, there was a belief that the team could get back into games with their patient style of play. Oh, how parts of that sentence have changed! Enzo Maresca's special touch has gone. This disappointing defeat now caps off six defeats in the last 10 league games and questions now need to be answered of our now rocked Italian manager.

Despite complaining to the media about the rough schedule of two games in 72 hours, he only made three predictable changes to a tired starting eleven. James Justin came in for Callum Doyle, Abdul Fatawu replaced Yunus Akgun and Patson Daka replaced Jamie Vardy. Once again the ever-positive and likable Conor Coady was left on the bench and must have looked at Wout Faes with curiosity as he allowed Mustapha Bundu to strike a nice but defendable shot into the bottom corner. Enzo might point towards Coady's in-game play and possession skills compared to the seemingly undroppable Wout Faes & Jannick Vestergaard. But perhaps Enzo should focus on statistics and note that the only two clean sheets his team has kept in the last 12 games have coincidentally been the only two games Conor Coady has started in the same period. Clean sheets might not win games, but they definitely get you points.

The Overload in midfield has been showing problems for weeks, with the opposition now acutely aware that the central midfield is flagging. Harry Winks enthusiasm and quality rarely wanes, but his legs have definitely started to tire and his performance in Devon lacked purpose, unfortunately, Enzo has played his hand and seems to trust nobody to do Winks job to that standard in the number six role. Likewise, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, whose bravery and drive in the number eight position seems to be unmatched but was sorely lacking here. But there has been a player whose lack of energy and enthusiasm seems to be showing more than anywhere - Wilfred Ndidi.

Here is a player running into the last few months of his contract putting in meek and sluggish performances that are not adding a great deal to a side lacking attacking intent. Since his return from long-term injury, Ndidi has looked disinterested and slow. He is either not 100% or he is turning in sub-par performances protecting a big-contract move to (insert generic Premier League club name here). Whatever you think, he should not be starting the amount of games he is anymore with Dennis Praet available (admittedly another player running his contract down), although Praet's appearance did little to inspire. Yunus Akgun put in an amazing assist for the winner at home to Birmingham City last week, but after starting against Millwall he wasn't deemed necessary for any minutes at Plymouth. The wingers Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu whose confidence blows as hot and cold as a year of English weather, were left to produce very little and were in no danger of being dropped or subbed throughout. As for the striker, well.