Without an array of new signings to work with, Ruud van Nistelrooy may have to consider trying something different with those currently in his Leicester City squad.
So far, the Dutchman has not only played with the same system in every match, but it’s very similar to that utilised by Steve Cooper. It’s 4-4-2 out of possession, with the number 10 supporting the striker, and then a 3-2-4-1 in possession, with one of the wide-men coming inside and one of the full-backs pushing forward to become a winger.
But with City sat in the relegation zone, maybe a change will be required in future weeks. Back in 2015, during City’s great escape, they also switched shapes for the final few months, to excellent results. So, here’s a look at three alternative ways City can line up.
Pack the midfield
Fixing the leaky defence must be the big aim for the next few months. While it does feel like City’s back four underperform, they do sometimes lack protection too.
That was particularly true at Everton at the weekend, with Boubakary Soumare and Harry Winks losing their runners or leaving the centre of the pitch unmanned. It was a problem too for Crystal Palace’s first goal at the King Power Stadium last month.
So how about, when Wilfred Ndidi returns to fitness, potentially this week, he joins Winks and Soumare in the middle, rather than replacing one? Having a dedicated midfield three, especially one that includes a ball-winner like Ndidi, should strengthen City’s rearguard and prevent teams coming through the middle quite so much. Plus, between the trio, they should be able to push wide to support the full-backs.
However, it would have the potential to leave the front three isolated. Soumare would have to be encouraged to increase his surging runs forward to help the midfield to connect with the attack.
There would be a few ways of formulating the front three in this system. The number 10 could be taken out, leaving one striker and two wingers. City could go without traditional wide-men and have both attacking midfielders play inside, or they could chop and change, and have come in and one stay wide at any given moment.
Example team (4-3-2-1): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Winks, Soumare; Buonanotte, El Khannouss; Vardy
Back three plus wing-backs
In times of crisis, it’s a shape City have opted for. When Nigel Pearson was desperate for results to avoid relegation, he opted for a back five. When Brendan Rodgers was dealt an injury crisis, it’s what he went for too. Both times it worked well.
However, Ben Dawson tried it in his one interim match in charge and it did not make City any better. City didn’t have the cohesion between the defenders to make it work, and that would be the concern. Adding Conor Coady or Caleb Okoli alongside Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard wouldn’t definitely make City more solid, although if Okoli came in, it would protect against Vestergaard’s lack of pace.
One upside is that in James Justin and Victor Kristiansen, and perhaps Woyo Coulibaly too, City do have players who could comfortably do the up-and-down work required to be a wing-back in this shape. Whether they have the quality to deliver at the top end is a different matter, but they do have the legs and the stamina.
As for the rest of the side, City could either go for two midfielders, two number 10s and one striker. Or they could opt for their FA Cup-winning system, with just one number 10 and either Patson Daka or Jordan Ayew joining Jamie Vardy up front.
Example team (5-2-2-1): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Vestergaard, Okoli, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Soumare; Buonanotte, El Khannouss; Vardy.
Bring back the inverted full-back
Cooper used it a few times, but so far van Nistelrooy has not deployed the inverted full-back system favoured by Enzo Maresca. The man who makes it happen, Ricardo Pereira, has been injured.
However, when giving a lowdown on Coulibaly, van Nistelrooy suggested the new signing could operate in that role. The manager explained: “He’s a strong, powerful player,” van Nistelrooy said. “He’s very good in one-v-one situations defensively. He’s good on the ball. He can play as a low right-back, he can play in the middle of the pitch, he can play high, so there’s flexibility there in our build-up.”
In that style, City could then have two wingers who stay high and wide, and so are always providing width, stretching the opposition’s defence, rather than coming inside and closing it. There’s options in midfield too, with either Winks or Ndidi sitting alongside Coulibaly, and either Ndidi or Soumare joining El Khannouss behind Vardy.
Example team (4-1-4-1): Hermansen; Coulibaly, Faes, Vestergaard, Kristiansen; Winks; McAteer, Ndidi, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Vardy.
