Brendan Rodgers has one job to do and that is to stop to give fans unpleasant surprises, when obvious wins are not happening, when strange team selections are happening week in and week out, when systems are changed and making the plan that was set in to win, becomes the opposite.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen you play in Europe or are in Premier League action you might have different approaches, but you should also get your group to play in the best way possible. To set up a system of plan A and a system of plan B, but please would not be tempted to have a plan C.
The eagerness of giving all players a game now and again, to have too many options to chose from and not being able to play your players in their best position is something you must take into consideration when you pick your team or plan your squad.
To pick players out of the freezer is not always a great way to build your strategies on, and you will mostly be punished with those ideas. Islam Slimani was suddenly part of a squad, did get minutes, wasn’t comfortable at all, and since that moment no one has seen him again in first team action.
Of course in crisis you need to do different things but when players are not drilled in training or not even get the chance to perform again and just being a one time wonder and than placed back in the freezer, this will not go well when you play at the very highest level.
Embed from Getty ImagesGoing back looking at previous managers you will see that they have either missed out on the correct transfer deals or just not really addressed those points listed above, and made error and mistakes you would believe wasn’t really possible. This happens according to stats when systems are changed, players of course comes in and goes out, or you are struggling to get the relations between players to work as they sometimes haven’t played much together.
Dennis Praet i s a great example of one player that can perform with finesse and brilliance in one game and then in the next be totally out of it, and it doesn’t really have anything to do with the level of teams your playing against, since Dennis can be fantastic against bigger and better and then totally fall out in games against lower placed oppositions. This has to do with “trust” and how his performances will stress him with his mind not really thinking he is “fitting” 100% and being a clear first choice.
Fans are of course excited by the news that players are coming back from injuries, but as we clearly did see against Zorya, players coming back isn’t match fit and needs probably a game or two to get into the “swing of things” and be back to their old best.
The two games against Fulham and Zorya are great examples of how Brendan Rodgers miss those easy facts that are “clear to see”, not play too many of your “injury returns” in the starting team together with other fringe players and not go “too easy” against weaker teams and respect fans for their support.
Embed from Getty ImagesExcuses for lost points against lower placed teams is “failure” and should not happen, wins against better teams are of course pleasant but would rather see 3 points at home against Fulham than 3 away to Man City, and if you defeat Man City you should not fail at home to Fulham, that is unforgivable and shows that you don’t have what you should have in your tool box as manager.
We did see this a lot under previous manager Claude Puel and it has happened a lot also under Brendan Rodgers, so can you address this to a fact that this squad of players are totally unpredictable and doesn’t have the correct focus, of course not.
During the season that Leicester City became champions, you had a settled 4-4-1-1 and seldom any changes that upset the system, you also had a number of changes made during the game that was almost copied game after game. This worked like a clock and why change things that worked so well, have just not really understood all the moves made after such a great season, and everything went into a decline and it’s a strange strategy to set in plan.
The team can be “World Class” and then Brendan Rodgers decides to change systems and players, and this seldom works in his favor, so why is he doing it, please start your analyze on this matter and look for clues as you will see them all clear.
Embed from Getty ImagesTo give players a chance now and again is ok, but to do it when you also change the system, play other fringe players alongside you, some also out of their best position you will be punished and i cannot understand why Brendan Rodgers can’t get his team selection straight and done in a way that his actions are giving positive results.
Brendan Rodgers must have a clear idea of his plan A, his best selection and how he should be winning against weaker positioned teams, this is number one, number two is to be able to play and be challenging everyone at home, no team should come to King Power and get an easy win. Then to get points away is priority three, and if you manage to play counter attacking football against Man City you should not play that way against Fulham at home.
It frustrates me to see the juggle between three and two central defenders, just throwing flank players in and out, such a difficult position to play and needs practicing a lot to get that correct. To see a midfield that have at times difficult to adjust their press level and how the team this season has struggled to be in the same movement as Jamie Vardy who is the one setting the pace of play, and how games are won, and if that is just something happening of it self it will be difficult.
Brendan Rodgers can do what he likes as he manage to win games against lower positioned opponents and not make himself look like an idiot with his tactics. Brendan will never be slaughtered by anyone if he lose games against top 10 teams away, but losing points at home and especially failing to see “the banana skins” he will be questioned.
The team that would be the obvious at the moment is,
Schmeichel – Justin, Fuchs, Evans, Fofana – Tielemans, Ndidi, Maddison – Barnes, Vardy, Albrighton
When players like Castagne, Pereira, Soyuncu are all ready they could be starting to play a bit, Iheanacho, Morgan, Perez and Under are all other alternatives together with Praet and Mendy, and with Choudhury you also have a player who can slot in.
Hopefully Brendan Rodgers will go back to something settled and have a plan going forward, because at the moment it’s difficult to see what this man has on his mind, Leicester City have a group of great talent, and the players are paid among the best in Premier League, so it’s no excuses for anyone.
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