Former Leicester City midfielder Matt Piper, now a pundit, has claimed that Leicester City lack leadership in defence.
Speaking on the When You’re Smiling Podcast, Piper stated,” I’ve played with players that just shout things and you think ‘Has he helped me or helped anyone with what he’s saying? No.”
“You get players that just say things at certain times to appear talkative on the pitch, but are they actually leading? Are they giving players advice, support, and guidance while they’re out there? That’s what I think we do lack.”
He does have a point. Leicester’s backline has been in disarray far too often this season. The defenders’ positioning has been sloppy at times, allowing the opposition far too much space and time in Leicester’s defensive third.
Leicester City’s backline lacks experience
The Foxes’ backline lacks Premier League experience. James Justin has played around 100 top-flight games but still looks naïve with his positioning at times. Wout Faes and Victor Kristiansen have around a season’s experience, while Caleb Okoli is a newcomer. The four of them have an average age of 24, making them a relatively young backline.
Leicester have plenty of leadership on the bench. Conor Coady, Jannik Vestergaard, and Ricardo Pereira are all leaders with captaincy experience. Having one of them come in the backline could make a difference. But for that to happen, Steve Cooper will have to change his tactics, especially with how he wants his fullbacks to function. Having Leicester revert to the inverted wing-back system they played under Enzo Maresca would allow Pereira to start, with Justin as the narrow fullback on the left flank.
“It was a bit too much” – Mads Hermansen
Mads Hermansen highlighted Leicester’s problems at the back last weekend. Following his heroic performance against Arsenal, the keeper stated, “I must admit, it was a bit too much. I think we conceded 36 shots on goal. No matter who you play, that’s simply too much. We have to look at what we can improve and try to do better for the future.”
