Simply trying to avoid defeat is not going to earn Leicester City the victories they desperately require, and that may affect Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team selection at Chelsea.
City could be eight points adrift of safety by the time they kick off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with Wolves in action against Everton on Saturday night.
The need for wins is becoming more urgent, and City must drastically turn around their form to get them, van Nistelrooy’s side having lost 11 of their last 12 league fixtures.
Over the past four games, they have failed to score a single goal, with the chances drying up.
Van Nistelrooy had been fielding more defensive wingers in Jordan Ayew and Bobby De Cordova-Reid, but it has not helped strengthen the back-line, with City conceding 12 goals over those four games.
That may mean van Nistelrooy readjusts to try to better find the balance he needs in his team.
“The right approach is how to approach the mental part,” the manager said on Friday. “That is key. If you want to get the wins that are necessary, you have to not avoid losing.
“You start the game and it’s 0-0. You have a result in hand. If you want to protect that too much, the initiative goes and it’s hard to get wins.
“It has to be in balance. You have to look at opponents and how much initiative to show. That balance can be found in the approach.
“We had a spell where we created quite a bit but couldn’t finish the chances. Over the last period we didn’t create as much as we wanted.
“But we also looked at more defensive organisation to be able to defend better and give fewer chances away. It’s a balance.
“If you go too offensive, you concede, and if you go too defensive, you don’t create. That’s the challenge.”
Stephy Mavididi may be the biggest beneficiary of van Nistelrooy’s stance. The winger has not started any of City’s last six games in all competitions but was a bright spark off the bench against West Ham.
He will be a contender to start. It will be interesting to see if Facundo Buonanotte retains his spot on the other wing or if van Nistelrooy goes for a slightly more conservative option in Jordan Ayew.
Harry Winks also did well off the bench against West Ham, adding more control to City’s display. He could come in for Boubakary Soumare in central midfield.
Ricardo Pereira’s return to fitness is not expected to force a change at full-back for now, so James Justin and Victor Kristiansen will continue, but Caleb Okoli will be pushing Jannik Vestergaard for one of the centre-back spots.
Jamie Vardy, despite scoring just once in his last 11 Premier League games, will lead the line as captain, keeping Patson Daka out.
Predicted City XI (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Justin, Faes, Okoli, Kristiansen; Ndidi, Winks; Ayew, El Khannouss, Mavididi; Vardy.
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