Leicester City’s performance against Chelsea at the weekend was much improved despite the 1-0 defeat.
That’s largely due to the change in formation, as Ruud van Nistelrooy opted for a three at the back for the first time in his Leicester tenure.
Something needed to change and Van Nistelrooy did exactly that, which sparked a much more competitive performance.
Defensively, City looked a lot more resolute, however, they still remained pretty unthreatening going forward.
So, with that said, here is one crucial change Van Nistelrooy needs to make to ensure the 3-5-2 system works.
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
Ricardo Pereira simply has to start as a wingback
For the 3-5-2 system to be effective, the wingbacks have to be contributing in the final third and James Justin didn’t really provide that at the weekend.
Justin doesn’t really excel going forward, but Ricardo Pereira certainly does, so he must start as the right wing-back for the remainder of the season.
Pereira is now back from a long injury lay-off and looked really assured when he came off the bench at Stamford Bridge.
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The former Portugal international has played as a right-winger in the past, so it’s certainly a role he’s capable of playing.
Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy need to form understanding
The second issue, that really needs addressing, is the lack of understanding Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy had on Sunday.
They’re so similar in their movement, so they must work on building up an understanding of which runs to make at what times.
Kelechi Iheanacho and Vardy formed a brilliant pairing in the 2020/21 season, with the former often dropping in deeper to link the play.
However, neither Daka or Vardy really excel at that, so they instead have to rely on making alternative runs into the channel.
That understanding will only develop with time, which, unfortunately, Leicester don’t have much of.
Nine games remain to secure the club’s Premier League status.