Two games into Leicester City’s new system and so far it’s neither stopped the run of defeats nor got them on the scoresheet.
But it feels unlikely Ruud van Nistelrooy is going to abandon the plan already. He felt City looked like a “proper” team for the five-at-the-back system’s debut at Chelsea, and, for the first time as the club’s manager, named an unchanged line-up against Manchester United.
Even with City comfortably beaten 3-0 by the Red Devils, van Nistelrooy said it was an even game decided by quality in the two boxes.
And so it feels like the international break will have been used to finetune the set-up rather than change it completely.
But van Nistelrooy may not stick with the same 11 when City travel to Manchester City next week. Here are four changes he could make.
Caleb Okoli for Wout Faes
Van Nistelrooy is not one for publicly singling out players over their mistakes, but his assessment of United’s first goal came close to a criticism of Wout Faes.
“I think if Wout can come across to block (Rasmus) Hojlund going to the keeper it would have been better,” van Nistelrooy said.
That’s more politely-worded than many City fans’ view of the situation. It was a few errors in one from Faes – a lack of awareness, poor anticipation, and indecision – and it culminated in a very poor piece of defending as he let Hojlund waltz into the box and finish into the bottom corner.
If any of the central trio in City’s defence are to be dropped, it is Faes. It certainly won’t be Luke Thomas, who earned praise from van Nistelrooy after Chelsea and then was City’s best performer against United.
Caleb Okoli and Jannik Vestergaard are the two options the manager has to call on, but the latter has not made the squad for the past two games nor does he have the mobility to excel in the wide position, meaning Okoli would be the frontrunner to come in.
Woyo Coulibaly for Victor Kristiansen
Woyo Coulibaly has only started one City match and defensively he was caught out of position a couple of times, while he was reckless in his attempts to win the ball back. He was substituted at half-time.
However, that was as a full-back. As a wing-back, there is a greater licence to roam and get forward, and that was where he looked a threat. It’s worth giving him a shot in the new role.
Since the switch in formation, James Justin has been the better performer of City’s two wing-backs and so it would make sense for Victor Kristiansen to drop out, even if he is the sole left-footed option of the trio.
Justin can then switch to the left side, a position he has previously said he favours, allowing Coulibaly to slot in on the right.
Harry Winks for Boubakary Soumare
Boubakary Soumare has established himself as a regular under van Nistelrooy and it’s when he’s had a consistent run of appearances in the past that his form has improved.
And he had been one of the better players under van Nistelrooy for quite a while. But since the change in formation, he’s put in two poor showings.
Harry Winks doesn’t have the same forward surges that Soumare does, but he is a more reliable performer, and while not as physical he is better positionally when it comes to protecting the defence.
Facundo Buonanotte for Patson Daka
Van Nistelrooy has backed the Patson Daka and Jamie Vardy strike combination to pay off, but there’s been little signs of it doing so in the last two games.
The idea is that by having two quick forwards, City have two potential routes for getting in behind the defence.
But Daka has been dropping deep to connect play. That has not only denied him the opportunity to threaten regularly in the box, but it’s not his game either, his touch routinely letting him down against Man United.
If the player in that role is going to come short and receive it to feet, City need someone more suited to that type of play. Facundo Buonanotte, with his ability to wriggle out of tight spaces, is the best bet.
Which of the four suggested changes would you make? Click HERE to have your say.
The latest Leicester City headlines sent straight to your phone
Get the latest Leicester City news sent straight to your phone by joining our Foxes WhatsApp community. Just click here and select ‘Join Community’ to get started.
No one will be able to see your personal information in the community and you will only receive messages from the LeicestershireLive sports team. We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest City stories. All you need to participate in this free service is to have WhatsApp on your phone.
If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and then 'Exit Group'. It's as simple as that. You can read our Privacy Notice HERE.