THE RODGERS REBOOT
Foxes are flying thanks to meticulous yet slick training sessions, no far-flung tour and… crazy golf
ANINE-HOLE golf course will be one of the most eyecatching features of Leicester’s new £100million training ground yet before a shot has been played, the club’s owners must feel they have already struck a hole in one.
In a little more than seven months as manager, Brendan Rodgers has transformed Leicester from a club drifting in the bottom half of the table to candidates for the top four.
They face Liverpool at Anfield tomorrow as the best of the rest in the Premier League: fresh, exciting, disciplined and energetic. The challenges that faced Rodgers — to improve the style of play and recover Jamie Vardy’s best form — have been achieved with flying colours.
Speak to anyone about the Rodgers effect and the phrase ‘high standards’ is used repeatedly, but what really catches the eye is the former Liverpool and Celtic boss’s attention to detail.
Training sessions are planned meticulously, with folder upon folder of colour-coded documents charting each stint. There are individual drinks stations for each player, so how much fluid is being taken on board can be monitored. It also reduces the chance of infections being passed between the players.
The ‘counter-press’ is key for Rodgers, who adored from an early age the Barcelona/Dutch school of football advanced by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff. He demands the ball be won back before the opposition have completed four passes. Vardy, who has five goals in seven games, sets the tone, haring to close down the opposition and urging his team-mates up the pitch.
To hone this skill, Leicester do rapid exercises in which a point is awarded to the circle of six players when they complete four passes, and one to the two in the middle if they win it back before this has been achieved. In training matches, the size of the pitch is altered through the week to work on different aspects, such as sprinting and changes of direction.
Under Rodgers’ predecessor Claude Puel, players complained that training was aimless. They felt too much time was wasted between exercises. With Rodgers, sessions are short and sharp, with everything recorded using GPS trackers to monitor speed and distance covered.
The Northern Irishman’s staff — among them assistant Chris Davies, first-team coaches Kolo Toure and Adam Sadler, head physiotherapist Dave Rennie and head of fitness Matt Reeves — ensure everything is prepared, so as soon as one drill is finished, the players are straight on to the next.
The ball is used virtually throughout Back on song: Vardy has thrived under Rodgers as Rodgers sees little sense in running for running’s sake. He once said: ‘People ask me, “Why don’t you go on runs through the woods?” Well, I’ve never seen a tree on a football field.’ Rodgers oversaw an improvement at the end of the last campaign but made his presence felt in pre- season. Unlike many of their rivals, Leicester eschewed the money-spinning tour abroad. Apart from a six- day training camp in Evian, France, the summer was spent at the club’s Belvoir Drive base, a five-minute drive from the King Power Stadium. The players were put through morning and afternoon sessions, decamping to a local hotel in between to rest and recover. It was quickly apparent that the squad had returned from their holidays in excellent condition, proof that they were buying into Rodgers’ ideas. Further tests conducted during last month’s international break were also encouraging, with many players achieving new top speeds and highest leaps. Rodgers is keen on individual coaching, too, and has spent considerable time with James Maddison — one of the league’s best midfielders this season — working on his tactical discipline and individual pressing. Rodgers feels it is important that players know he is approachable, while also ensuring they know who is boss. Yesterday, players took on staff in a crazy golf ‘Ryder Cup’, with the pairing of Vardy and goalkeeper Danny Ward consigning the staff to defeat.
‘It breaks the cycle rather than doing the same thing all the time,’ said Rodgers. ‘ We have a great spirit within the team.’
Rodgers has encouraged an environment in which everybody at the club feels part of the same cause. First team, Under 23 and academy sides use the same facilities, and the manager takes an interest in off-field matters, such as players’ commercial appearances.
Results give a strong endorsement to Rodgers’ methods. Only Liverpool and Manchester City have gathered more points than Leicester since he was appointed, and statistics show the team are scoring more goals per game, enjoying more possession and having more shots on target than under Puel.
The new training ground, covering 185 acres at Charnwood, eight miles north of Leicester, is expected to be one of the best in Europe, with the club hoping it will be complete by next summer.
Despite the bright start to this campaign, questions are still to be answered.
How would Leicester handle a long-term injury to Vardy, Jonny Evans, Wilfred Ndidi or one of their full backs? If they qualify for European football can Rodgers improve his modest record in continental competition? How will they deal with the extra fixtures?
For the moment, Leicester fans can be excited again. The season is still young but this team have shown enough to suggest that, before play begins on their new golf course, they may have another major championship to celebrate.