I’VE LOST TRUST IN DEFENCE
BRENDAN Rodgers hopes to use the international break to find a system that restores his confidence in Leicester City’s defence, writes Jordan Blackwell.
City boss Rodgers admitted the trust he had in his back-line to withstand periods of pressure has been lost of late, and the numbers show why.
City have conceded 12 goals in seven Premier League games this term – only Newcastle, Norwich, and Leeds have conceded more.
To correct the defensive issues, Rodgers has suggested he will again look at the shape of the team, having tried different setups in recent outings.
The 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace saw Rodgers opt for 4-4-2, while the match before, the defeat to Legia Warsaw, City lined up in a 3-5-2 shape.
Although Rodgers now has two weeks in which to formulate plans, he will be without many of the players putting it into place, with all of his fit defenders bar Ricardo Pereira and Ryan Bertrand on international duty.
“It’s a chance for us to reflect, to look at the performances, have a look at the structural things,” Rodgers said.
“I need to decide if we need to change the shape of the team while we have the personnel we have that allows us to defend with more stability.
“I’ve always in the main been really confident in our defending, how we press the game, and that when we’re in moments of pressure that we see it through.
“I have a feeling at the moment that it’s not quite where I want it to be.
“We need to do something about it and at least now we have a chance to affect that, and then bring those ideas to the players when they come back.”
Rodgers has previously said he is not a huge fan of a 4-4-2 shape as he feels it is too flat, without enough options between the lines, but he chose it anyway on Sunday, allowing Kelechi Iheanacho to start for the first time this season.
“He can’t play in another position,” Rodgers said of Iheanacho. “He’s purely a striker.
“When you play with two strikers, there’s obviously a change behind that.
“That’s one of the things I need to look at, because of the types of players we have, it doesn’t allow us to keep the ball as well as we would like. That’s something I need to look at.”
RODGERS TO USE LEAGUE BREAK TO FIX ISSUES AT BACK AFTER CITY’S POOR START