THERE S ONLY TWO JAMIE VARDYS
Rodgers: Like having twin
BRENDAN RODGERS reckons Premier League defenders are now facing double the trouble when Jamie Vardy is about.
The Leicester boss claims his striker is playing the best football of his career and is such a handful he is doing the work of two players.
It is four years this week since Vardy set a Premier League record when he scored for an 11th successive Premier League game during the Foxes’ title-winning season.
He has managed to find the net in his last five outings, including a hattrick during the 9-0 drubbing of Southampton. Vardy may turn 33 next month, but Match of the Day highlighted
his contribution to the victory at
Brighton last week. And
Rodgers has compared him to Barcelona star
Luis Suarez, who he managed at
Liverpool.
The former
Reds chief said:
“Jamie is playing at a very high level.
“It’s like having two players up there because of his work and his threat.
“People sometimes ask me, ‘Why don’t you play with two strikers’? Well, when you have the likes of him and Luis Suarez, who I had at
Liverpool, it’s like having two. They are so good and offer such a threat. I mentioned Luis because he played as a single striker for me as well, they are so good that they can occupy defenders on their own.
“You look at his speed last week when he was breaking away – it’s a huge testament to him, how he’s looking after his body.
“He’s so dangerous and you’ve seen his intelligence as well. Last week at Brighton he went through, drew the keeper then squared it. He’s thinking all the time, setting people up.”
Rodgers said at the start of the season that the statistics of the former England striker were as high as they were 12 months ago and that turning his back on his international career is having a positive effect on his club form.
He added: “Most players get better because of experience but the most remarkable thing about Jamie is that he’s quicker.
Jamie has got a freshness, now. During the international breaks he can enjoy a bit of recovery time
Energy
“He feels great, he plays an aggressive game that suits him and we have tactical ideas that allow him to conserve his energy. When he presses he doesn’t do so on his own. He’s got the team behind him.
“Then he has the quality of his finishing and movement as well. It’s natural.
“He’s got a freshness now, too. During the international breaks he’s got a bit of recovery time. Not just physically but mentally as well. There’s no doubt that at his age it will help him.”
Vardy makes full use of a cryotherapy chamber at the club’s Belvoir Drive training complex and there are rumours he also has one at home, too. The technology is used to relieve muscle pain, sprains and swelling after soft tissue damage.
Rodgers said: “The two big things in the modern game are the science and the psychology. Jamie looks after his body and when you get to his age, recovery is critical.”