Leicester battling to implement more proactive approach

They were the team that cost Jose Mourinho his job at Chelsea, and could yet convert the growing concerns about the new Manchester United manager into a full-blown crisis. Certainly, if Leicester City were to make it four consecutive league defeats for the Portuguese boss on Saturday, it would be difficult to avoid the debate over whether this is still the same Mourinho; whether he still has the same effectiveness. It could depend, however, on whether this is still the same Leicester. 

The defending champions were always going to have to some re-adjustment issues of their own this season, especially after the historic and scarcely believable high of winning the title, and they have been evident in a relatively patchy start to the season. One of the potentially decisive factors at Old Trafford on Saturday, then, is whether they are more certain in their play than United now; whether they can sense enough anxiety in Mourinho’s side to make life even more difficult for them. Whether they are in that much slightly better shape where they can make life even more difficult for the Portuguese.  

Because, after five league games and a few different cup matches, we are at the point where patterns are beginning to become apparent in how teams play; where identities and shapes are developing. So, how different have Leicester been to the cutting counter-attacking side that surged to the title? There has obviously been one big change, from one big departure. N’Golo Kante’s move to Chelsea has had a huge effect on how Leicester play. 

There are times when a big name’s exit can be exaggerated, and a team still adapts to actually cover it adequately with too much alteration to the overall structure, but this is not one of those times. Kante’s absence is visible in everything, from the moment-to-moment of what happens on the pitch to the macro numbers. Two figures say it all from Leicester’s first five matches. Their number of tackles have dropped from 22.9 per game to 16.6, and the number of interceptions have gone from 21.6 per game to 15. 

Those are big fall-offs in any context and, even before getting to talk about any change in style, it shows Kante’s influence alone. This, after all, was a defensive midfielder responsible for 4.7 challenges a match last season and 4.2 interceptions. 

He seemed to just swallow up the ball, and that has meant Leicester have had to chew over new approaches. They seemed to particularly miss Kante in the opening-day defeat at Hull City, when Wes Morgan was so regularly exposed. The captain hasn’t been as secure in general, with his own tackles falling from 2.4 to 1.8 and interceptions dropping from 2.5 to 2.2. He has, however, made more fouls (0.7 to 1.0) - something that perhaps says a lot. 

The bottom line is that Leicester haven’t been able to be as confident in just leaving the ball to the opposition and then pouncing on their errors as they were last season. That's because they know they can't close things down in the way they used to, but there are signs they are looking to get around that; that they're looking for alternatives. 

Their possession has gone up from 44.8% to 47.6%, and even players like Morgan are getting on the ball more, making 30.8 passes per game compared to 21.5. They’re also operating in the centre of the pitch much more. Their play in the defensive third has gone from 29.2% to 24.4%, and in the middle from 26.6% to 31.8%. Possessing more players of the technical ability of Islam Slimani of course helps this. As to what it means for United and Mourinho, we may well have a Leicester more willing to take the game to them, and it’s hard to say whether that’s better or worse for this game. 

The Portuguese is a coach who himself has historically preferred to leave possession to the opposition and then play lightning counters on the break, and United haven’t exactly been cutting when given the ball and expected to create this season. They have generally resorted to punting it, something indicative of a lack of preparation and sophistication in attack, and have played the second highest number of crosses in the Premier League at 25. 

So, would it actually be more beneficial to Leicester to return to a more reactive approach in this game, or is that still too much of a risk without Kante? It is already a situation with so much tension, and potentially a match of much consequence.

Can Leicester successfully defend their Premier League crown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below