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“He must be drop else relegation will definitely be certain”- The unlikely player Ruud van Nistelrooy must axe to try and save Leicester City from relegation
Leicester City have suffered 11 defeats in their last 12 Premier League matches and are now five points adrift of safety.
In light of this, our writers suggest urgent changes to tackle these critical times.
Leicester City head to Chelsea this Sunday aiming to halt a string of defeats that have put their Premier League survival in serious peril.
Enzo Maresca will no doubt be eager to fix the issues that Ruud van Nistelrooy has managed to address in the ten days since their last visit to the capital, which ended in a 2-0 loss to West Ham.
Graham Potter’s side barely broke a sweat in overcoming Leicester, and the hope is that the recent break and extra time on the training ground has been well spent.
But what options does van Nistelrooy have? Could a formation or personnel change make the difference? Most of the potential tweaks have been tried by either van Nistelrooy or his predecessor, Steve Cooper.
Still, Leicester’s writers have identified one change they believe could improve the team’s chances of survival.
Jordan Blackwell
When Ruud van Nistelrooy gave Bobby De Cordova-Reid his first Premier League start since August against Tottenham in late January, it seemed like a stroke of genius.
De Cordova-Reid played a pivotal role in both goals, providing the perfect cross for Jamie Vardy’s equalizer. However, his performances since have not been consistent enough to warrant a permanent starting spot.
Van Nistelrooy has said he’s seeking a balance of control and creativity from the wings, but De Cordova-Reid has not been delivering on the creative front.
Meanwhile, Leicester is severely lacking attacking threats, and they need players who can create moments of magic. Simply being tidy on the ball is not enough.
Stephy Mavididi, while frustrating at times and lacking consistency, does have the ability to take on defenders. He stays wide on the left and is always an option, attempting to beat his full-back.
That kind of threat is what Leicester needs right now. Opponents are too comfortable defending against them, and they need players who will stretch defences and make life harder for centre-backs.
Mavididi can do that more effectively than De Cordova-Reid.
He showed real intensity when he came on against West Ham, as if he had a point to prove. If he brings that level of urgency in both attack and defence, he could make a significant impact.
Leicester needs to be more daring, and van Nistelrooy should shift the team’s focus more towards creativity than control.
Josh Holland
In the loss to West Ham, Leicester never looked like scoring. In previous games, though, their issue has been converting chances. Van Nistelrooy has continued to pick Jamie Vardy, despite the 38-year-old having scored only one goal in his last 11 appearances.
It’s not Vardy’s fault, but it’s clear a Premier League club can’t rely on a striker who has been phased out in recent seasons.
Teams have figured out how to defend against Vardy, and it’s time for a change. Leicester has needed a new attacking solution for weeks now.
Patson Daka, despite coming off the bench in several matches, has not impressed in his limited appearances, and he has only started one Premier League match all season, which came against Liverpool when Vardy was unavailable.
Like many Leicester fans, I don’t want to criticize Vardy—he’s a club legend, and his passion is undeniable—but his current form is limiting Leicester’s ability to pick up points.
There’s also the option of Odsonne Edouard. Not terminating his loan deal means Leicester have to make use of him, especially given their struggles in the final third. Edouard should be considered as part of the solution.
Brian Dick
There are problems all over the pitch, and honestly, I could argue for changing any player from the starting XI that performed so meekly against West Ham—and so weakly against Brentford.
It would be easy to point the finger at a defence that includes Jannik Vestergaard, but I’m going to focus on a different issue: Boubakary Soumaré. This just isn’t the right environment for him.
Soumaré’s struggles are not simply down to his reaction to Mads Hermansen’s criticism. Leicester lack control in midfield—both in terms of quality on the ball and energy off it.
Against Brentford, the midfield was completely overrun, and Soumaré was bypassed with ease. The pairing of Soumaré and Wilfred Ndidi has proven ineffective.
Both managers this season have explored every option for fixing the midfield, and while Harry Winks is far from his best, he offers more stability and control than Soumaré at present.
There was an improvement when Winks replaced Soumaré in the last match, and I believe he deserves the chance to prove himself to the fans, especially with the likelihood that he’ll be part of the squad next season.
