FIVE weeks ago Leicester City lost 4-1 at home to Crystal Palace. The defeat left Leicester 12th in the Premier League, eight points above the relegation zone. Today, Leicester could go seventh should they win at Huddersfield Town. If relegation was in the background then, European football is in the foreground now.
Of course, five weeks ago, Claude Puel was Leicester’s manager; today, it is Brendan Rodgers.
Given the focus on Liverpool, Manchester City’s possible quadruple, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Tottenham’s new stadium, plus the noise out of Glasgow, the interest in Rodgers’ arrival at the Foxes from Celtic has subsided.
But, quietly, Rodgers has embedded himself in the club and the team are heading in a different direction. Three consecutive wins have lifted the atmosphere, pushed Puel into the past and re-configured how Leicester City feel about themselves.
In addition to those changes in results and mood, there has been a shift in style.
“I spent most of last Saturday’s game applauding,” says David Bevan. “You can see the training-ground work, the trust and confidence. The players are definitely buying into Rodgers more than Puel.”
Bevan has been watching Leicester for 30 years and is the author of The Unbelievables, a book charting Leicester’s rise from finishing 10th in the Championship under Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2011 to winning the Premier League (with Nigel Pearson’s squad) under Claudio Ranieri in 2016.
Bevan has the football supporter’s in-built pessimism, and he points out that in Fulham and Bournemouth at home, Burnley away, and next Huddersfield, Rodgers has had a nice introduction after his debut last-minute loss at Watford.
But Bevan is also struck by how enjoyable Rodgers’ first month has been. The contrast with what went before is undoubtedly part of it, yet Rodgers has not been some passive beneficiary. He has made a difference and not just in the eyes of fans.
Ben Chilwell, Leicester’s England left-back, assessed Saturday’s 3-0 win over Bournemouth by recalling the 4-2 defeat at the same club in September – Leicester were 4-0 down at Bournemouth until they snatched two goals in the last three minutes.
“When we were going forward, we were solid at the back,” Chilwell said of last Saturday. “Obviously at their place earlier in the season, that's where we struggled.
“He [Rodgers] is very big on pressing and winning the ball back quickly, and it makes it very difficult for the other team - especially for Bournemouth coming here with the stadium rocking.”
Rodgers has not transformed selection – eight of Saturday’s team started in September – but he has tweaked the formation and upped the tempo. One player he has inherited, Youri Tielemans, is thriving.
Tielemans is another of those hugely talented young Belgians who began at Anderlecht. He was transferred to Monaco for £21.5m just after turning 20 and will not be 22 until May. He joined Leicester on a swap loan in January and has played only seven times for the Foxes.
But Tielemans has started every Rodgers match and, moved further forward on the pitch, is beginning to shape Leicester’s rhythm. Allowing Tielemans to get closer to Jamie Vardy, who remains the team’s principal weapon, has been the re-positioning of Wifred Ndidi. The Nigerian is a natural midfielder and Rodgers had a particular description for him after Bournemouth.
“I've always had one in my teams – that sort of central pivot that orchestrates the game,” Rodgers said. “I had Steven [Gerrard] do it for me at Liverpool and Leon Britton did it for me at Swansea, different types. I like to have a player in there but the three midfielders all have to be different for me. You certainly need one who has the appetite to win the ball . . . how [Ndidi] wins the ball is incredible.”
Defensive solidity brought Leicester their first clean sheet since New Year’s Day. It was achieved without England centre-half Harry Maguire, who was suspended following his early red card at Burnley.
Maguire is available again for the trip to Huddersfield and even if the club choose to cash in on him this summer, there is the return of Filip Benkovic from his Celtic loan to compensate. At 21, Benkovic would join other young players such as Ndidi, 22, Chilwell, 22, Harvey Barnes, 21, and James Maddison, 22.
Their age and ability is another reason why there was frustration with Puel.
A push towards the Europa League would further the goodwill shown to Rodgers. Even the fact Leicester’s last three matches are Arsenal, City and Chelsea gives all a chance to showcase progress - and possibly define the title race and Champions League places.
These are the earliest of early days for Rodgers at Leicester, but there has been no false start.
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