‘If it ain't broke, don’t fix it’, even if that’s a 4-4-2
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Ranieri realized very early on that harnessing the incredible momentum generated in April/May was the key to success at the East Midlands club. He kept tweaking here and there, imperceptible little touches that kept that state of momentum growing; even if that meant going against that very essence of modern football – the three man (central) midfield. (Curiously, this was a tactical innovation that Ranieri himself had a decisive hand in popularizing in England when he bought Claude Makélelé to Chelsea and used him to destroy that very English concept of the two-man central midfield.)
Eschewing the comfort offered by three men in the middle of the park, Leicester have been playing a good old fashioned 4-4-2 game-in and game out. Giving up the dominance of the ball possession, they have looked at compressing the pitch and combining it with a run-till-you-die attitude that has allowed the two men in the middle of the park to boss packed, three-man midfield across the nation.
The run-till-you-die attitude has permeated throughout, with the wingers diligently chipping in to protect the team’s flanks and the extra striker dropping into the hole to form a 4-4-1-1 when the team doesn’t have the ball.
All season, they’ve attacked in the refreshing manner of those who have nothing to lose. Insultingly direct, Ranieri has remodeled English football’s fine long-ball traditions suit the team’s strengths – instead of first-time long balls to striker’s heads/chests, the balls are hit into channels between and behind the defence where the sheer, unbridled pace of Leicester’s attack truly comes into its own.
Their possession and passing stats are damning, third lowest possession numbers (43.7%), lowest pass accuracy (an abysmal 69.3%) and second lowest short passes (267 per game) but the interception and tackles put in numbers are off the charts, highest (21.8) and second highest (22.6) respectively.
Following the American (US) model – statistical analysis are often touted by many as the ultimate method of understanding a football.What hogwash.
In our quest for shining light on individual moments of glory and focusing on percentages and decimal points to tell us how the team is doing, we often miss arguably the most important factors in the success of a team -Spirit and Chemistry. They have been the cornerstone upon which the Foxes’ triumphs have been built; how from a motley assortment of has-beens and almost-could’ve-beens to straight up journeymen, Leicester City have evolved into an almost army-esque brotherhood..
Normally you would say that would stifle individual genius, cut out the maverick-ness of the team’s best players. But Ranieri has not done that. He’s used the team to bring out the best in his players individually.
The electric Jamie Vardy and the waif-like wizard Riyad Mahrez are the most exciting players in the league. N’Golo Kanté has been more influential in central midfield than anyone else across Europe’s top leagues.
This fine balance has won them games all season. Quite a lot of them, in fact.
