Foxes In The Hunt

JOHN LYONS LOOKS AT THE RECENT PROGRESS OF LEICESTER CITY

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WHEN Brendan Rodgers left Celtic for Leicester in late February, many people wondered why. Well, we all know now.

The former Liverpool boss clearly saw the potential in the Foxes squad and felt it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

Even the prospect of leading Celtic to a treble treble or historic ten in a row couldn’t keep him in Scotland.

His gamble, if it was one, is now paying off in spades, even though half of Glasgow still hasn’t forgiven him.

It’s clear that Rodgers is getting far more out of the players than his predecessor Claude Puel. The softly-spoken Frenchman was axed with the Foxes 12th in the Premier League last term, having lost five of their last six games.

Fans had grown frustrated with his conservative style of play and team selections, while his tactical approach clearly didn’t suit star striker Jamie Vardy.

Clearly, one of Rodgers’ main aims was to get more out of former England man Vardy by playing to his strengths. You need to give him service, look to use his pace and get him running on to balls over the top.

The good thing for Rodgers is that he has players who can give Vardy the opportunities he craves – and the forward, a key man in Leicester’s miracle title win in 2015-16, has shown he can deliver time and again if you supply him the ammunition.

One of Rodgers’ jewels is midfielder James Maddison. The 22-year-old has skill in abundance and can play the killer pass, keep the team ticking over and conjure up spectacular set-pieces.