How has Brendan Rodgers changed Leicester

While Claudio Ranieri may have been the manager that helped Leicester to their first and only Premier League title, Brendan Rodgers has proven to be a great manager, and has been the man that has turned Leicester from a one-season wonder team, into the powerhouse that they are today. 

What has he done though? What has Rodgers done to help Leicester become such a strong and consistent side. This post will go through the main differences that Rodgers has made to the team since joining in 2019. 

Leicester used their very large windfall from selling Harry Maguire to upgrade their training facility, and Brendan Rodgers has adapted the way the team trains well. Considering training is the single most important aspect to winning, training smart is essential. 

Brendan Rodgers is known for his quick and high intensity workout regimes. The team don’t spend hours running around, they train to have explosive power, allowing them to be players that can perform at the highest intensity from minute one until the end of the game. 

Rodgers quickly identified what roles his players are best suited for, and then just broke them down into their simplest forms. Jamie Vardy was the player who would run at goalkeepers or defenders every time they tried to clear the ball. 

While this may seem like serious commitment, it wastes energy, and Rodgers needed Vardy to be ready for his role, run into space. Once again, it’s just simple, and the fact that Jamie Vardy went on to win the Golden Boot shows that simplifying is exactly what his players need. 

Not changing tactics and playing the same way week in and week out is how you get found out, it’s how teams can efficiently pick you apart. Leicester have been really efficient at adapting, especially recently considering the amount of injuries they have had. 

They have also altered their style of play. Last season they were intense for the whole 90 minutes, leaving everything on the field every game. However, with the altered season due to the pandemic, they have altered their style, slowed down when they need to since the games come thick and fast. 

Rodgers has also shown that he has faith in the youngsters. Once again, due to injuries, there have been a number of younger players that have been brought in or who have needed to step up and fill the boots of a first team player. 

Players such as Harvery Barnes, James Justin and Wesley Fofana all thrust into the first team and have performed like seasoned veterans. While it is very unfortunate that Justin’s season ended prematurely, Wesley Fofana has proven to be one of the best transfers the league has seen in years, and at only 20 years old, he still has many years left in the tank. 

Talking about Wesley Fofana, Brendan Rodgers most certainly has an eye for bringing in the right players that fit into the team and his style perfectly. While Rodgers doesn’t have the same input in transfers as he did at Liverpool, it is actually for the best. 

He is involved, and considering the team has brought in the likes of Youri Tielemans, James Justin, Dennis Praet, Wesley Fofana, Ayoze Perez and Timothy Castagne, all players that had an instant impact on the success of the club. 

Rodgers has not only shown how good he is at managing his team as a whole, but he has also shown how he can manage each individual player. Jurgen Klopp is another example of a coach that does this well, every single player in their squads knows and feels that they are needed and what importance they have in the team, so when they step up, even if they haven’t played in a few months, they are still very motivated and driven. 

This has been needed by Leicester due to injuries, and making sure every one of your players is happy and confident in their abilities and place in the squad, you also know that if or when they need to step up, they can do it like they have been playing the whole time. 

Leicester have proven that they are a team that needs to be taken very seriously, and what has made that easier to prove, is their ability to beat the blogger teams. While the concept of the “Big 6” still exists, Leicester has been the team that has shown that the Big 6 are most definitely not invincible. 

Many have even suggested that the whole Big 6 concept shouldn’t exist, since teams like Leicester have really stepped up to their level, or have even been better for a period of time. 

Even though Leicester haven’t quite reached those heights they once did when they won the title, Brendan Rodgers has quickly established them into a formidable team that is to be feared, especially when they are on form. 

Brendan Rodgers can easily get them to that level again, and all we can do is wait and see if he can turn the one-time Premier League winners into two-time champions. 

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