In return for a taste of his whisky, no less, singer-songwriter Kenny Rogers was once given some awfully vague advice: “The secret to survivin’,” the Gambler told him on a train bound for nowhere, “is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep.” Thanks for that, Gambler, care to elaborate? “You’re got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.” Yes, Gambler, but how?
The boards of Leicester and Arsenal may have found themselves humming that tune earlier this season when they heard calls to sack their managers. The cries for Brendan Rodgers to be strapped into a train bound for Mutualconsentville never got as loud as the ones aimed at Mikel Arteta but there were mumblings among some fans, nonetheless, that he may have reached the end of the line with Leicester. Giving up the FA Cup by losing 4-1 to Nottingham Forest in February was a low point from which it was hard to return. But Leicester, like Arsenal, knew what not to throw away and as the clubs prepare to meet at the Emirates on Sunday, each can be satisfied that they are now stronger.
On Friday, Rodgers praised Arsenal for sticking with Arteta but he could easily have been talking about himself and Leicester when he said: “They supported him, which is great. He’s a really gifted coach and they’ve shown patience.” Rodgers has earned patience during his term at Leicester and he has now got his team into a state where they could do the reverse of the last two campaigns by ending strongly.
Most of Leicester’s problems have been caused by injuries. Those are starting to abate at last, with even the brilliant young centre-back Wesley Fofana scheduled to make his first appearance of the season next week. Rodgers has suggested that the prospect of the Frenchman returning may partly explain why Daniel Amartey and Caglar Soyuncu have suddenly become so solid in recent weeks. “Sometimes the best coach is competition,” said Rodgers, underplaying his own contribution – because adjustments made by the manager are the other reason why Leicester go into Sunday’s match having kept three consecutive clean sheets for the first time this season.
Rodgers has tightened up his team by slightly curbing his attacking instincts, prioritising solidity and dynamism. “We had to get back to what we’re all about,” said Rodgers. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall on the left-hand side of midfield and the indefatigable Marc Albrighton on the right have been instrumental in that, their energy and doggedness helping to stimulate upturns in form from Youri Tielemans, Wilfred Ndidi and the centre-backs. Leicester have become a coherent, resilient whole again, able to stay in game even when not playing particularly well. Not only have they avoided conceding in their last three matches, they have struck last-minute goals in two of them, at Burnley two weeks ago and against Rennes on Thursday.
“Speaking to one of the French outlets after that game, they felt we looked much stronger than Rennes and our game experience showed at the end,” Rodgers said. “That was good to hear from people who maybe don’t watch as much of us but saw how we managed the game. We’ve had some harsh lessons this year in terms of giving away late goals. You can take that as long as you go away and learn. That’s part of how we’re evolving.”
It will be interesting to see what evolution means for James Maddison. Having regained his form and excelled, he suffered a minor injury that cost him his starting place last month. Since then his role has been as a high-impact substitute, sent on to dazzle on a stage built by more dynamic players. His creativity is undeniable, his effect on the team’s balance more difficult to define. “We have to pick a team that isn’t just for the best players,” says Rodgers.
One player practically certain to start against Arsenal is Harvey Barnes. Having overcome the fitness problems that hampered him earlier in the season, the 24-year-old has found such consistency that he has become Leicester’s most thrilling attacker and also less predictable to opponents. “There were certain elements of his game where when he got into certain positions you could probably read what he was going to do – but now you can’t,” said Rodgers. “Now he comes inside or he can bend the ball in or fake to come into the first post. Or he looks like he’s coming inside but goes outside. That’s just the development of his game, through training, coaching and his own analysis and constant work.
“He looks like he’s going to create and score in every game he plays. And the balance of the team is really good. The two players on the left side – Luke [Thomas], Kiernan – they feed him early. It’s great to see.”
