Does Maddison start for you?

[John12345]

4 minutes ago, weller54 said:

That Maidstone bloke is a bit of a Kent if you ask me!

He looks like a Cant erbury to me!

[hejammy]

Honestly it pains me to say it but I think at the moment Praet deserves to start over madders. Madders (perhaps like Perez) needs a few games out/coming on from the bench to reset and also get him back to being fully fit and eager to go. Also yeah even if he does play Cengiz has to take over set piece duty surely? 

[Vestan Pance]

It's a simple equation, sometimes he will start and sometimes he won't. The idea that we have a first choice 11 is now redundant. We've moved on as all the other top clubs have. We have a squad which will be used to help maintain fitness and be selected on suitability for each game. 

 

Are we a better side with him starting? Sometimes, yes.

Edited 11 December 2020 by Vestan Pance

[Sunbury Fox]

Amazing how close this is. Shows how far Maddison's star has fallen. A year ago this would have been 90% plus in his favour. 2020 has not been a good year for him by any measure. This season he's not been helped by often being asked to play as a wide forward in a 343 formation, which really doesn't suit him. But overall he really needs to up his game, as he is way off the levels someone of his talent should be reaching.

[GingerrrFox]

Interesting debate on this so far. There could be a number of reasons as to why Maddison’s performances have dropped off this season. 
 

Firstly, he doesn’t seem to have hit full sharpness since his injury when football started again after the season was postponed.

Secondly, many fans have also made the observation that Maddison seems to be a player who thrives off a full stadium and hasn’t yet reached the same levels that he was showing in front of fans in the ground now playing in front of empty stands. 
 

That being said I think neither of those things are the actual issue. Personally I think Maddison is struggling in the side because of the new role Tielemans has developed into this season. 
 

Previously Maddison and Tielemans were playing as number 8’s in front of Ndidi in the holding role. Whereas this season Tielemans has become the conductor of the side in a double pivot, it sounds a subtle change but it is actually a major change to how we set up attacks. 
 

To explain, last season there was a lot of wing rotation in our midfield between the number 8s and wingers, both Maddison and Tielemans were finding gaps in the half spaces between the lines, this space was created by our wingers making cutting runs inside, these movements were allowing both 8s to pick up possession in wide areas and also outside the box. For those who are familiar with Football Manager and the positional roles within the game, both Maddison and Tielemans were playing as “Mezzalas” last season. 
 

This season we’ve been playing with a double pivot due to Ndidi’s injury, Mendy has been the anchor man and Tielemans has had smore freedom to conduct the side in a deep playmaker role with the license to push further forwards at times knowing he had the safety of Mendy alongside him. 

 

Tonight when I saw Ndidi, Tielemans and Praet in the starting lineup I thought we would see the return of the 4-1-4-1 that worked so well for us last season. However we went with a 4-2-3-1, which I think is quite telling for how Brendan wants to set the side out moving forwards. Brendan hasn’t favoured the double pivot throughout the years, he has historically favoured a single pivot but it seems the double pivot is here to stay. This says to me that Brendan wants Tielemans to keep playing in this conductor role, dictating tempo from deeper whilst having the protection of Ndidi/Mendy next to him. 

 

You would expect then that Maddison would slot comfortably in the role Praet played tonight in the “Number 10 role”? However there are very noticeable differences in how Praet and Maddison play that role. Praet compliments Tielemans fully and I’m not convinced Maddison does. 
 

Praet without the ball is full of energy, constantly pressing the opposition in high areas and is a better defender than Maddison, Tielemans reads the game well but often can be exposed in ball winning situations, this hasn’t been an issue when Praet has played. Also Praet doesn’t demand the ball as much as Maddison does, Maddison constantly wants the ball to feet and isn’t a willing runner into the wide areas or in behind which Praet consistently does. 
 

Maddison is a classic number 10 in a 4-2-3-1. He wants the ball and he wants everything to go through him, which means we can lose the pace in our attack and we start to resemble the less incisive and slower possession focused side that we were under Puel when Maddison played exclusively in that number 10 role behind Vardy. Yes we played a double pivot under Puel but the double pivot consisted of Ndidi and Mendy to counterbalance Maddison’s weakness defensively. The onus was on Maddison in Puel’s system to be the creative presence in the middle as we had no other central midfielder with creativity. (Granted there is a slight counter argument that Puel didn’t have Tielemans available so he could well have tried that combination, we will never know). 
 

To summarise I think Maddison has to understand his role has changed. Tielemans is the conductor of the side now and he needs to start to play a complimentary role to that otherwise I fear in the big games he will find himself on the bench and not on the pitch starting. Currently the trio of Tielemans, Praet and Ndidi/Mendy has a much better balance to it

 

Of course when Ndidi is fully fit and ready to complete 90 minutes again we could see the 4-1-4-1 return but so far Brendan hasn’t given us any indication that he will abandon the double pivot in which he has given Tielemans the role of conductor of his Leicester City orchestra. 

Edited 11 December 2020 by GingerrrFox

[fuchsntf]

Here we go again....Someone always has to to draw the Black point...ayyye & I Name thee this month's Billy Jones , Ise doo

Always a Poster ready to Play Blind pew, to  dish it...!!!

 

[fuchsntf]

2 hours ago, Sunbury Fox said:

Amazing how close this is. Shows how far Maddison's star has fallen. A year ago this would have been 90% plus in his favour. 2020 has not been a good year for him by any measure. This season he's not been helped by often being asked to play as a wide forward in a 343 formation, which really doesn't suit him. But overall he really needs to up his game, as he is way off the levels someone of his talent should be reaching.

Oh dear..havent you yet learnt.....This forum cant Pick a player,selection, Formation Nor tactics...But it still desperate to find a nonsense Agenda..to fit their

Learned Skills from a computer-football-manager game..!!  Plus any negative crap in Maddison is just that..!!

[Dan LCFC]

I think we'll play enough games to be effectively made to rotate our team anyway and he'll be featuring a lot, but it's a bit of an elephant in the room that we just look a bit more balanced without him in the side.

 

He's had a bad 2020. Needs to really step up in 2021 to get himself back into the discussions for England. He's not even close at the minute.

[JJD_LCFC]

Maddison is a superb player no doubts at all. Just for me he has not pushed on as much as I would have thought he could have done, at this moment. 

 

He should be far more effective in all matches, still a bit too hit and miss at the moment. Sheff Utd he hit the post and assisted the winning goal. First assist or goal since Man City away, I think in the premier league.  

 

At this moment the team function better without him, We look more effective playing Tielemans + Praet in the middle with Ndidi as the holding player. I would also play Barnes and Under as I think we are stronger 1 - 4 - 3 - 3. 

[Royston.]

On current form he'd be better used as a sub.

[Nicolo Barella]

In the 4-3-3 Maddison starts. If Rodgers starts getting jiggy with the formations again though, Praet is more useful, he makes the weird formations work better than Maddison.

[Nicolo Barella]

8 hours ago, adejo92 said:

Maddison can be very painful to watch at times but as per Sheffield Utd, it only takes him that one pass.

 

His interview that someone posted the other day really justified his lack lustre performances for me.

 

Its not that he is lacking quality,  he's just not afraid to try different things which, as he stated, you need to do in the Premier League.

Any chance you could link that interview?

[RowlattsFox]

In the formation we played last night yes, alternating with Praet depending on opposition. We played better last night but still lacked creativity, especially centrally. 

[fox766]

At the minute we seem better without madders starting and to me anyway seems better as an impact sub. Whether this is due to injuries he has had and probably not as fearless as he once was, form or both only he will know this. If you asked me this 12 months ago he was a definite starter. But for me is too inconsistent at the moment. 

[AKCJ]

This site is ridiculous some times.

 

Of course he starts for us.

[SexyGammonFox]

8 hours ago, GingerrrFox said:

Maddison is a classic number 10 in a 4-2-3-1. He wants the ball and he wants everything to go through him

I agree. Maybe someone out there can answer this, when was the last time he was actually picked to start a game at 10, the position that most suits him?

 

It seems to me we have two players here, in Perez and Maddison, who are both natural #10s yet have been played slightly out of position in recent times, or in Perez's case ever since he arrived, and are coping stick for it.

[deep blue]

There are contributors here who have interpreted this as a Maddison-bashing thread but that's not the case at all. It's produced many interesting views on his style of play versus others, and what the effect of that is within the possible formations - for example, gingerrfox's take on it.

 

On another issue with Maddison - his taking responsibility for all the set-pieces (which I also agree with many on here is not very effective at the moment), this led me to wonder whether he has a bit of arrogance about him. But watching his post-SheffU interview removed any thought of that. I felt he came across as very intelligent, lively and humble. I hope he remains with us for the long term, continues to develop with us and establish himself as the key member of our team that he should be given his innate ability.

[Xen]

11 hours ago, adejo92 said:

Maddison can be very painful to watch at times but as per Sheffield Utd, it only takes him that one pass.

 

His interview that someone posted the other day really justified his lack lustre performances for me.

 

Its not that he is lacking quality,  he's just not afraid to try different things which, as he stated, you need to do in the Premier League.

On top of that, there's sometimes a compounding effect where having a player like Maddison doesn't quite work if you don't also have the same quality at the other end of the pass, as well as players to make space, occupy defenders and increase the potential of those opportunities. No disrespect for Albrighton, Justin, Thomas, etc., but Ünder, Ricardo and Castagne will make us even more expansive and dangerous, and that will only make Maddison look even better.

 

Then again, it'd also make Praet/Perez look better in the same system, so...

 

 

One thing is for sure though - he definitely shouldn't be on corners. Ünder's yesterday were so much better and we actually had a few decent chances from Evans, Fofana, Ndidi.

 

Edited 11 December 2020 by Xen

[suffolk fox]

Please dont let Maddison take another corner ever.  Under must not only start but take all the corners.

[Lako42]

Leicester a better team with Maddison starting but never EVER taking another corner. 

 

If Under doesn't start and take corners then Branda can **** off. 

[Chrysalis]

we a better team when he is not playing, this question is basically do you play your most talented individuals or the best team.

[Chocolate Teapot]

I feel like Maddison has more impact in games coming off the bench anyway. Hes a terrific player but his career has stalled with injuries.

[Fox92]

I've always thought Maddison needs or wants an extra touch which slows us down. Off the bench when we're winning, for instance at Man City, I think it's brilliant but when we need to be quick and attack from the first minute, for instance against Fulham, I'd rather see a more direct attack (Barnes/Vardy/Under perhaps).

[StriderHiryu]

12 hours ago, The whole world smiles said:

These kind of questions are pretty meaningless at the moment, this isn't 2016 there will be no settled starting 11 for the rest of the season.

 

There is potentially another 43 games to squeeze into 5 months. Maddison, Praet, even perez will all be starting loads of games at number 10 before the season is out depending on fatigue, fitness levels and opposition. Let's not look for every little excuse to have a dig at our own players by claiming they shouldnt be in the starting 11 because the staring 11 only exists on a game by game basis. 

^This.

 

3 games in 7 days starting with Brighton. There's not much let up after that either. Bodies will be dropping all over the place for every team in the league and players will get fatigued. I expect one or two games like West Ham away last season where we played almost our entire B team and still won. I said earlier in the season we won't see our "strongest" 11 all season, and I still think that's the case. It's almost inevitable in this strange season that we'll always have a minimum of 2 players out for any given game. 

 

I think it's brilliant we can have a good team with either Maddison, Praet, both or neither of them starting! This is the strongest squad we've had by miles. Pick the team based on form, physical condition and opposition for every encounter is the way we need to operate this season and every other if consistently get into Europe.

[Le Renard]

Give the guy a break, he's not been at his best, but he's been injured and he's picking up the odd knock.  Praet has had a few dodgy games recently, but he doesn't seem to get half the grief that Maddison does.  It seems now we've got rid of Chilwell, some fans need someone to pick on!