Enzo Maresca explains why Leicester City’s three leading attackers were subbed earlier than ever
Stephy Mavididi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Abdul Fatawu top City’s charts for combined goals and assists in the Championship this season but all were taken off early
Leicester City’s three leading game-changers were substituted earlier than ever as a lack of quality in the final third proved costly in the defeat to Middlesbrough.
Stephy Mavididi was withdrawn at half-time at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, while Abdul Fatawu and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall were taken off around the hour mark. For Mavididi and Dewsbury-Hall, it was the earliest they have been substituted in a Championship game this term. For Fatawu, it was the second earliest.
It was evidence of City’s struggles to connect play in the final third. The trio lead the club’s standings for combined goals and assists in the Championship this season, but all found it difficult to be at their most creative and dangerous, particularly after Boro took the lead.
Tom Cannon, Kasey McAteer, and Yunus Akgun were brought into the fold and while there wasn’t an immediate impact, City made a breakthrough in the final 10 minutes. Even before Jamie Vardy got a goal back, City fashioned two huge chances, missed by Vardy and Jannik Vestergaard.
Discussing his early changes after the game, Maresca was reluctant to criticise the performances of his key attacking players. He said: “The reason why is just technical. We said many times, sometimes I’m there to take decisions, sometimes they are good, sometimes they are not good.
“With Stephy, we think about Tom in that position because he had to work especially in the last third and I think Tom can do that. Kiernan and Abdul, it’s just technical decisions. Probably we missed some quality in the last third from the pocket players. This is the reason.”
