Matchday Minus Two Talking Points: Differing Tactics & Putting Down a Marker
- Matchday Minus Two previewed the Boxing Day Premier League fixture against Manchester United
- Gerry Taggart also gave his views on Leicester City's 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last time out
- The former Fox is hoping the 12:30pm kick-off can live up to its pre-match billing as second takes on third
- Jamie Vardy and Leicester's other attacking threats will cause problems for United, Taggart believes
Matchday Minus Two, broadcast on LCFC TV and hosted by presenter Dan Bates, discusses all the very latest talking points before every first team weekend fixture.
This week, former Foxes defender Taggart reflected on Leicester's dominant away win over Tottenham Hotspur and looked ahead to welcoming United to King Power Stadium on Saturday 26 December...
An occasion to savour
Gerry Taggart said: "It's a massive game on the biggest footballing day of the season. You only have to look at where both teams are in the league for a start. Manchester United have had a bit of a resurgence after being put out of the Champions League. It's not an ideal kick-off for either team, but especially United. You look at Leicester's home form and United's away form, which is really good, so it's an ideal scenario to wrestle with that. I think the early kick-off may help Leicester in some small way, but we'll have to wait and see about that."
Keep things ticking over
Gerry Taggart said: "It's got all the hallmarks of an absolute thriller hasn't it? There's a lot at stake, obviously Manchester United have a chance to overtake Leicester and go into second place and Leicester I suppose, after missing out on the Champions league spot after Project Restart with that last game of the season, will want to get one over on Manchester United. Obviously Man United have a game in hand as well, but Leicester will be just trying to keep that gap and cement themselves in second place."
Differing tactics
Gerry Taggart said: "I can't see Manchester United sitting back and dropping as deep as Spurs did and allowing Leicester the amount of possession that they had against Spurs, because we've seen the problems that Leicester caused them. I'm sure [Ole Gunnar] Solskjær will have noted that. I'm not saying they won't go deep but it may be on the halfway line or along those kind of regions that United decide they are going to start pressing. I'm sure they'll come and sit slightly deep, they'll try and deny the space in behind for [Jamie] Vardy, there's no doubt about that. Everyone knows what Jamie is capable of, especially when you play a high line."
Putting down a marker
Gerry Taggart said: "It will be an interesting way to setup. For Leicester, the issue will be when Manchester United get possession of the ball, we've seen it in the last game of last season, it was a pretty tight game, but what they did was they used the ball pretty well. Leicester will cause them problems anyway, they did on that day and I can't see them not causing them problems. Again, I see it being a really tight game, but as far as reversing the result, they are just going to have to tighten up slightly."
Vardy's penalty technique
Gerry Taggart said: "It was down to Jamie Vardy (against Spurs) and in these sort of situations, Jamie isn't missing them, not from what we've seen in recent times. It was a great penalty and Jamie has shown a variety in his penalties and I think that's the main thing when you're taking penalties, you've got to have a variety. He showed that going straight down the middle. His run up every time is exactly the same. 'Keepers analyse players' run-ups and that's one of the things they look for, if they lean slightly to the left before they kick the ball if they're right-footed or if they run straight onto the ball and then it makes it a little bit more difficult to read which way he's going to go. It doesn't matter if he goes right, left or straight down the middle, his run up is invariably always the same."
Dominating Spurs
Gerry Taggart said: "In the second half, Leicester quickened up the play slightly and they by-passed Tottenham's midfield. Both the disallowed goal and the own goal, came from quick long passes and that enabled James Maddison and Marc Albrighton to break that block that Tottenham set up and then after that, he was free and we all know what Albrighton is like with his crossing, especially to try and find Jamie Vardy. The run of James Justin helps him, but there's no pressure on the ball whatsoever and Albrighton knows exactly what he's doing."
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