Entering February, the English Championship has entered a white-hot stage.
As Leicester City struggled to overcome two Premier League teams, the fifth round FA Cup draw result made them happy.
They were drawn against Sheffield Wednesday, the English Championship team in the same league!
The game is scheduled for February 15th.
This means that starting from February 1st to February 15th, Leicester City will play four games in just two weeks.
Three league games and one FA Cup match.
Fortunately, the team has sufficient personnel reserves and there are not many injuries. Pearson can cope with this intensive schedule through rotation.
It is worth mentioning that the British Championship officially announced the winner of last month's Player of the Month on the first day of February.
Among them, Ling Feng, who contributed one goal and three assists in three league games, and Vardy, who scored four goals in five appearances, were successfully selected for the candidate list.
However, due to playing time, Ling Feng finally lost to teammate Vardy.
The 27-year-old Vardy won his first Player of the Month award in the English Championship!
Eighteen-year-old Ling Feng missed his first Player of the Month award.
However, his amazing performance in January was unanimously recognized by the team and fans.
In particular, head coach Pearson was conquered by his performance and already had plans in mind.
On the first night of February, with an assist from Ling Feng, after a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth in an away game, Pearson summoned the coaching staff and started a tactical game as soon as he returned to the Belvoir base. Meeting.
After repeatedly studying the tapes of the past three games, Pearson finally made a far-reaching decision:
That is to completely change the team's tactical formation for half a season from 442 to 4231, completely establishing Ling Feng's core position in the frontcourt!
With the adjustment of the formation, the team has undergone many changes.
First of all, the main forward Nugent, who has been working with Vardy as a strike partner in the first half of the league, and Knockaert, who performed poorly at the left wing position, became victims of the tactical changes.
Because Vardy is faster and has stronger impact, he is more suitable for Ling Feng's through balls.
Therefore, Vardy became the first choice for the lone striker.
Nugent can only move to the left winger position and serve as the starting left winger.
Knockaert, who can play on the left and right, has become a substitute for the left and right wingers.
Although Nugent was dissatisfied with this, the team's record was at its peak and he did not dare to question the head coach's arrangements.
Nugent replaced Knockaert as the team's starting left winger, which can make the frontcourt pass more smoothly.
Knockaert has good foot skills, but he likes to stick to the ball, which can easily delay his chances of success.
Nugent, however, has average foot skills and prefers to pass the ball out and then run into space himself.
Secondly, the team's defense has gotten better.
With Ling Feng serving as the team's starting midfielder, the team's control in the midfield has been greatly enhanced.
The two central midfielders, Drinkwater and Matty James, only need to pass the ball to Ling Feng, let him organize the attack, and then focus on interception and defense in the midfield.
In this way, when the team counterattacks quickly, the two central midfielders will retreat to the front of the back line, preventing the opponent from facing the defender directly, which greatly reduces the defensive pressure on the back line.
The team's defense becomes impregnable and the goals conceded will become less frequent.
Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages.
By retreating from a forward position into an attacking midfielder, Vardy needs more supporting movements to avoid being double-teamed by the opponent's two central defenders.
The frontcourt offense depends largely on Ling Feng's creativity.
In addition to passing threatening balls and connecting the frontcourt, Ling Feng also has to intervene more and cooperate with Vardy.
Even keeping up with the shot, as a second point of attack behind Vardy.
This requires Ling Feng to assume more tactical tasks.
Moreover, once Ling Feng is contained, the team's frontcourt offense will definitely be frustrated.
Pearson is confident about this.
Ling Feng is the future of the club and the most worthy talent of the entire team to be cultivated.
What's more, even Chelsea can't control Ling Feng. How can these rotten chickens in the English Championship do it? !
. . .
The first game with changes in tactics and formation will be the 13th-ranked "old rival" Watford at home a week later.
Speaking of which, Leicester City and Watford have a very famous past.
It happened on May 12, 2013.
It was the second leg of the Championship promotion play-off semi-finals, Leicester City faced Watford.
When the game entered the stoppage time of the second half, the score on the field was 2:1 (total score 2:2), and the stoppage time lasted 4 minutes.
If it ends with this score, Leicester City will enter the final of the Championship promotion play-offs with an away goal advantage.
At this moment, Leicester City also received a penalty that was enough to sentence Watford to death.
The penalty kick was taken by Nokert, who is still playing for the team.
Perhaps he was too nervous, or his inner determination to become a hero was not firm enough, so that the ball he shot was blocked by Watford goalkeeper Almunia.
Even the follow-up shot was blocked by Almunia with his face.
Then the Watford defender kicked the ball forward and landed at the feet of the Watford player.
Through rapid advancement from the wing, Watford took the ball from the right and passed to the front of Leicester City's penalty area.
The No. 9 forward Deeney quickly stepped in and blasted the ball into the goal with a volley.
This wave of rapid counterattacks that shocked the world also came to a perfect end!
From missing the penalty kick to scoring the ball, the whole process took only 22 seconds!
In the last second, the Watford players and fans looked at Knockaert standing in front of the penalty spot, and their hearts were filled with despair;
The next second, they looked at Dini, who took off his clothes and ran wildly after scoring the goal, and their emotions were surging!
The roller coaster experience from hell to heaven made everyone in the stadium excited!
In the end, Watford eliminated Leicester City with this goal and successfully entered the play-off final.
This is the most shocking "Watford Miracle" in football in 2013!
Although Watford entered the play-off final, they lost to Crystal Palace and unfortunately failed to reach the Premier League.
However, this goal that took 22 seconds was still rated as the best goal of 2013 by FIFA!
Because this goal is enough to fully explain the great charm of football!
Winning or losing can change in an instant!
This is football!
The first contest between the two sides was in November.
Perhaps because of the burning desire for revenge, Leicester City, playing away from home at Watford's home court, showed strong combat effectiveness.
Easily defeated the opponent with a score of three to zero.
And this time, back at the King Power Stadium, Leicester City is gearing up to double kill this old rival who has made themselves the backdrop for a miracle!
