Steve Cooper should reverse one of Enzo Maresca’s best moves if new Leicester City deal is signed

As things stand, Wilfred Ndidi is officially a Leicester City player for just a few days. There have been talks about a new contract, but while there is no confirmed answer, he has been heading into free agency since Monday.

That doesn’t mean he won’t sign the deal. Away from. Everton links have been denied by the Liverpool press, while the Marseille press say he would be too expensive for them to afford. City’s offer might be the best deal on the table.

His teammates want him to stay too. Stephy Mavididi publicly pleaded with Ndidi on social media to extend his stay at the King Power Stadium.

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News of City’s contract offer for the Nigerian first emerged during their three-week spell without a manager. As far as City were concerned, it didn’t matter who they called in, Ndidi was a player the new man could use.

Steve Cooper is that new man and the question of how he would use Ndidi can now be considered. Does he follow Enzo Maresca’s lead or bring Ndidi back to his old self?

It was perhaps one of the best coaching achievements of Maresca’s year in charge at City that he transformed Ndidi into a different player. In the Italian system, there was no room for a midfield destroyer, but instead of discarding Ndidi, he reused some of his qualities.

Wanting a more physical option as a number eight, Ndidi offered good profile and the ability to press high up the pitch. Then, with Maresca’s guidance, he was also able to get into the rhythm of the attacking aspects of the game.

Ndidi initially looked like a fish out of water in his new advanced role, but he improved quickly and by mid-season, City missed him when he was unavailable. He finished the campaign with six goals and six assists.

The role reversal felt was beneficial for Ndidi as well. Most players had difficult seasons as City were relegated, but it was a particularly poor year for the Nigerian. Playing forward and without the responsibility of protecting the defense, it was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. The smile returned to his face.

But the Premier League is a different beast to the Championship. There would have been doubts about Ndidi continuing in his attacking position in the top flight and indeed Maresca had mooted the idea of ​​playing him in a back three right at the end of last term.

If Ndidi stays, it feels like he will be letting himself back. In the two formations most frequently used by Cooper during his time at Nottingham Forest, there doesn’t seem to be room for him in an attacking position. All the central midfield roles were there to protect the defence.

With a back three, Cooper deploys two central midfielders deep, with the two wingers then advancing to support the front three. In a 4-3-3, protecting the defense was the priority of the midfield trio.

With City needing to do more defending, it would feel like the right move for Ndidi. After all, he was, and perhaps still is, an elite ball-winner. In his first four full seasons in the Premier League, he finished in the top two for combined tackles and interceptions each year. Injuries and selection saw him play just half the minutes over the next two years, the second of which saw City relegated, but he still finished in the top three for tackles and interceptions per game.

Seeing Ndidi rank so highly in City’s relegation campaign may come as a surprise, as watching him further on, he looked like he struggled. His clearance rate has dropped, which may have given the impression that he is not dominating the midfield as much. Additionally, he made several mistakes with his passing and had a few off games. There were four games in which he failed to make a single tackle, something he hadn’t done in a game started in the last two years.

But perhaps with a joyous year ahead, Ndidi’s confidence could return and that could help him rediscover his consistency. If so, he could once again become the Premier League’s tackle king. Cooper will be hoping to seal the deal.

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