When Enzo Maresca turned Wilfred Ndidi into an attacking midfielder, eyebrows were raised.
When Maresca’s replacement, Steve Cooper, took things one step further and used Ndidi, who had previously been one of the most destructive defensive midfielders in Europe, as a No 10, jaws dropped.
After all, Leicester had just recruited attacking technical players to play that specific role behind main striker Jamie Vardy, spending £20million ($26m) on Morocco international Bilal El Khannouss and loaning Facundo Buonanotte from Brighton & Hove Albion — but in the last two league games, Cooper has gone with Ndidi alongside the equally industrious Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks.
When the team to face Crystal Palace was announced at Selhurst Park, some Leicester fans took to social media to decry the decision. They called for more adventure from Cooper, more flair in attack. After a two-goal lead slipped away, many returned to blame Cooper for his in-game decisions, but he was proved right about Ndidi.
Were it not for an issue with his groin that required a scan during the week, Buonanotte may have started against Crystal Palace.
Instead it was Ndidi — despite an exhausting international break where he started both of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Rwanda and Benin — in the role, and it nearly brought Leicester and Cooper their first win of the season.
Ndidi, right, battles for possession with Nathaniel Clyne on Saturday (Alexander Canillas/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
His technique can let him down. At one point in the second half, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen picked him out in acres of space in the centre circle, a prime position to launch a counter-attack, but Ndidi’s first touch was so heavy it took the ball away from him, allowing Palace to pile the pressure back on as they went in search of an equaliser.
He can look like a fish out of water in the attacking third but it was largely thanks to Ndidi that Leicester were in that position in the first place.
Ndidi has different skills compared to Cooper’s other midfield options and it is one of his better attributes that led Maresca and Cooper to play him further forward.
In his new role, Ndidi joins Vardy in leading the initial press — and he is very good at it. He set up Jordan Ayew for what could have been the opening goal by dispossessing a Palace defender. Then, it was Ndidi winning the ball back in the centre circle to slide a superb pass to Vardy, who scored the first goal (only the third time in 25 Premier League games that Leicester have opened the scoring).
Ndidi’s telescopic outstretched leg repeatedly won possession back for Leicester. His regains came in front of Leicester’s back four and in dangerous areas where their attack could get straight at Palace.
As can be seen in their pass network map below, he was the most advanced of Leicester’s midfielders on Saturday, with support from Skipp and Winks sitting deeper.
Opta’s match statistics recorded Ndidi making three successful tackles and one interception. It felt like a lot more.
However, it was with the ball that Ndidi also stood out. He had 48 touches, and despite being replaced with 14 minutes left, that remained the second-highest number by a Leicester player, behind Victor Kristiansen. When he was on the pitch, he was always involved.
Four of his 29 passes were considered key passes, including the cool cutback to Stephy Mavididi for Leicester’s second goal, Ndidi’s second assist of the game. At this very early stage of the season, Ndidi is joint second in the Premier League’s assists charts with three, alongside Mohamed Salah, one behind Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka. Decent company to be keeping.
To get a starting place in Cooper’s side a player has to run. That might sound obvious, but Cooper is trying to build a side powered by aggression and athleticism. Ndidi certainly has the former. Skipp provides the latter, with his lung-busting runs from midfield carrying Leicester up the pitch and relieving some of the building pressure from Palace. One break forward almost got Skipp a goal after a one-two with Vardy.
Winks provides the composure in possession, but Cooper will mix it up. For now, he believes this more combative approach is his best option as Leicester try to establish a foothold in the division.
“Ndidi did that quite a lot last season,” Cooper said after the game, speaking of the midfielder’s attacking role.
“We can make decisions in terms of profiles for certain games and in certain positions, and Wilf has delivered today.
“He had a long week travelling and there was some thought around the international boys who came back late, about whether they should play.
“But Ndidi has got so many Premier League appearances. That doesn’t mean that you definitely start the game, but I just felt that today we needed that.”
Leicester fans may want to see Cooper’s side become more adventurous and prettier on the eye, and it will be intriguing to see how El Khannouss performs when he settles in, and Buonanotte once he is over his physical issues. They could provide the grace and guile in the role in which James Maddison once starred, and that was certainly the profile of midfielder Cooper felt the squad required during the summer transfer window.
Ndidi may not be the preferred long-term solution but while the new recruits are getting up to speed in the Premier League, he is making himself an extremely viable option.
(Top photo: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
