After spending 30 minutes on the pitch together during the Premier League season, Stephy Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu appear to be going one way or the other right now.
With a combined 37 goals and assists in the Championship previous season, they were Leicester City’s explosive wide pair. However, the Premier League has only used Abdul Fatawu and Stephy Mavididi’s twin threat for 30 minutes this season.
Though not often together, the two wingers have appeared in all six of City’s league games. They have only played on the field twice, for 10 minutes against Tottenham on the opening weekend and 20 minutes at Fulham a week later. They have not yet been included in the starting lineup.
For some fans, who wanted to be as amazed by the pair as they were the previous season, this has been frustrating. Fatawu started the first three Premier League games, but after Mavididi entered as a substitute, there was growing clamour for the latter to be given a chance in the starting lineup.
Mavididi has been given his chance in the three games that have followed, but at Fatawu’s expense. There are now requests for the Ghanaian to play more because he is the one who is being deployed as a late-game substitution.
Steve Cooper’s system explains why they don’t spend as much time together during games. In order to make City a threat in the middle of the pitch, he wants to establish a box of four in the centre. The two deep midfielders, the number 10, and one of the wingers make up the foursome that forms the box.
The winger at that position needs to be at ease moving inside, finding openings to receive the ball and initiate play. That position has been occupied by three players thus far. Bobby De Cordova-Reid started, followed by Jordan Ayew, then Facundo Buonanotte was given the starting position against Arsenal.
Even though Mavididi behaved in such manner during preseason games, Mavididi and Fatawu have not been given consideration for that role. Cooper views them in the same general sense as Enzo Maresca did.
When they stay wide and can separate a full-back and try to beat them close to the touchline, Mavididi and Fatawu do better. However, Cooper’s system can only accommodate one player that fits that mould.
Because the full-back on that flank advances and plays as a winger when the inverted winger comes inside. Victor Kristiansen was responsible for rushing down the left in the first three games. But now that Mavididi and Fatawu have switched places, James Justin advances on the right. That was why he sprang up in the box to score his fantastic volley against the Gunners.
However, how can Cooper choose which direction to take his team? It’s partially caused by the opposition’s advantages and disadvantages as well as individual characteristics.
The manager stated: “The finest part is the subtleties of putting together a plan; that’s the gameplan, that’s coaching, that’s our work.” You accomplish it by keeping doing what you believe to be crucial both with and without the ball.
The next step is to look for areas of the field where you can exploit your opponent by identifying their weak points. That may be used to counteract their advantages or to take advantage of their disadvantages. Coaching is responsible for assigning players to positions such as high winger on the right or left, or a particular profile in midfield.
Additionally, if players are in high form and play well. Stephy entered and scored two points. Although his goal return is now strong, we also want to identify the players who are performing well so that we can keep pushing them to reach even greater heights. That’s all pieces of the jigsaw puzzle we attempt to assemble for a game.
In City’s quest for their first victory, the question is whether Cooper will think about rearranging the pieces. The supporters will hope he does, as many of them jeered when Mavididi was substituted for Fatawu against Everton.
Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. The threat that City offered on both flanks last season, when Mavididi and Fatawu both started, made sure that opposing defences were stretched, maybe opening up more space in the midfield for players like Jamie Vardy, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Wilfred Ndidi.
However, as demonstrated against Arsenal, Cooper’s method may be effective even against the top teams. Gunners left-back Riccardo Calafiori was frequently drawn to Buonanotte, which opened up space for Justin. Untracked, Justin was able to score at the far post.
Even though City has scored goals in each of their previous games, their underlying statistics indicate that the goals may soon stop coming. It would be intriguing to see if Cooper adopts a new strategy, maybe allowing Mavididi and Fatawu to start together, or if he sticks to his guns and hopes the present method works.
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