Amandine Miquel's Leicester City: Formation, tactics and style of play
A new series showcasing the tactical profiles of every Women's Super League team in partnership with The Underrated Scout
This piece is part of a special Team Profiles series with The Underrated Scout. Across the next few months we’ll be publishing pieces on the tactics, style of play and trends of every WSL team.
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Leicester City are navigating a challenging Women’s Super League campaign, currently sitting second from bottom, just one point clear of the relegation zone. After a turbulent previous season, marked by managerial instability but also a historic run to the FA Cup semi-finals, the team is now under the guidance of new head coach Amandine Miquel. Tasked with steering the team to safety, Miquel has faced additional hurdles this season due to injuries to key players, including star signing Noémie Mouchon, which have hampered Leicester’s ability to build consistency and gather points. This analysis will examine Miquel’s tactical approach, the team’s standout strengths, and the critical improvements needed to secure their place in the top flight.
Attacking structure
Base formation
Leicester’s preferred formation this season is a 4-2-3-1, a continuation of the setup used at the end of the previous campaign, though a 3-4-3 was employed during the early stages of 2023-24. Both systems emphasise the use of wide areas, which have long been Leicester’s most effective attacking zones. However, the extended injuries to key players like Jutta Rantala—widely regarded as the team’s technical leader and crucial for adding quality to their build-up play—and Lena Petermann, a physical striker with good finishing, have led coach Amandine Miquel to adopt some unconventional solutions.
In Miquel’s 4-2-3-1, a midfielder, typically Saori Takarada or Ruby Mace, often occupies the centre-forward role. Whichever player isn’t deployed as the false nine usually assumes the holding midfielder position. As a false nine, the forward drops deep in possession, linking play and using their passing ability to release the wingers into space. This tactic relies heavily on fast, dynamic wingers like Deanne Rose and Shana Chossenotte, who can cut inside as well as exploit wide areas.
The attacking midfielder is tasked with occupying free spaces, either advancing when the false nine drops or positioning themselves between the opposition’s defensive lines. In the midfield, a standard pairing is formed with a holding midfielder and a box-to-box player. Full-backs are required to support the wingers with moderation, providing width when the wide players drift inside. On the right, CJ Bott tends to push forward more frequently than her counterpart on the left.
Build up
In build-up play, Leicester employ a fairly straightforward approach, focusing on direct attacks. The two central midfielders position themselves almost vertically in line with the two centre-backs, forming a box shape while retaining possession.
This setup creates space for the full-backs on the flanks, allowing them to either carry the ball forward or immediately seek depth. They typically target the wingers, although the false nine occasionally makes runs between the opposing centre-backs. Regardless of the specific receiving player, the entire attacking trio is consistently poised to challenge the defensive line with pace, particularly against teams deploying a mid-to-high block.
When the full-back carries the ball forward, the wingers tend to invert their positions. With support from the attacking midfielder or the false nine dropping nearby, they can create central overloads near the edge of the box. It was from a similar situation that Leicester scored in their only WSL victory so far this season, a 1-0 home win against Everton.
Defensive structure
General characteristics
Leicester adopts a compact 4-4-2 defensive shape, with the attacking midfielder advancing to join the striker. This setup aims to block vertical passes into the opponent’s central midfield, disrupting their build-up play and steering the action toward the wings. The double pivot holds their positions in the centre, focusing on maintaining defensive structure rather than tight man-marking.
The wingers are tasked with pressing the opposition’s full-backs as they receive the ball, while the far-side winger moves inward to cover nearby threats, further ensuring that central passing options are cut off. This approach aims to keep the team compact in a mid or low block out of possession, preventing the lines from stretching and limiting space between them.
Leicester are often defending, but they do it effectively, ranking among the top five in the league for the fewest goals conceded and displaying defensive statistics that exceed the league average. The team stands out particularly in dealing with crosses and aerial duels, showing remarkable resilience and composure inside their own penalty area, frequently sacrificing their bodies to block shots and protect the goal.
However, relying heavily on defending crosses can be a double-edged sword, especially against teams with dominant aerial threats. This vulnerability was evident in their 4-0 loss to Manchester City, where Bunny Shaw capitalised on such situations to score a quick brace. Overall, the team demonstrates a decent ability in both direct and indirect challenges.
Pressing
Leicester can adapt their pressing intensity depending on the opponent or match situation, although they generally prefer to wait for the opposition to enter their half before initiating pressure. As evidenced by the low number of tackles made in more advanced areas of the pitch.
Typically, they employ their 4-4-2 defensive shape to block central lanes, with the striker and attacking midfielder pushing play wide or forcing long passes. However, they can also be instructed to target a specific centre-back with a tighter press if that player struggles on the ball.
Once the ball reaches the full-backs or wingers, Leicester's wide players press aggressively, while the far-side winger positions themselves near the opposition’s midfielder to ensure they cannot receive the ball unmarked. Leicester's midfielders tend to hold their position, stepping out only when there’s a clear opportunity to win possession. Their positioning alone is often sufficient to block direct passing lanes to the opposition’s attacking midfielder. The centre-backs take turns stepping out of the defensive line to close down strikers receiving the ball with their back to goal.
Transitional play
Transitions play a crucial role for Leicester, given their focus on defending and counter-attacking. Offensive transitions are especially vital, both for creating scoring opportunities and for easing the defensive line's workload, allowing the team to catch their breath. Miquel's side approaches these moments with intent and structure, pushing forward with multiple players. Their main strategies involve either playing direct balls to the wingers, taking advantage of their speed and ability to drive toward goal, or relying on the false nine to hold up play and crash the box late, enabling teammates—particularly the advancing wingers and midfielders—to join the attack effectively.
In negative transitions, Leicester tend to take a more measured approach, steering clear of aggressive or co-ordinated counter-pressing. Rather than launching an immediate press, the player closest to the ball carrier takes charge, either trying to win back possession swiftly or delaying the attack to allow the team to reset. The main focus is on blocking key spaces to break up the opposition's rhythm and halt any dangerous attacks. This strategy is reflected in their tackle distribution across the pitch we saw earlier.
Conclusions
Leicester's season has been defined by a solid defensive structure but challenges in attack, as they struggle to translate defensive resilience into offensive firepower. The lack of a dedicated goalscorer has hindered their ability to consistently finish chances, and the role of the false nine has not fully compensated for this gap. The team’s strength lies in its defensive organisation and quick transitions, but to achieve their goal of survival, Leicester need to improve in front of goal. A huge win against Liverpool at the end of January did well to boost the hopes of avoiding relegation.
A potential January signing of a true striker with strong hold-up play could offer the finishing quality and offensive presence the team currently lacks, while complementing their tactical setup. If they can improve their attacking efficiency while maintaining their defensive solidity, they will be in a better position to secure safety and sustain competitiveness in the WSL.