Rick Passmoor's Leicester City: Formation, style of play and key players
Tactical deep dives on all 12 Barclays Women's Super League sides from The Cutback and Football Manager
The Cutback has partnered with Football Manager to deliver a series of articles that go deeper on the tactics and gameplay of the world’s leading football management simulation game.
This year, women’s football features in Football Manager for the very first time, so to get fans ready for a brand new experience, The Cutback has put together the ultimate insights on FM26. Find out about the secrets of building FM26, dive into the tactical details of all 12 Barclays Women’s Super League sides and hear about the next gen talent that will feature in the game.
The next team to be profiled in this deep dives series is Leicester City.
Formation
Leicester City’s summer was turbulent. Amandine Miquel was dismissed just before the new campaign kicked off and Rick Passmoor stepped in, initially as interim coach, before being named on a permanent basis in October.
Further complexity came from a frantic deadline day that delivered experience in Emily van Egmond and Rosella Ayane, plus two younger additions, Olivia McLoughlin, all joining with minimal lead‑time to integrate. In an attempt to fight against the relegation play-off, the team added even more experience in January, signing striker Rachel Williams, fullback Ashleigh Neville and winger Alisha Lehmann.
Structurally, Passmoor has alternated between a 4‑2‑3‑1 and a 5-4-1. Up front, Noemie Mouchon or Rachel Williams have been deployed as a target forward, while players like Hannah Cain or Alisha Lehmann often cut inside from the wings to operate in central half-spaces, occupying the opposition’s centre‑backs and adding attacking depth.
Shannon O’Brien is also used as a more attacking midfielder or left winger, though Jutta Rantala, who had only just returned from a long-term injury before unfortunately undergoing surgery in November last year, is usually the long-term starter in this slot.
The double pivot of Van Egmond and Sam Tierney is designed for physical presence: Van Egmond as a box‑to‑box midfielder covering large distances and breaking lines. While the defence consists of Ash Neville and Sarah Mayling out wide as fullbacks of a back 5, and a no-nonsense centre-back trio of Sari Kees, Chantelle Swaby and Asmita Ale.
In possession: Under Passmoor, Leicester favour a more direct and vertical approach. The attacking midfielder is the key reference between the lines, receiving on the half‑turn and refining actions around the edge of the area. Progression typically starts wide, especially against high-pressing teams like Manchester United. The wing‑backs are tasked with receiving from the central defenders or goalkeeper and carrying play up the flanks, supported inside by the midfielders, offering options for quick give-and-go combinations.
In their direct counter-attack style of play, offensive transitions are vital, both for creating scoring opportunities and for easing the defensive line’s workload, allowing the team to catch their breath. Leicester approaches these moments with intent and structure, pushing forward with multiple players. Their main strategies involve either playing direct balls in behind to the forwards, taking advantage of their speed and ability to drive toward goal, or relying on one striker to hold up play and crash the box late, enabling teammates, particularly the other striker and the attacking midfielder/box-to-box, to join the attack effectively.
Out of possession: Last season Leicester relied on a compact 4‑4‑2 mid‑block, engaging in little pressing and largely content to protect central areas. This year, under Passmoor, the approach has shifted in a more counter‑intuitive direction: without the ball they show a much more positive posture, pressing higher and often adopting near man‑oriented references. Even in a difficult fixture like the away opener against Manchester United, the team committed to pushing lines up the pitch. The pressing involves the whole side. The strike pair initiate pressure on United’s centre‑backs, while the midfield step aggressively to follow their direct opponents, tracking the pivots deep into United’s half. Behind them, the defensive line also holds extremely high, often level with the midfield, creating a bold compactness across the middle third. The intent is clear: to use Leicester’s physicality to win the ball high and generate immediate attacking opportunities. In moments, this plan worked, with players like Cain, Van Egmond and Tierney forcing turnovers in dangerous areas.
The downside, however, was visible in Manchester: once United bypassed the first press, Leicester were left with large gaps behind their wingbacks and between midfield and defence. This exposure led to multiple negative transitions, with United exploiting space directly for goals and chances. Given these risks, the team is recalibrating this defensive phase in favour of a more structured out of possession attitude, blending their new aggressive posture with a lower engagement line and a more conservative block.
Key players:
Shannon O’Brien – O’Brien is currently Leicester’s top scorer in the WSL with 3 goals, 2 of which were decisive in securing a draw to West Ham and a win at home against London City Lionesses. She possesses not only good pace and physicality, but also the mental attributes to go with them: determination, grit and aggressiveness in the box. Her heroics are already proving vital for Leicester in the fight against relegation.
Emily Van Egmond – Van Egmond’s experience and leadership anchor the rebuild. She supplies vertical carries, covers vast spaces, and times late box entries to support the front line. Her mix of work rate and good football IQ stabilises a double pivot still developing chemistry, and provides her teammates with constant passing options. As a box‑to‑box, she has to link phases, raise the team’s physical threshold in central areas, and cover for teammates while being aggressive in pressing and counter-pressing. A difficult role that only someone with quality and experience can fulfil, her performances will be key in maximising points for Leicester.
Janina Leitzig – Goalkeeper Leitzig has been one of Leicester’s standout performers in this difficult season. Although her three clean sheets may not look particularly impressive on paper, they have been crucial in helping the team secure points, and none of them came without a big contribution from the German, such as her penalty save against London City Lionesses and her excellent performance away at Villa. Leicester will need her saves if they are to stay up.