Taylor tinkers, Leicester lose plot

13 April 2012

The easiest option would have been to leave well alone, but that was never going to be challenging enough for Peter Taylor.

The former England Under 21 boss, now part of the senior coaching setup under Sven Goran Eriksson, paid little heed to the formula that had made Martin O'Neill Leicester's most successful manager and resolved to stand or fall by his own methods.

After six away defeats in a row, he looks less than steady on his feet.

If there are rumblings of discontent at Filbert Street, they have yet to penetrate the dressing-room, despite a candid admission from Gerry Taggart that Saturday's first-half experiment at Goodison Park had been 'detri-mental' to the team's effectiveness.

In a departure from the norm that took everyone by surprise, not least his own players, Taylor used a 3-4-2-1 formation that clearly drew its inspiration from diligence in front of a blackboard. All it achieved, though, was to prove that chalking a good game is one thing, playing it quite another.

Leicester were so ill-equipped for carrying out their manager's orders that they ended up bickering among themselves over the way gaps opened up for goals by Everton's Francis Jeffers in the eighth minute and Kevin Campbell in the 43rd.

Though Dean Sturridge claimed his first Leicester goal in the 79th minute, after three half-time substitutions represented the white flag of surrender over Taylor's first-half thinking, the damage had been done.

Taggart admitted as much but still defended Taylor's innovative input.

'It is certainly different to when Martin O'Neill was in charge,' said the Northern Ireland centre back, who may miss this month's friendly with Norway after suffering a hamstring injury.

'Nothing ever changed under Martin. The players were used to playing exactly the same way week-in, week-out, and it was successful.

'The new manager is a big believer in different systems for different games. This was a complete change from previous weeks and I have to say it was to the detriment of the team.

'It did not work, but you cannot fault the manager for having the initiative to try different things.' While Taylor's tactics spread confusion through the Leicester ranks, the route to safety is looking increasingly straightforward for Everton.

More of the sleeves-up approach, allied to the partnership of Campbell and a fit-again Jeffers, ought to do it.

Leicester have been thwarted in a £3.5million attempt to prise England prospect Danny Mills from Leeds.

Manager Taylor has been an admirer of the defender since his days as Under 21 supremo and enquired about his availability, as revealed last week.

But his hopes have been dashed by an injury to Gary Kelly that has left manager David O'Leary short of cover. With Kelly sidelined for six weeks following a hernia problem, Mills is seen as first-choice right back and plays against Anderlecht in the Champions League tomorrow.

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Taylor tinkers, Leicester lose plot

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