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One look at the Premier League table tells us Brendan Rodgers’ first year in charge of Leicester City has been a successful one.

The club sit third and on course to qualify for the Champions League for just the second time in their history.

But what has the manager changed for City to reach that position?

On the first anniversary of Rodgers’ appointment, we take a look.

Made Vardy the focal point

He may be on his longest goal drought in three years, but Vardy is still the Premier League’s top goalscorer, which shows just how clinical he was in the first half of the season.

In total, Vardy has scored 26 goals in 35 league games under Rodgers, and his 17 this term put him in contention to become the oldest-ever Premier League golden boot winner.

To get the most out of the 33-year-old, Rodgers has made him the focal point.

Vardy now stays central, no longer haring out to the wings to close down full-backs, conserving his energy and ensuring he is in the right place to latch on to through balls and crosses from the James Maddison, Youri Tielemans, Harvey Barnes and Ayoze Perez.

He does not drop as deep either, and is therefore having fewer touches. But those touches are in the right areas.

While Claude Puel wanted to build a team that functioned no matter who led the line, Rodgers has shown the love to Vardy, and built his side around a first-class goalscorer.

Sharper training sessions

“It was as if we were preparing for a marathon, but on matchday, we were being asked to run the 100m.”

That was Vardy’s post-departure assessment of Puel’s training sessions, with the Frenchman emphasising intricate tactics on days at Belvoir Drive.

That has changed under Rodgers, who prefers shorter and sharper sessions. Many of the players have spoken about the intensity at training, and that has translated onto the pitch.

Sped up play

Perhaps the biggest complaint of Puel’s tenure was the speed of the football. While the former boss promoted patient play, it was often too slow, and therefore too easy to defend against.

That is no longer the case under Rodgers, with City players zipping the ball around the pitch with more purpose and with more forward thrust in a bid to disrupt the opposition defences.

Last season, City averaged 359 completed passes per match. This term, it’s 426. That, in turn, has made matches more entertaining, winning over supporters and improving the atmosphere at the King Power Stadium.

(Image: Getty Images)

Simplified Ndidi’s role

Upon Tielemans’ arrival, City’s midfield changed shape. For the final two games of his spell, Puel played two advanced midfielders and just one sitter, with Wilfred Ndidi in behind Tielemans and Maddison. It is a set-up that Rodgers has sensibly stuck with.

With Papy Mendy next to him for the majority of last season, Ndidi’s skills were diminished. He had a team-mate doing half of his work, and the Nigerian seemed lost.

What is now clear is that Ndidi is capable of patrolling in defensive midfield by himself. He doesn’t need assistance. He knows that if the opposition are closing in on City’s back four, he has to intervene, and does not need to worry about stepping on Mendy’s toes.

It’s helped too that Ndidi’s ability on the ball has improved.

Cut out early goals

Last season, no team had a worse record inside the first 15 minutes than City, who scored three goals but conceded 12 across the opening quarter of an hour of games, putting themselves on the back foot.

It’s still the weakest period of City’s matches, but they have stopped the rot somewhat. This season, they have both scored and conceded three goals inside the first 15 minutes.

“My belief is always that the best teams start quickly and finish strong,” says Rodgers, and it’s the second part that the City players have taken to heart. Only Manchester City have a better record in the final 15 minutes of games.

Strong teams in the cups

Vardy’s absence from two straight Carabao Cup quarter-finals was the biggest crime committed by Puel for some supporters, and it’s one Rodgers corrected, the number nine starting, and assisting, in the last-eight tie at Everton as City reached a first semi-final in 20 years.

Even in the second round, the domain of wholesale changes, Rodgers brought in just two fresh faces from the Premier League side that had played the game before.

Rallied the senior players

In his bid to begin a new era at City, Puel began to phase out the senior, title-winners.

Upon Rodgers’ arrival, they were straight back into the fold. Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs were seemingly set for the exit but they were offered extensions shortly after the Northern Irishman’s appointment, and both have done a reliable job as back-ups for younger stars.

As an opening move, getting the highly-respected senior players onside was an effective one in garnering support from the squad.

(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Constant communication

Rodgers has an open-door policy with players free to chat one-on-one with the boss. As such, every players know where they stand and what their role is.

If a player is out of the side, Rodgers will have spoken to them so they know what must be improved. If a player is in the team, they will know exactly what they must do in their position.

This open communication not only provides clarity for every member of the squad, but also shows that the manager cares about his players, which in turn boosts morale.

Confidence in fringe players

A successful season cannot be achieved with 11 players.

Because of the number of games and the inevitability of one or two injuries, players will need to step off the fringes and play key roles at times.

When they do so, they need to have the confidence to feel they can make an impact.

From Mendy playing his first game in a few months in a win at West Ham, to Kelechi Iheanacho’s astonishing turnaround in form over the past 20 games, it’s clear Rodgers has instilled self-belief in more than just the regulars.