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After losing his first match in charge as Leicester City boss away to Watford, Brendan Rodgers has since won three in a row having managed victories against Bournemouth, Burnley and Fulham.

The Northern Irishman has already demonstrated a lot of what was initially expected when he was appointed, as he appears to have showcased attacking football with results, as well as a level of tactical flexibility.

The tactical experimentation that Rodgers embraces has previously allowed him to maximise the output of the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Luis Suarez and Kieran Tierney, as he often tailors his systems to favour his most talented players.

At Celtic for example, when in possession, his team would often form a situational back three to allow Tierney to advance up the field and use his offensive qualities, shown below.

(Image: Wyscout)

At Liverpool, Rodgers was most famed for his usage of a diamond system, as it permitted both Suarez and Sturridge to play together in tandem, whilst providing them with the conditions to roam, occupy wide positions, and play their natural game.

Since arriving at Leicester and after initially testing a back three system, Rodgers appears to have moved towards a 4-1-4-1 shape. That formation would largely be considered as traditional and orthodox, but when delving deeper, it's evident that Rodgers is aiming to put his own spin on things.

The basic formation is pictured below, but it's important to note the two central midfielders.

(Image: Wyscout)

James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, who hardly demonstrate the midfield stereotypes needed to thrive in the Premier League, are both playing in central midfield. Interestingly, though, with the ball, both players often drift forwards similarly to how Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva commonly do under Pep Guardiola, shown below.

(Image: Wyscout)

The term that has modernly been derived to describe this role seems to be 'free 8', because defensively, the players act as typical central midfielders, but with possession, they become creative no.10-type playmakers with a license to roam. Similarly to how Rodgers adjusted for Tierney, Suarez and Sturridge, he now appears to have done so to nurture the talent of his two creative sparks.

Also, the roaming of the two players in question is covered by Wilfred Ndidi, who's almost fulfilling a Fernandinho-esque role by sweeping up and preventing opposing attacks from materialising behind the two creators.

Ultimately, the dynamic of Rodgers' midfield trio is similar to Guardiola's in certain phases of play, with the main difference being that City don't have to retreat into a 4-1-4-1, instead retaining their customary 4-3-3 for the most part.

Encouragingly, the approach appears to be working for Rodgers, as Leicester are yet to drop points using the 4-1-4-1, and both Tielemans and Maddison are contributing. Since the defeat to Watford, the Belgian talent has posted a goal or an assist in each appearance, with his assist for Jamie Vardy on the weekend pictured below.

(Image: Wyscout)

In the case of Maddison, the story is largely similar, as the young Englishman has scored once and assisted once. His only blank came at the weekend, despite his high Expected Goals (xG) total of 0.46 suggesting he should've perhaps scored.

Overall, it's still very early days, but Rodgers appears to be extracting a high level of output from the talented players at his disposal, particularly in the case of Maddison and Tielemans.

Already, it's evident that roles have been tailored for the two to thrive, and that's a consistent ploy that Rodgers seems to exhibit wherever he goes, certainly based on recent seasons.