Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers rails against ‘lazy’ belief that the Foxes rely too heavily on top scorer Jamie Vardy… with striker set to be out against Everton and Leeds after hernia operation
- Leicester striker and talisman Jamie Vardy is their top scorer this season with 13
- Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers spoke out against views that they rely on Vardy, 34
- Rodgers added 40 goals this season have come from other players in the team
- Vardy is set to miss several Premier League games, with Ayoze Perez to step in
Brendan Rodgers says he is baffled by the ‘lazy’ belief that Leicester rely too heavily on Jamie Vardy.
The Foxes’ top scorer will definitely miss Wednesday’s trip to Everton and Sunday’s home game against Leeds after undergoing a hernia operation last weekend.
Vardy has 13 goals in all competitions and is crucial to the way Leicester play but Harvey Barnes has 10 goals this term and James Maddison nine – all of which have been from open play, whereas seven of Vardy’s have been penalties.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has spoken out against views that they rely on Jamie Vardy
Totemic striker Vardy, 34, is the side’s top scorer this season with 13 goals in all competitions
‘The numbers are there to look at, it’s lazy to say “Jamie Vardy’s out, Leicester won’t score”, said Rodgers, whose side are third in the table.
‘Those who dig deeper would see that’s not the case. We’ve scored 56 so far this season so more than 40 of them have come from other players.
‘We all know Jamie’s qualities and what he gives the team, whether he’s scoring or not scoring, but you have to respect the development of the rest of the squad.
Harvey Barnes (left) and James Maddison (right) may have to take on the goalscoring burden
Foxes forward Ayoze Perez (left) is set to start up front in a false nine position while Vardy is out
‘The statistics tell you other players here are capable of scoring goals. That’s taking nothing away from Jamie, we all know what I think of him and the love I have for his game. But maybe we need to try a different narrative now.
‘I loved watching him before I came here, and I love watching him even more now he’s in my team. He’s an amazing striker but my job is to make sure the collective doesn’t suffer.’
Vardy had not scored in five matches before he underwent surgery, which ruled the 34-year-old out of the 3-1 FA Cup win at Brentford last weekend.
Even though Leicester made eight changes, they progressed thanks to goals from Cengiz Under, Youri Tielemans and Maddison.
Ayoze Perez is again expected to start in place of Vardy at Goodison Park, operating as a false nine, rather than out-of-form, out-and-out striker Kelechi Iheanacho.
Rodgers added: ‘The problem is when there are a number of players out in key positions. That can affect the performance level and you have to work hard to cope with that.
‘With Jamie out for a small period of time, we’re missing that real direct threat on the last line of defence. But you saw from the team at Brentford that we can still penetrate and get into goalscoring positions.’