Leicester City Told What They Must Change to Win Promotion After Doncaster Victory

Leicester City may have finally found a way to turn their season around, but one important tactical change could determine whether Russell Martin leads the Foxes back to the Championship.

After a difficult start to their League One campaign, Leicester secured a 2-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers at the King Power Stadium, giving Martin some much-needed relief after growing pressure over his position.

However, while the result was important, there is a bigger question surrounding the Foxes: have they finally discovered what they need to do differently to start winning consistently?

Speaking on the latest episode of League One Lowdown, co-host Tom Woods highlighted a tactical adjustment that could help Leicester become more effective in front of goal.

“They need to play 70-80% of how Russell Martin wants them to. Then they need to shoot when they get to 18-20 yards out because it creates chaos and they’re technically very good players.”

Woods believes Leicester have the technical quality to create problems for their opponents, but taking more shots from outside the penalty area could make a significant difference.

The Foxes have often tried to build attacks according to Martin’s preferred style, but allowing players more freedom to shoot could give them another way to break down stubborn defences.

He also explained how Leicester improved after a difficult opening period against Doncaster.

“So, I think it’s not a surprise that once they got through that first 30 minutes, where Doncaster were the better side, they can settle down a little bit. They find a rhythm and they kind of remember, ‘oh, we’re quite good at football.’”

John Lundstram opened the scoring just before half-time, before Kamari Doyle doubled Leicester’s advantage shortly after the hour mark.

Although Warren O’Hora’s own goal gave Doncaster hope late in the match, Leicester held on to secure a crucial three points.

For Woods, the most encouraging sign was the possibility that Martin had started giving his players greater freedom in the final third.

“If that’s a permanent tweak that Martin is making, i.e. giving them a bit more licence to take a strike, I think they will start to pick up a lot more results. Balls will start to bobble in the box, even if they get blocked and they’ll score a couple of goals like this.”

He added: “From a Leicester perspective, if this is them taking the handbrake off from Martin-ball a little bit, that’s very astute. We’ll see if that carries on.”

Leicester began the campaign among the favourites for promotion after suffering relegation from the Championship, but their inconsistent performances have raised serious questions about their ability to meet those expectations.

Martin came under increased pressure following a 3-1 defeat against Peterborough United, with speculation emerging that the club could consider alternative managerial options.

Now, the challenge is to prove that the Doncaster victory was more than a temporary reprieve.

If Leicester continue to give their technically gifted players the freedom to shoot from promising positions, the tactical adjustment could offer another route to goals and help them collect the results needed in the promotion race.