Power, Pace & Potential: Why This Leicester Starlet Would Handle PL Step-Up
By Patrick Gleeson
Posted on February 23, 2014
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Young, athletic centre-halves have been hard to come by for England in recent years. Phil Jones is a player that many believe is destined for big things but is short of pace and, like his Manchester United team-mate Chris Smalling, has been unable to settle in a single position.
The current crop in the senior side can certainly be tarred with the traditional brush but the likes of Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka aren’t players you would call upon to race across to cover your full-backs should they be caught out of position. There is one player who seems to tick all the boxes, or at least the vast majority, and whose progression shows no sign of slowing down, and that’s Leicester’s Liam Moore.
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Although he has had short stints at right-back, Moore has been an integral part to the centre of Nigel Pearson’s defence. Having progressed through the Foxes’ youth sides, the intimidating 21-year-old has accumulated 28 first team appearances for the club this season across all competitions, which includes 25 in the Championship.
Moore cut his teeth in the side last season, and although he still shows occasional glimpses of inexperience when it comes to positional sense and tactical awareness, he has flourished with the additional responsibilities and is a large part of the reason Leicester sit eight points clear at the top of the division.
The balance that Pearson has found in his defence is one that not many can match. While both Wes Morgan and Moore are physically strong players, the former uses his experience to keep the backline in shape and the latter uses his pace to cover ground and support colleagues.
Moore Duel Success
Moore Duel Success – Championship 2013/14
The central pairing, combined, have been successful in 184 of 320 headers contested and both have won just over half of their attempted tackles.
As touched upon previously, there are certainly areas Moore needs to work on, though his individually progression will only be aided by game time and the belief his manager has in him. One major flaw in his game his distribution. More often than would be expected at elite level, he opts for the long ball, which, naturally, influences his completion rate – just 68% of his passes have met their intended target, the worst in the squad. However, his passing can sometimes be effective; Moore has produced 11 key passes and an assists, which is a stronger return than any other centre-back at the club.
It came as no surprise when he was the focus of interest from a host of Premier League clubs last month, and if he continues to improve then Leicester can expect for a number of clubs to come in for him again.
However, with the Foxes edging closer to the topflight with every game played, Moore will probably have his turn on the big stage with the club he has represented since he was a child.
