Leicester City: EFL pundit makes Pep Guardiola comparison after Middlesbrough defeat | OneFootball

Pundit Adrian Clarke believes Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca overthought his tactics in the defeat to Middlesbrough on Saturday.

After losing 1-0 at home to Leeds United last Friday night, the Foxes suffered back-to-back defeats as they were beaten 1-0 by Boro at the Riverside Stadium.

Leicester had their chances in the game, with Jannik Vestergaard's header forcing a superb save from Seny Dieng before Kelechi Iheanacho hit the post, but Sam Greenwood's 83rd-minute free-kick sealed all three points for the hosts.

The Foxes remain top of the Championship table, but they are now level on points with second-placed Ipswich Town, and just eight points clear of third-placed Leeds.

Maresca believes that his side controlled the game against Boro, and said that wastefulness in front of goal was to blame for the defeat.

"I think I have been quite clear, we created many chances and many situations where we should score but when you miss, miss, miss and they score a fantastic goal, that's football," Maresca told the BBC.

"It's a moment where you create but don't take your chance and the opposite, they score a fantastic goal. It is what it is.

"To be honest I thought we were in control of the game, created five or six clear chances and many situations where we missed the last pass.

"The players are annoyed because we lost and it's normal to be like that."

What did Adrian Clarke say?

Clarke says that Maresca overthought his tactics against Boro, just like Pep Guardiola, who he worked with at Manchester City, has been accused of doing on occasions, but he believes they will bounce back.

"I think it's a blip for Leicester, nothing more," Clarke said on the What the EFL?! podcast.

"They still play great stuff, maybe the manager, you could argue, was overthinking it a touch.

"He's worked with Pep a long time and that must have rubbed off to a degree.

"We've seen him do some really unusual things that in the main have worked this season for Leicester. "Kasey McAteer at right-back surprised me because he's got Ricardo (Pereira) a right-back in midfield ahead of him or on his inside, then you've got Fatawu on the right-wing as well. "They were all sort of jumbled around, and I don't think McAteer had the best game on his comeback from injury, I think he probably is more effective in one of those wing positions, so he might look at that.

What next for Leicester City?

Despite two consecutive defeats, Leicester remain in a commanding position at the top of the table.

Clarke is right that Maresca made some questionable tactical decisions against Boro, but his side still had chances and were unlucky to come away empty-handed.

The Foxes are back in action when they face Watford at the King Power Stadium after the international break, and it would be no surprise to see them put together another winning run.