Foster: Stay Switched On
With two games remaining this term, the Foxes head to the capital for their final away game, where they are welcomed by tenth-placed West Ham at Chigwell Construction Stadium this Sunday afternoon (3pm BST kick-off).
Hoping to end the season on a positive and achieve a highest finishing position in the top division, the Interim Manager discussed several topics during Friday’s press conference at Belvoir Drive.
Staying focused
Safety was secured with four games to go for Leicester, a luxury they didn’t have last season, but this hasn’t hindered development and the need for positive performances on the pitch.
Looking to get back to winning ways for the first time since mid-March, the team remain focused on pushing hard until the end.
“If our performances would’ve been poor then I could understand that we’re just trying to get to the end of the season, but it’s not been like that at all,” Foster stated. “Being honest, the only disappointing thing in our performances is not taking the chances we’ve needed to.
“Our display against Manchester United was good. It was a bit sloppy in the first half, but in the second half we were fantastic. If we took the chances we had, then we would’ve won the game.”
Progress of the Academy
The progress of the U21 Academy was brought up at Belvoir Drive, as they discussed the recent PGA Plate Final victory over Charlton Athletic and the talented individuals that could see more minutes with the senior squad over the summer.
“We’ve already had the likes of Ava Baker with our squad for quite a while,” Foster continued. “Along with players such as Denny Draper and Simone Sherwood, who have been around training which is good.
“The Academy has impressed this season so there’s certainly more players on our radar that we’d like to transition to come into the First Team, whether that’s for training or pushing for a place, which is what we want to push the Club forward.
“It’s huge experience for them. Probably biggest in the tactical and technical areas. But it’s competing against women which is the biggest thing, and that’s the bit they need to get up to speed with. When you train with better players, you become a better player so that’s why it’s so important to give them this exposure.”
West Ham
The Hammers sit three points and one space behind Leicester heading into the weekend and without a win in seven, but this has not been due to a lack of positive displays says Foster.
“They’re further down the table than they should be,” the Interim Manager explained. “That’s important for us to remember. They’ve been unlucky with some of their results, a bit like us.
“It will come down to duel winners, which is something they’re good at; winning first and second balls, so we’ll need to be switched on for that.
“But as long as we play our game and keep the ball and are good with it, which we have been at times this season, then we’ll cause problems for them.
“We need to be switched on because West Ham can hurt us, especially with that front line, so it’s something we need to be aware of, but I thought our defensive performance last weekend was fantastic, so we need more of that.”