Matchday With The Manager – Creating A Culture & Standard

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Matchday With The Manager – Creating A Culture & Standard

Over the course of Brendan Rodgers' tenure as Leicester City manager, the Club has progressed in many ways, but the Northern Irishman is always looking for more development.

2021-08-14T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Creating A Culture & Standard

Over the course of Brendan Rodgers' tenure as Leicester City manager, the Club has progressed in many ways, but the Northern Irishman is always looking for more development.

2021-08-14T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Creating A Culture & Standard

Over the course of Brendan Rodgers' tenure as Leicester City manager, the Club has progressed in many ways, but the Northern Irishman is always looking for more development.

2021-08-14T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Creating A Culture & Standard

Over the course of Brendan Rodgers' tenure as Leicester City manager, the Club has progressed in many ways, but the Northern Irishman is always looking for more development.

2021-08-14T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Creating A Culture & Standard

Over the course of Brendan Rodgers' tenure as Leicester City manager, the Club has progressed in many ways, but the Northern Irishman is always looking for more development.

2021-08-14T06:00:00.000Z

The Foxes head into the 2021/22 campaign as holders of the Emirates FA Cup and the FA Community Shield, while also looking ahead to a second successive season in European competition. Leicester's growth has been as swift as it's been impressive – and they're eager to add more memories this term.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are first up for City at King Power Stadium on Saturday, where a capacity crowd will back Rodgers' men for the first time since March 2020. The 48-year-old is excited by the challenge of facing Bruno Lage's men and building on the progress made over the summer.

Kelechi Iheanacho's penalty secured a 1-0 triumph over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in the Community Shield last weekend. That experience will stand Leicester's players in good stead, Rodgers believes, ahead of a campaign which is likely to present all manner of hurdles.

"It put us in a great place physically and mentally," the Foxes manager told the media at LCFC Training Ground on Thursday. "Of course, when you go through pre-season, you’re trying to build up that base of fitness and we arrive into the weekend’s game in a really, really good place.

"Between now and the international break, we’ll be looking to increase that level of fitness while trying to win games. I don’t think any team is going to be at their very, very best level physically, but certainly for us, we knew we were always going to be tested.

"They’re an outstanding team, they move the ball so well and they really test your organisation, but I thought we were able to play very well in the game. We always try to win games, be strong and we ended up getting the penalty in the end, so it leaves us in a really good position.

"The players had a nice feeling at Wembley again, which was good, and it sets us up perfectly for the weekend."

While the memories of last season will live long for the whole Foxes family, Rodgers says Leicester cannot allow themselves to dwell on recent triumphs too much, as they go in search of further silverware.

"Firstly, you can’t lock yourself into the past," he explained. "That’s first and foremost. What we’ve done is we have a memory of the FA Cup and an achievement which is going to bind us all together for the rest of our lives – the players, the management, the supporters.

"It was an incredible day and to create that history was amazing. However, it’s long gone. It’s in the memory and now you have to keep looking forwards. For us, it’s about not locking ourselves into that moment, but really getting ready for a really exciting future that we have as a squad.

"We know we can improve and, where we can improve, that’s what your idea is every single day – to get better. I’m really looking forward to the season. I see the maturity of the players growing. I see their game understanding and their confidence. We’re ready for another long, but really exciting, season."

Many of the Premier League's most prestigious clubs have strengthened extensively this summer, building excitement for yet another enthralling campaign as several sides look to secure the English throne. Rodgers, though, is excited by the prospect of competing with them once again.

"Chelsea have a super strong squad with a really talented manager," the former Liverpool and Celtic manager continued. "You add to that [Romelu] Lukaku, who’s been a phenomenal striker, so he’s going to give them something. Manchester United have strengthened.

"Jadon Sancho’s an outstanding talent. [Raphaël] Varane, if he’s in officially, that’ll be really good. His experience is really going to help them. Manchester City have bought, for me, a world-class talent (Jack Grealish) who will go and demonstrate that at the very highest level with an already world-class squad.

"And then you have Liverpool, an incredible club with a brilliant manager and outstanding players, with players coming back, so it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be super competitive, I’m sure, and then everyone else is fighting to be on their coattails."

Over recent campaigns, clashes with Wolves have tended to be tense, low-scoring affairs. Rodgers wouldn't be surprised to see that trend continue on Saturday. The Black Country outfit are starting a new era, too, with former Benfica manager Bruno Lage at the helm at Molineux.

"Nuno [Espírito Santo] clearly did a brilliant job in his time there and he’s moved on in a different direction," the Leicester manager said. "They’ve brought in Bruno [Lage], a manager who the hierarchy know very well, and he’s done good things at Benfica. I’m sure he will thoroughly enjoy the Premier League.

"It’s the most competitive league in the world. He’s mostly played 4-4-1-1 in his time away and I think he played that in his first few games in pre-season and they’ve gone back to 3-4-3 now they’ve been playing. All our games against Wolves have been tough since I came here.

"They’ve been very tight and I would expect this one to be tight as well."

As City continue to develop, on and off the field of play, Rodgers says the 2021/22 season is one they should approach with optimism as the talented, youthful squad, strive for more advancement and development.

"It’s why I do the job," he added. "My priority is always teaching. Teaching players, helping them grow, helping them develop, creating a culture and standard of performance that allows them to keep pushing and never to be content. That’s what we’ve tried to do each year.

"Each year, we’ve improved on our points and we’ve tried to improve on our goals, and this year, we’ll look to continue with that. It’s the beauty of this job. It’s the biggest satisfaction. Yes, the wins and the trophies… but the ultimate satisfaction, for me, is seeing development and growth on and off the field.

"That’s the joy of this group, you see it every single day."

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