Matchday With The Manager – FA Cup Memories & Mounting Another Challenge

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Matchday With The Manager – FA Cup Memories & Mounting Another Challenge

The experience of ending Leicester City's long wait to lift the FA Cup last May has reinforced the Foxes' determination to continue challenging for honours, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-01-08T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – FA Cup Memories & Mounting Another Challenge

The experience of ending Leicester City's long wait to lift the FA Cup last May has reinforced the Foxes' determination to continue challenging for honours, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-01-08T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – FA Cup Memories & Mounting Another Challenge

The experience of ending Leicester City's long wait to lift the FA Cup last May has reinforced the Foxes' determination to continue challenging for honours, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-01-08T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – FA Cup Memories & Mounting Another Challenge

The experience of ending Leicester City's long wait to lift the FA Cup last May has reinforced the Foxes' determination to continue challenging for honours, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-01-08T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – FA Cup Memories & Mounting Another Challenge

The experience of ending Leicester City's long wait to lift the FA Cup last May has reinforced the Foxes' determination to continue challenging for honours, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-01-08T07:00:00.000Z

Watford are the visitors to King Power Stadium on Saturday in the third round of the competition with City being holders for the first time in the Club's history. Youri Tielemans' classic strike secured the cup for Leicester back in May during a fraught 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley.

Although hit by several fitness issues over the the winter months, Rodgers insists the Foxes are eager to progress again in the FA Cup this term and, as with every competition, their outset at the beginning it to try and compete to win it. Saturday's tie kicks off at 3pm GMT on Filbert Way.

"It was such a memorable competition for us," the Northern Irishman reflected, looking back to May. "To have won it for the first time in the Club’s history, it really was amazing – against such illustrious opponents as well. Obviously, with fans being there, it was great. The memory will be with us all for a lifetime.

"It’ll connect us all – players, supporters, staff, everyone – but now it’s the beginning of it again. It’s not about defending it, it’s about winning it. We go into [the Watford] game with a very strong mindset to look to go and win the competition again if we can possibly can.

"It’s always great for supporters to dream. I know they dreamt that last season, of winning it, and we did do. It was such a special occasion and an incredible memory for them. This year, we’ll be doing exactly the same. From the first game, we’ll be fighting and looking to qualify into the fourth round.

"We’ll need them, their support – like the last home game. That’s what we want from the supporters. It really pushes the team and hopefully, together, we can go a long way.

"It just gives you that extra feeling and motivation and commitment to go as far as you possibly can. We had an incredible experience, going right the way through, and the final became the fans’ final really. It was such a special feeling. It’s something we want to replicate as often as we possibly can.

"Getting to Wembley is an incredible feeling, but we’re a long way from that yet. It’s about the next step and the next game. If we can beat Watford, that gives us an opportunity to get back there."

Leicester have already tackled and beaten Watford this term, in the Premier League, in a 4-2 success in late November. Rodgers believes there are areas which his side can exploit against the Hornets, but pointed to the Hertfordshire club's attacking prowess as one reason to be wary.

"You’ve seen both sides of Watford," the 48-year-old explained. "They can score goals, they can concede goals, but they have players that are dangerous players.

"Our focus is just preparing for a really tough game. We’re going to have to adapt the team with the squad that we have, but we go into it looking to win game and ultimately qualify for the next round."

Despite being so severely tested by absences and tight fixture schedules, which included playing Liverpool twice and Manchester City over just a week, Rodgers was enthralled by Leicester's second performance against the Reds – ending in a 1-0 triumph at King Power Stadium on 28 December.

That display – and the scenes of jubilation which were sparked at full-time – can spur the Foxes on, he says.

"The Liverpool win was a superhuman effort from the players," the manager added. "Physically, what they had to contend with in the game and the lead-up to it, with everything else surrounding it, what they put into the game was just absolutely incredible.

"It tells you everything about the resilience of this team and the spirit within the team. When they’re challenged and with all the difficulties we’ve had, we can produce a result like that. We’ll need more of them going forward. If they keep that spirit and that mentality, with a bit of luck, we’ll hopefully get more wins."

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