Matchday With The Manager – Impressive Palace & Leicester's Growing Mentality

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Matchday With The Manager – Impressive Palace & Leicester's Growing Mentality

Leicester City's 'collective mentality' has pleased manager Brendan Rodgers over recent weeks as the Foxes continue to improve heading into the final months of the 2021/22 campaign.

2022-04-10T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Impressive Palace & Leicester's Growing Mentality

Leicester City's 'collective mentality' has pleased manager Brendan Rodgers over recent weeks as the Foxes continue to improve heading into the final months of the 2021/22 campaign.

2022-04-10T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Impressive Palace & Leicester's Growing Mentality

Leicester City's 'collective mentality' has pleased manager Brendan Rodgers over recent weeks as the Foxes continue to improve heading into the final months of the 2021/22 campaign.

2022-04-10T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Impressive Palace & Leicester's Growing Mentality

Leicester City's 'collective mentality' has pleased manager Brendan Rodgers over recent weeks as the Foxes continue to improve heading into the final months of the 2021/22 campaign.

2022-04-10T06:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Impressive Palace & Leicester's Growing Mentality

Leicester City's 'collective mentality' has pleased manager Brendan Rodgers over recent weeks as the Foxes continue to improve heading into the final months of the 2021/22 campaign.

2022-04-10T06:00:00.000Z

City are unbeaten in seven at King Power Stadium – winning four – and they performed admirably in their last Premier League outing, a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the Premier League. That preceded Thursday's goalless stalemate with PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Following a disappointing spell over the winter months, and with key players returning, including centre-backs Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans, optimism is high that Leicester can end the season on a high note. Patrick Vieira's in-form Crystal Palace outfit are next up on Filbert Way this Sunday.

"I’ve been much happier, we’ve got much more stability to the team, some of the football has been very good," Rodgers said on Friday. "It’s just finding that clinical edge at the top end of the field, but in terms of the collective mentality, some of our movement and general play has been consistently good.

"We just need to find that little bit of quality at the top end to finish off opportunities. We’ll look to continue with that mentality."

Palace, on the other hand, are in a fine run of form. Monday's 3-0 triumph over Arsenal at Selhurst Park extended their unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions. The Eagles face Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Emirates FA Cup later this month and sit ninth in the Premier League standings.

"I’ve really enjoyed watching them," Rodgers continued. "We played them earlier on in the season and you could see the change in terms of what Patrick and his staff are wanting to bring in. I’ve really enjoyed watching them. They’re a team that want to play.

"They’re comfortable and they play with a calmness. If you watched the Arsenal game during the week, they were excellent in that. The two centre-halves have comfort with the ball but they want to defend. The full-backs are excellent.

"Nathaniel [Clyne], I know really well. He’s got great experience now and the young left-back has progressed and is playing for England, so he’s doing very well. Conor Gallagher has been revelation for them, he’s a fantastic young talent who’s got the hunger to prove himself in the Premier League.

"The other players around him have got really good physicality. Jeffrey [Schlupp] has been fantastic. He’s a former player here of course and he’s someone who’s played central midfield quite a few times and he plays with a calmness and a composure.

"Obviously, the front players as well… Wilfried Zaha has got great quality. He's now finding the ball a little higher on the pitch. He’s not playing so much on counter-attack. He’s more up in the opposition’s half. Across the team, they’ve done very, very well.

"They play good football and they’re playing with a good spirit."

Fofana's return has coincided with Leicester looking considerably more defensively assured, but Rodgers pointed to returns of several key players in that position.

"It's not just the introduction of him," he explained. "Of course, he’s a very, very important player for us, but you align that with Jonny Evans. You’ve got two players there, one with real experience at the highest level, and a potentially top, top young player beside him.

"That combination and connection there really gives stability to the team. Adding to that, Timothy [Castagne’s] coming back, JJ too and Ricardo Pereira.

"That balance we have along the backline… the other guys have done great, however these guys are players that have played consistently for me and, when they have played, they’ve played at a high level. I’ve always said the centre-half position is the area of the field where you have to be most consistent.

"If you have that, and if you have the talents we have, that will make a difference for us."

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