Matchday With The Manager – Rising To The Challenge In Burnley

Leicester City view Tuesday's encounter with Burnley at Turf Moor as an opportunity to build on encouraging recent performances, but must show resilience in their game too, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-03-01T07:00:00.000Z

Leicester City view Tuesday's encounter with Burnley at Turf Moor as an opportunity to build on encouraging recent performances, but must show resilience in their game too, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-03-01T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Rising To The Challenge In Burnley

Leicester City view Tuesday's encounter with Burnley at Turf Moor as an opportunity to build on encouraging recent performances, but must show resilience in their game too, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-03-01T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Rising To The Challenge In Burnley

Leicester City view Tuesday's encounter with Burnley at Turf Moor as an opportunity to build on encouraging recent performances, but must show resilience in their game too, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-03-01T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Rising To The Challenge In Burnley

Leicester City view Tuesday's encounter with Burnley at Turf Moor as an opportunity to build on encouraging recent performances, but must show resilience in their game too, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2022-03-01T07:00:00.000Z

Sean Dyche's Clarets may remain in the Premier League relegation zone heading into the clash in Lancashire, but have secured an array of impressive results over recent weeks, namely beating Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion, while also drawing with Manchester United.

Leicester, on the other hand, have also improved over the past month, although results have eluded them in frustrating circumstances. West Ham United denied them all three points at King Power Stadium in the middle of last month, before Wolverhampton Wanderers won despite City performing well.

European football has offered a break from domestic responsibilities, with City emerging as 7-2 winners on aggregate over two legs against Danish outfit Randers. Speaking on Monday, Rodgers reflected on his side's upturn in performances and addressed what they need to do to turn them into victories.

"I think our last performance actually wasn’t so good, but we had a good result," he explained. "We got the job done and qualified for the last-16. Performance-wise at Wolves, it was very good. We just didn’t quite manage to get the result on the day, but we were much happier with the performance.

"In our first European game, we were excellent and we played well against West Ham, in particular in the second half. It’s just really about getting that collective intensity in our game, getting the positioning of the team back again, and just simplifying everything in order for us to play how we want to play.

"Our performance level is very important for us because, when we play well, we can get a result. You can have two-and-a-half years of really good work and progress and then there’s going to be moments where it’s a challenge for you. That’s the life of a football player and a manager.

"You’ve just got to work through it and have what you need in the game – which is resilience. Whenever you don’t perform well and you don’t get results, it will always open you up to criticism. That’s something that I’ve always been clear on and I’ve understood in the game.

"The players here are good guys, they want to fight and they want to work. That’s our challenge now going into this last period. It’ll be a challenge for us, absolutely, but we want to finish in that top half of the table, as high as we possibly can.

"To do that, you have to fight and you have to have a determination and an intensity to your game. That’s not necessarily just what I want, it’s what the game needs. That’s what you have to produce if you’re going to get results at the highest possible level.

"You learn a lot in those adverse moments, but the idea is always to work your way through that. We’ve got a group of players that want to do that."

After signing the likes of Maxwel Cornet and Aaron Lennon during the summer window, Burnley lost Chris Wood to Newcastle United in January, but responded with the addition of Wout Weghorst from VfL Wolfsburg. The Netherlands international is making a name for himself already in English football.

Elsewhere, right-back Connor Roberts, secured from Swansea City, is another player to be impressing in his early Clarets career and, combined with the players already at Dyche's disposal, Rodgers believes Leicester are set for a tough challenge on Tuesday.

"[Burnley's recent form is] not a surprise to me because I know how good a manager and a coach Sean is," the 49-year-old added. "I know they’ve been through this rhythm for the last number of years. He’s done a brilliant job there in ensuring they maintain their status in the league.

"They’ve got that stability there and they’ve got some really experienced players. In January, they’ve added some players as well, which will have given them a freshness. This last set of results have been excellent. Away at Brighton, it was a very good performance (winning 3-0).

"They beat Tottenham, of course, to win at home (1-0). They got a draw at the weekend too (1-1 vs. Man Utd). They’re a team and a manager I really admire because of their honesty, but also because of their quality. I think people forget the quality that Burnley have.

"They’ve got outstanding, experienced players and, when it’s required, they normally get the results. For us, it’s a very tough game of course, but it’s one we’ll relish. Burnley always impress me, I never feel they get the credit for what a good football side they are.

"They are physically strong and competitive, as you need to be at this level, but they’ve also got some very talented football players. They’ve brought in some players who are hungry to show they can play at the level. The striker’s come in (Weghorst), he’s about 6ft 6in, but a good technician.

"He got his goal away Brighton which was a really good finish. He's a Dutch international, so he knows the game and he knows football. He has come in and taken Wood's place on the field. Connor Roberts, who’s come in from Swansea, is aggressive, he wants to get forward, he’s an international (for Wales).

"They’ve got other players who have been there for a long period of time. Jack Cork, I know quite well, he’s a brilliant professional and brilliant for the team, whether he’s playing or not. Ashley Westwood is a really, really talented footballer.

"James Tarkowski and Ben Mee... these are boys who are all proven players in the Premier League, but have retained their hunger to fight to stay there. For me, they’re an excellent side and it’s going to be a real test for us on Tuesday, which I’m looking forward to seeing.

"We’ve been performing much better of late and we need to keep it at that level."

Leicester are 13th in the Premier League – not where they would want to be in May – but with up to four games in hand on sides around them, Rodgers sees an opportunity to make up ground and climb the table. They will also face French side Rennes in the last-16 of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

"There’s still so much to play for," he continued. "It’s been inconsistent this season. We’ve had some excellent results and performances, but we haven’t been able to sustain that. We’re three or four games behind other teams as well, so we’ll have to make those up over these remaining months of the season.

"I’ve been a lot more satisfied with the performance level in our game and the game idea. Now it’s just a case of putting that together and getting some results in the Premier League.

"We want to finish as high as we can in the league, that’s important, but we know we have to really play well as a collective to do that. It’s just trying to find a consistency. Over the remainder of the season, it’s about finding that rhythm in our game.

"Our mantra is very much about our pressing and bringing an aggressive nature to our game, but also creating opportunities and scoring goals. If we can find the performance level which I’ve started to see come back in these last few games, finding that hunger, it will allow you to get consistent results.

"If we can do that, while going as far as we can in the [Europa Conference League], then it can be a really good end to the season for us."

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