Matchday With The Manager – Showing Desire & Mentality In Defence

All of Leicester City's players need to exhibit the same high defensive levels on a more consistent basis in games, says manager Brendan Rodgers, who was looking ahead to Sunday's Premier League clash with Leeds United.

2021-11-07T07:00:00.000Z

All of Leicester City's players need to exhibit the same high defensive levels on a more consistent basis in games, says manager Brendan Rodgers, who was looking ahead to Sunday's Premier League clash with Leeds United.

2021-11-07T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Showing Desire & Mentality In Defence

All of Leicester City's players need to exhibit the same high defensive levels on a more consistent basis in games, says manager Brendan Rodgers, who was looking ahead to Sunday's Premier League clash with Leeds United.

2021-11-07T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Showing Desire & Mentality In Defence

All of Leicester City's players need to exhibit the same high defensive levels on a more consistent basis in games, says manager Brendan Rodgers, who was looking ahead to Sunday's Premier League clash with Leeds United.

2021-11-07T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager – Showing Desire & Mentality In Defence

All of Leicester City's players need to exhibit the same high defensive levels on a more consistent basis in games, says manager Brendan Rodgers, who was looking ahead to Sunday's Premier League clash with Leeds United.

2021-11-07T07:00:00.000Z

Next up for the Foxes is a trip to Elland Road on Sunday to tackle Marcelo Bielsa's Yorkshire side. Following Thursday's 1-1 draw with Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Europa League, there is room for improvement in the standings, both domestically and on the continent, for Leicester.

Speaking in the week, Rodgers provided an assessment of City's fortunes so far in 2021/22 and isolated one area in particular where an improvement is required – defensive application. While acknowledging the high demands placed on his players, the Leicester manager has called for more.

"We’re on 14 points, six off the Champions League places and three off the top six," the Northern Irishman said. "Without hitting top form yet, we’re still there within touching distance. Of course, at this stage of the season, after 10 games, in some of our games, we’ve played really well.

"We’ve got some really good results and, in others, we’ve been not so good. There’s lots of room for improvement and it’s a long season. I’m sure, especially once we start to get some players back, who have that physicality we want, we can become more stable and get more consistency in our results.

"From a defensive perspective, we can be more aggressive in our running. I understand these last couple of seasons have been fantastic for the players and we’re trying to rinse everything out of them, in terms of competing both in Europe and at the top end of the Premier League.

"That is a big ask for a squad like ours. However, we need to defend better, we need to show a greater desire in some of our defending. That’s something we can fix. Some of it is profile of player, but some of it is work on the training field. That’s something we’ll continue to do. It’s not all the team.

"We’ve got players who are performing to a really good level, showing that desire and mentality to do the dirty work. I say the same thing to them. I’m not going to beat around the bush when we’re talking about a bush. We need to run more, it’s as simple as that.

"As a collective, it’s no good seven or eight players doing it. That’s what has always got us results and got us those wins and consistency. The minute we stop doing that, we’re not good enough, as a collective group, to win games at 75 per cent. We’re a team that has to be at maximum.

"Against top teams and top players at this level, you need to have that. It’s something we’ll analyse and speak about. It cost us against Arsenal and it’s cost us [against Spartak]. The players are brilliant. They’re good lads, but we’re here to win. We need to show a greater collective.

"We’ve got players who are playing at a really high level. Some of them are outstanding in their desire and mentality, but we rely on the team. It’s going to be a team effort for us if we want to pick up consistent results. That’s something we need to assess, analyse and look at and be much better on that front."

Leeds present a unique challenge in the Premier League, with endless running and a resolute marking system in place. City have enjoyed success against them before, though, and Rodgers is confident that Leicester's squad possesses the qualities required to secure a positive result.

"You know what you’re going to get from Marcelo’s teams," the former Liverpool and Celtic manager explained. "They’re going to be physical, they’re going to run. They haven’t quite had the results they would want, but it was a really good result away at Norwich.

"I watched the game and they’ve obviously had a free week to prepare and they’ll be looking to bring that game to their supporters. We expect a physical game. This is a game where you do need to run and you do need to fight – not just run forward, but run back.

"We know we have the quality which can hopefully cause Leeds a problem. Marcelo’s teams will always give their very best. They make it difficult for you and they play a unique game. It’s very much a marker's game. They’ve got individual talents within that who can cause you problems.

"Leeds at home, with the atmosphere and the supporters, of course that will make it a tough game. They played well [vs. Norwich], scored a couple of really good goals. Raphinha’s a top-class player who’s clever and bright. He’s got a great left foot and they’ve got a number of other players that are really good.

"They’ve got some of the British boys that show great mentality and keep them all together, keep them all fighting, keep them running. Overall, they’re a difficult team to play against."

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