Matchday With The Manager: Maximising City's Potential & Irreplaceable Ndidi

All News

Men

Women

Internationals

Interviews & Features

Heritage

Photos

Matchday With The Manager: Maximising City's Potential & Irreplaceable Ndidi

Leicester City have started to combine potential and raw ability with a growing maturity over the course of the 2020/21 season, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2020-12-26T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager: Maximising City's Potential & Irreplaceable Ndidi

Leicester City have started to combine potential and raw ability with a growing maturity over the course of the 2020/21 season, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2020-12-26T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager: Maximising City's Potential & Irreplaceable Ndidi

Leicester City have started to combine potential and raw ability with a growing maturity over the course of the 2020/21 season, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2020-12-26T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager: Maximising City's Potential & Irreplaceable Ndidi

Leicester City have started to combine potential and raw ability with a growing maturity over the course of the 2020/21 season, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2020-12-26T07:00:00.000Z

Matchday With The Manager: Maximising City's Potential & Irreplaceable Ndidi

Leicester City have started to combine potential and raw ability with a growing maturity over the course of the 2020/21 season, says manager Brendan Rodgers.

2020-12-26T07:00:00.000Z

The Foxes sat in second place in the Premier League standings on Christmas morning following a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in north London last Sunday.

On Boxing Day, meanwhile, 20-time English champions Manchester United are the visitors to King Power Stadium, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær's side just one point behind City.

Despite often competing in two games a week over much of the campaign so far, with UEFA Europa League duties also on the agenda, Leicester have impressed many this term.

For Rodgers, the nature of some of their performances - in victories over the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and now Spurs in particular - bodes well for the squad's development.

"I said at the end of last season and start of this one that in last season we showed lots of great moments, moments of big potential," the Northern Irishman recalled.

"What we needed, to increase our level, was time and consistency. With consistency comes maturity and, with time, you also get that maturity.

"When I look at this Christmas compared with last Christmas, there’s a different feeling, a feeling of maturity.

"There’s also a feeling of development that the players are learning and, as a team, we’re growing the longer we are together.

"That’s always a good sign as you want to be always continuously improving. We’re in the position that we’re in, but ultimately, it’s where you finish in the end which counts.

"There’s a trust and a belief in what they’re doing. That comes with working longer, with more time, but there’s just a sense of quiet confidence.

"We’re winning games, like a big game on Sunday, but we’re not getting too carried away. Last season was probably the first time in a number of years where the team was up there.

"Now, we’re up there again, so we’ve shown over these last 18 months or so that there’s progression, but you’ve also got to keep that humility and keep working well.

"We also know it’s about where you finish at the end of the season, so there’s lots of development taking place, which is great. I see that in the players.

"I see it in their behaviour in the games, but we know there’s a lot more work to do."

Leicester are now beginning to regularly challenge in the upper reaches of the Premier League table and Rodgers says the Foxes will continue to look for new ways to challenge the elite.

"I get a sense that the definition of the top six is the top six budgets," he said, when asked about whether Leicester can be regarded as one of the 'top six. "I don’t think it’s where you are as a football team.

"What normally happens is that those six clubs with the greater finances are normally the ones who have been up there consistently.

"I said when I first came in: ‘Can we disrupt that market?’ We don’t have the finances of the ‘top six’ as such, but okay, let’s see if we can work in a different way to arrive in there.

"We were able to do that last season and disrupt that and let’s see if we can do it again this season and keep gradually working our way in there.

"Like I say, the definition is probably based more around money and finances, as opposed to the actual football on the field.

"We like to do our talking on the field and that, over the course of our time here, has worked really well. We get our headlines at the end of the season with where we finish.

"While you’re only 14 games in, you can’t get too carried away. It’s been another very, very good start for us. The team put in a fantastic performance in our last game.

"They showed lots of potential and development. I never get too emotional about work, whether they’re good, bad or indifferent, it’s logical for me.

"The team’s playing well reasonably consistently, we’re in a good place in the league, and my job is to continue and to keep trying to develop the team.

"What the outside perception is or what the headline is, I’m not really bothered to be honest. My focus is purely on winning games and winning those games in a [particular] style."

A calmness in light of positive or negative results is a central pillar of Rodgers' mindset, which is based around developing the Club's players and allowing them to thrive.

"We’ll probably fluctuate in our position, which is why we stay calm about where we’re at," the 47-year-old continued. "It’s just looking at continuing with our mentality to improve and develop.

"Of course, getting results. It’s as simple as that. The players have produced some fantastic results. However, we know there’s areas that we can be better in.

"We need to find a way to do that, whether it’s a tactical way or mentality. Either way, I know we will do everything we can to do that. It’s an amazing bunch of players.

"They’ve got great talent, spirit and camaraderie. We’ll look to continue to find a way and achieve our goal of being right in this top six."

One player in particular who has impressed over recent weeks is the returning Wilfred Ndidi, City's No.25 who endured a spell on the sidelines with an adductor injury.

The Nigeria international was in excellent form last Sunday to help the Foxes secure just the latest in a long line of impressive away results - and Rodgers was full of praise.

"I’ve said before, he’s irreplaceable," he explained. "There's lots of good players that we have that can do that job, but we don’t have anyone that can do it to the level that he does.

"His reading of the game, his agility… all the numbers after the [Spurs] game show how good he is in covering space, but it’s also the confidence he gives to the other players.

"He was immense in the game, against a really good midfield. If you think of [Moussa] Sissoko and [Pierre-Emile] Højbjerg that were in there, he was absolutely outstanding."

Ahead of Sunday's Boxing Day encounter with the Red Devils, a 12:30pm GMT kick-off on Filbert Way, Rodgers outlined his belief that United could be challengers this season.

"There’s sometimes a narrative around Manchester United," he added. "At those big clubs, with huge expectations, if you lose a game, it’s a disaster.

"Of course, they’ll be disappointed with going out of the Champions League because the history of the club has been built on the great success they’ve had in Europe.

"We’re not even half way, we’re 14 games in. They’ve only played 13 and they’re a club that’s expected to be up there. It’s such a long, long season still to go."

LATEST HEADLINES

2026/27 Season Tickets On General Sale We can confirm that our 2026/27 Season Tickets are now on General Sale, giving all supporters the opportunity to secure their seat at King Power Stadium for the upcoming campaign.

5 Hours 34 Mins Ago

The Story Of Our 1963 FA Cup Final Shirt Club Historian John Hutchinson delves into the shirts that have shaped Leicester City’s rich and colourful story, including our 1963 FA Cup Final shirt.

11 Hours 34 Mins Ago

McSweeney: A Good Learning Experience Leon McSweeney sees our Premier League 2 Play-Off defeat as one to learn from as our youngsters were edged out by Tottenham Hotspur.

15 Hours 9 Mins Ago

5000/1 Anniversary Match: Tickets Now On Sale Tickets are now on sale for our 5000/1 Anniversary Match at King Power Stadium on Saturday 30 May (2pm kick-off), which will support local causes through the Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Foundation.

16 Hours 54 Mins Ago