Rodgers: Watford A Very Good Side

All News

Men

Women

Internationals

Interviews & Features

Heritage

Photos

Rodgers: Watford A Very Good Side

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers says he has a lot of respect for opposite number Nigel Pearson as the Foxes prepare to face Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

2020-06-20T07:14:00.000Z

by Sam Jones

Published

20 Jun, 2020

Rodgers: Watford A Very Good Side

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers says he has a lot of respect for opposite number Nigel Pearson as the Foxes prepare to face Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Sam Jones

2020-06-20T07:14:00.000Z

Rodgers: Watford A Very Good Side

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers says he has a lot of respect for opposite number Nigel Pearson as the Foxes prepare to face Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Sam Jones

2020-06-20T07:14:00.000Z

Rodgers: Watford A Very Good Side

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers says he has a lot of respect for opposite number Nigel Pearson as the Foxes prepare to face Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Sam Jones

2020-06-20T07:14:00.000Z

Rodgers: Watford A Very Good Side

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers says he has a lot of respect for opposite number Nigel Pearson as the Foxes prepare to face Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Sam Jones

2020-06-20T07:14:00.000Z

- Leicester City’s return to Premier League action kicks off against Watford on Saturday (12:30pm kick-off)- Both managers are facing their old clubs at Vicarage Road, where no supporters will be present- Rodgers says Nigel Pearson has done an 'outstanding job’ at Watford- The Northern Irishman believes it will be a challenging encounter against the Hornets

Rodgers looked ahead to 'a really tough game' when he spoke to the media in his virtual pre-match press conference on Thursday, for what will be both clubs' first Premier League fixture since March.

City’s trip to Watford, which will take place behind closed doors for the safety of players, staff and fans, will be available to watch live on BT Sport 1, while LCFC TV is on air from 11:30am. Pearson, meanwhile, had two spells as City manager between 2008 and 2010 and 2011 and 2015, winning the League 1 and Championship titles, as well as preserving the Club's top-flight status in 2014.

Speaking on Thursday, Rodgers - who will also be facing one of his former clubs - reflected on a positive start for the former Foxes manager since his appointment in Hertfordshire in December.

“I think the players and the people here have nothing but respect for Nigel,” Rodgers said. “He did an outstanding job here over two periods and I know he is held in high regard.

“The players who had worked with him for long periods respect a lot of the work that he’s done, so I look forward to seeing Nigel.”

Watford were in the relegation zone when Pearson took over from Quique Sanchez Flores, but four wins from his first six games moved the Hornets out of the bottom three, albeit on goal difference.

Rodgers continued: “He’s done an outstanding job [at] Watford, they were in a very difficult position when he went in and he galvanised them, he’s got them organised.

“They’re a team that is a very good side. They finished above us last season, they got to the FA Cup Final, so he’s been able to go in along with Craig [Shakespeare] and has really got them playing to their maximum. They’ve had some excellent results and other results that they may feel they could have been better in, so we go there knowing it’s going to be a really tough game, like all the games will be.”

The Leicester City manager wants his players to focus on their own performance, as they head into a first competitive fixture since beating Aston Villa 4-0 at King Power Stadium on 9 March.

“For us, we’ll look to impose our way,” the Northern Irishman added. “This is a period of the season that is about winning, but our philosophy has always been about performing. You know that you won’t be 10 out of 10 every single game but at first it’s about performing well, playing how we played before and more times than not it gives us a great opportunity to win. You can’t afford to be too slow in your start.”

Support your club. Stay safe. Follow at home.

All times BST.

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 14 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 14 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.

14 Hours 49 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 34 Mins Ago