Just The Final Action Lacking, Says McSweeney

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Just The Final Action Lacking, Says McSweeney

An inability to put the ball in the back of the net was the difference in the Leicester City Development Squad’s 2-0 defeat to Hull City, according to Leon McSweeney.

2024-11-26T14:00+00:00

by Sam Jones

Published

26 Nov, 2024

Just The Final Action Lacking, Says McSweeney

An inability to put the ball in the back of the net was the difference in the Leicester City Development Squad’s 2-0 defeat to Hull City, according to Leon McSweeney.

Sam Jones

2024-11-26T14:00+00:00

Just The Final Action Lacking, Says McSweeney

An inability to put the ball in the back of the net was the difference in the Leicester City Development Squad’s 2-0 defeat to Hull City, according to Leon McSweeney.

Sam Jones

2024-11-26T14:00+00:00

Just The Final Action Lacking, Says McSweeney

An inability to put the ball in the back of the net was the difference in the Leicester City Development Squad’s 2-0 defeat to Hull City, according to Leon McSweeney.

Sam Jones

2024-11-26T14:00+00:00

Just The Final Action Lacking, Says McSweeney

An inability to put the ball in the back of the net was the difference in the Leicester City Development Squad’s 2-0 defeat to Hull City, according to Leon McSweeney.

Sam Jones

2024-11-26T14:00+00:00

Leicester City’s Development Squad were beaten 2-0 by Hull City on Friday
The Premier League Cup defeat sees the young Foxes sit third in the standings
Coach Leon McSweeney assessed the performance at LCFC Training Ground
He felt City created more than enough to take something out of the game

Goals from Harry Vaughan and Pharell Dior Brown saw the visitors claim three points in the Premier League Cup encounter at LCFC Training Ground on Friday, to leave the Foxes youngsters third in Group B.

Despite creating a host of chances, City were unable to find a breakthrough against the Tigers, who picked up their first victory in the competition with two group stage matches remaining.

“I think it was a case of we started cold and it took us a while to get up to the speed of the game, which gave them the impetus,” City’s coach analysed.

“Over the balance of the 90 minutes, I think it was a case of our old problem, that ruthlessness in both boxes, missing key chances to put the ball in the back of the net. And then in terms of the goals we conceded, I think they were really avoidable goals and our own undoing.”

City can still qualify for the Premier League Cup knockout stages.

Reflecting on the positive moments in the final third, a lack of a cutting edge proved to be Leicester’s downfall, similarly to the recent Vertu Trophy defeats to Notts County and Northampton Town.

The 41-year-old continued: “We have a level of consistency in terms of style of play, controlling the game with the ball and working the ball from the defensive third to mid-third to the final third and then it's that final action that we're lacking, and we have been lacking in the past few games.

“It's something that is a part of the game. That's our problem, it's a nice problem to have. We're just trying to put the finishing touches on all the good play that we do and that's just something that we're going to continue to do into next week and continue with the group until we get it right.

“They're a great group to work with. We've some really talented players in the group in wide areas and central areas. And you could see it tonight, what we have on the ball in terms of that talent and it's just maybe making it a bit more prescriptive in terms of how we want, where we want the strikers to run when the ball's coming in from wide areas and where we want the box to be occupied.

“Just going back to the drawing board and saying, these runs are definite, the ball's coming in, you're running here. No ifs and buts and let's get back to basics in terms of attacking that box.”

Tom Wilson-Brown challenges for the ball.

The squad’s desire and the determination was on full display in Seagrave, no more so than defender Tom Wilson-Brown, who took a nasty knock and was forced to leave the pitch late on.

McSweeney added: “The gash on the side of the forehead was a sizeable one so the cautionary thing is to take him off the pitch and credit to Tom for wanting to stay on because we made all the substitutes and played the remaining five or six minutes with 10 men and then created more chances.

“And it was just a case again of that profligacy in front of goal, that ruthless nature that we're missing, that killer instinct, because we certainly had the chances and they weren't half chances. They were really good chances and their 'keeper made four fantastic saves.

“Our lads are doing the right thing, hitting the target, 'keeper's pulling off all these and there's other chances that we shouldn't be giving the goalkeeper a chance on. And that's something that we'll just get back to the drawing board, onto the training pitch and look to put right.”

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