Rodgers: The First Steps Of An Exciting Journey
- Leicester City's 30th match of the Premier League season sees them tackle Fulham at King Power Stadium on Saturday (3pm GMT kick-off)
- Brendan Rodgers has provided detail on his ambition to create a collective ethos at the Football Club
- The new Foxes manager says his side's home form must be addressed quickly
- The application of his new players has also pleased the 46-year-old after a week in the job
The Foxes entertain Fulham on Filbert Way in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and speaking beforehand, Rodgers outlined his determination to herald an era of home dominance.
Following a first full week of training at Belvoir Drive since being named as the Club's 48th full-time manager, the Northern Irishman stressed the importance of collecting as many points as possible on home soil.
Citing the 'incredible' atmosphere which King Power Stadium has become renowned for, Rodgers says a collective ambition to improve - a vision which encompasses fans, players and staff - will be central to his philosophy.
"I’m so excited about the game," he told the national press on Thursday. "In my experiences of watching from the outside, in terms of atmosphere and intensity, when the team was going to win the league… it was incredible.
Rodgers' Respect For Every Opponent
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers describes the importance of always respecting an opponent, irrespective of league standing.
"I feel like it’s going to be so important for us... that connection between the team and the supporters. We have to be very much together. It’s the first steps of a really exciting journey for us.
"This has to be a really, really tough place to come. I’ve seen somewhere that in the calendar year, the team has won about five games at home, and we have to change that.
"There needs to be an intensity and a relentlessness to our game that makes it really difficult for teams. So, that starts on Saturday and I look forward to that."
The intensity of Rodgers' methods have been adopted by the squad during his first week at the Club and the former Swansea City, Liverpool and Celtic manager is keen to build upon the progress which has already been made.
The 46-year-old was disappointed with the result of his maiden fixture as manager, a 2-1 reverse at Watford on Sunday, but he says that the nature of their performance, coupled with their application in training, all bodes well.
He added: "Of course, there’s been an issue around conceding early goals so that’s something that we need to eradicate from our game.
"And then, of course, in between that, there were some good moments of play and then we didn’t quite manage the game at the end. Sometimes that will happen, especially when you have a young group of players.
"But I have to say, I have been really enthused by working with them. They are a fantastic group. They really care. They are really honest.
"I know when I came into here, I was asked a lot of questions about the actual squad, how strong they are and what a tough dressing room it is. But I have not found that at all.
"I have found a bunch of players that want to get better, that want to improve. They know that training is intense, from this week and the work that we have had, but they have coped with it very well.
"They are only going to get better, they are only going to improve in this process that we are in, over time, they will feel the benefits of that.
"We have had a really good week’s training, covering different aspects of how we want to play going forward, and I’m really excited now about the game on Saturday at home."