We Lacked A Cutting Edge, Says Beaglehole
- Steve Beaglehole reflects on the Leicester City Development Squad's 2-1 defeat by Arsenal on Saturday
- Ali Reghba scored for the Foxes, but a brace from Tyreece John-Jules sealed the encounter
- Beaglehole was pleased with City's start and ending to the fixture in north London
- The Foxes lacked the same composure Arsenal showed in the final third, Beaglehole believes
Despite starting brightly and taking the lead through Ali Reghba's 35th-minute strike, a double from Tyreece John-Jules condemned City's youngsters to a defeat in the capital.
Beaglehole, the Club's Senior Professional Development Phase Coach, was largely pleased with the overall performance, but highlighted aspects to improve upon over the coming weeks.
"It went as we foresaw," Beaglehole told LCFC TV at full-time in north London. "We’d seen them and we knew that they were a really good attacking side, Arsenal.
Beaglehole Enthused By First Half Display
Senior Professional Development Phase Coach Steve Beaglehole discusses Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Arsenal for the Club's Development Squad.
"Probably, we won’t play against a side this season at Under-23s level that are as good as them in the final third, but we were brave and went for them.
"In the first half, we totally dominated the game. One of the key objectives was to come in at half-time with a clean sheet and then we said we’d readdress it with another half to go.
"We did come in with a clean sheet. I’d said if we keep a clean sheet, I don’t think you’ll draw the game, which was true, we’d have won it. So, many positives in the first half.
"In the first half, they pressed them and we got the goal. It was a great goal, young Ali Reghba again, determination… a lovely ball in, a great finish.
"At half-time: great job. A really, really good job. If that’s full-time, it’s one of the best performances I’ve seen, but of course, it’s not, it’s only half-way there."
Beaglehole was disappointed by City's start to the second period, but after going down 2-1, the visitors adapted and were unlucky not to score an equaliser later on.
While ultimately frustrated to suffer a third defeat of the season, Beaglehole believes the application on show in those latter moments is a promising sign.
"That was probably the most disappointing thing in what was a really good display: the fact that heads dropped and for 15 minutes we ended up being 2-1 down," he continued.
"It was a lack of concentration and we didn’t press right and they opened us up, which we said that again before the game.
"They took their better players off, which usually happens, the ones that are getting back from injury, and then we had a real chance.
"Then, we just lacked that quality that they showed in the final third. But, all in all, if you look at the game, did we deserve to lose? No, possibly we didn’t deserve to lose.
"Did we deserve to win? No, because you can’t give goals away like we did – and I’ve said that to them. It’s not youth football, it’s not Under-18s football.
"They’ve got to get used to the fact that winning is really important and throwing away a win like that against what we call a big fish is very, very disappointing.
"So, we’ve come here and people will be going away talking about the performances of some of our players as much as they will talk about the performances of some of their players.
"At the end of the day, I’ve got to look at it and say, yes, I’m disappointed that we lost it, but that is a really big positive when you come to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium and play against a good Arsenal side.
"People will be walking away thinking: ‘Yes, Leicester aren’t bad, they’ve got some good players as well’ – and that’s what it’s all about."