Rodgers Braced For Leicester's Final Run-In

- Brendan Rodgers previews Leicester City's clash with Sheffield United on Thursday (6pm kick-off)
- The Foxes remain fourth in the Premier League standings with three 'tough' games to go
- Rodgers has praised the Blades for the impact they've made on their return to the top flight
- However, the Northern Irishman has backed his side to rise to the challenge at King Power Stadium

The Blades visit King Power Stadium in the 36th game of the 2019/20 campaign with both sides in contention to qualify for European competition this term.

Chris Wilder's men have recently defeated Tottenham Hotspur, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea in pursuit of that objective and Rodgers is aware of the test they will pose.

"I know from first-hand experience from coming up with Swansea into the Premier League what a challenge it is coming into this level," the Northern Irishman said this week.

"They got the team not just tactically and technically ready, but there’s also a big onus on getting players confident to succeed at this level and that’s a huge part of it.

"So, for me, Chris has done an absolutely brilliant job. They’ve had that momentum coming through from League 1 and the Championship, but they look very, very good.

"In what is their first season in the Premier League, they fight, they run, but they also play with quality and I’ve been very impressed by them.

"Earlier on in the season, when we played them and had our first win, we knew they were going to be tough side. We played them early and we’d seen the problems they cause."

Despite the challenges of the task at hand, Rodgers is confident in City's ability to secure their 18th victory of the season as they look to preserve their league standing over the coming weeks. 

Leicester head into the fixture sitting fourth in the table and a win on Thursday will mathematically secure the Club's second-best league finish in the Premier League era.

"It’s a game that we’ve always earmarked as one that we have to win," Rodgers added. "The weekend has shown what a roller-coaster the league is and the fluctuations within it.

"For us, there’s no change. We’ve had a disappointing result and second-half performance, so we have to move on from that and that’s the mentality we’ve always had.

"The destiny’s with us, that’s what we rely on, and if that’s the case, we will accept that responsibility and pressure and look to take that into the next game.

"For us, it’s all learning experiences and coping with that. You have to get through it and we’ve certainly gone through that in these last few months.

"I’ve got absolutely no doubt about the squad and their ability and their willingness to want to be better and you can’t be derailed by the defeat the other day.

"That’s how we’ve always approached the games. If the likes of Man City can lose as many games as they have, then surely, we can do that as well.

"After a defeat, we analyse it and we aim to be better in the next game, so we never get too down about it and we have continue with that mantra and that’s what we’ve done this week."

Gallery 14 Jul 2020

First Team Training: Sheffield United

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Ensuring that destiny remains in City's hands is a priority for Rodgers, whose side will tackle Tottenham Hotspur (A) and Manchester United (H) after Thursday's outing.

"That’s all you want," he continued. "With Chelsea losing last week and Manchester United being pegged back late on, there will be other results which will surprise.

"We’ve been up there for so long and we’ve fought to stay there. With three games, despite everything that’s happened, we’re in an absolutely first-class position.

"They’re three tough games remaining for us, but they’re obviously tough games for the opposition that we’re playing as well.

"We want to try and maximise that, apply our game, and if we can do that, with the right intensity and focus, we will have a fantastic chance."

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