Signs Of Progression, Says Kirk

- LCFC Women were beaten by Manchester City at King Power Stadium on Saturday
- The Foxes are currently bottom of the Barclays Women’s Super League
- Khadija Shaw and Chloe Kelly scored the goals for Man City
- Small elements make the difference, says Kirk

For over an hour, Kirk’s side were equal to the strength of Man City, however second-half goals from Khadija Shaw and Chloe Kelly confirmed a loss for the Foxes.

City put it a valiant effort at King Power Stadium, but the manager believes there were downfalls to Leicester's game which made the difference.

“We're disappointed with the performance today,” Kirk told LCFC TV. “We stayed in the game, and we were in the game for a long time, but we're disappointed with a lot of the small elements of the performance.

“Those small elements make a big difference at the end of the day, and Man City's quality came out on top. I thought they deserved the three points.

“When we get to those small details, that will be when we are in the top half of the league, and we should be looking to take points off teams like that more regularly. But we've got no right to take points off the top four just now.

“We've got a lot of work to do, but we are seeing lots of signs of progress in different areas and today was another step forward without a doubt, and we quickly move onto next week, which is another big game.”

One positive from the afternoon was the outstanding display from ‘keeper Janina Leitzig, and her manager was keen to share his praise.

“Janina was excellent again,” the 44-year-old continued. “That's two games at King Power Stadium, and two fantastic appearances she's had. She made some big saves at big moments and kept us in the game and kept us with a little bit of belief that we could possibly take something from it.

“Good decision making most of the time in possession as well. She's not just a goalkeeper that we have signed for out of possession elements, but we think she's good on the ball in possession and most decisions were good in terms of that as well.”

Midfielder Sam Tierney was taken off late on in the game with concussion, but the former Everton coach stated how she is doing well, and the Club will work with her as necessary to allow her back on the pitch.

He added: “We used the concussion sub. We obviously used the five, and that's a concussion that she's got, which is a shame for Sam. But, she's very brave. She puts herself in those positions.

“She'll never shirk anything, and yes, it was quite a blow, but she's okay. She's fine within herself, and we'll look after her during the week and we'll make sure we follow the correct protocols and get her back on the pitch as quickly, but as safely, as possible.”

After the defeat, attention turns to Liverpool, as the Foxes travel to Merseyside to face the Reds at Prenton Park on Sunday 12 February (2pm GMT kick-off).

“We'll be in tomorrow to recover and debrief that properly and go into some detail, and then we've got a couple of days off,” Kirk explained.

“I think the players need that because we've been working hard since Christmas and then four days leading into Liverpool and it's a game that we're really looking forward to.”