Maresca Identifies Further Improvement Ahead Of Sunderland Bout
Sitting at the apex of the Sky Bet Championship table, with 11 wins from 12 and a Club-record six consecutive away victories so far under his tenure, there is plenty to be positive about around King Power Stadium.
The aim is very much for that to continue when Sunderland arrive on Filbert Way this Tuesday for a match which comes just three days after defeating Swansea City to open up a five-point gap to second place.
The momentum rolls on
Saturday's 3-1 triumph in south Wales, as Leicester came from behind to secure the points, included three different scorers, two of which opened their accounts for the Club in Jannik Vestergaard and Abdul Fatawu. Maresca was keen to praise both players’ performances in that victory and the overall contributions across the team.
He told reporters during Monday’s pre-match press conference: “It has been a good feeling especially because we continued in the way we were playing - no panic, calm and continued with our idea which in the end is giving us results, so we are happy about that.
“We’re learning, to be honest. From each game I tried to see what is working well or not working and how we can improve. Every day is dynamic, it’s a process and it’s learning. When the players score, it’s always important.
“We try and get all of them involved in our style. Especially the five players at the front, they are close to the box every time so it’s easier for them to try and score. It’s important to make some rotation the way we have been going until today. There’s many games so we try to avoid injury if we can and share minutes.
“We’re happy for Fatawu, because he scored, but we’re very happy for Stephy [Mavididi] because he played a complete game on the ball and off the ball. He created chances, was always dangerous in one versus one and was doing the right things. That is the level we expect from both of them.
“What I saw is exactly what he (Vestergaard) is doing, in the way we want to play, in our style, he can give us a lot. At the beginning of the season, we brought in Conor [Coady] to do the same and unfortunately Conor was injured for a long time.
“Since day one with me, Jannik has been very serious, very professional, trained well every day and then he just waited for his chance. You can see he’s done very well."
A midfield maestro
A constant presence in the starting XI this term, Harry Winks has started all 12 Championship matches since his summer arrival, involved in over 1,000 minutes of action for the Foxes. The midfielder, capped 10 times by England, brings a level of composure and a passing range that few players at this level can boast, adding to the array of experienced senior players already at the Club.
The 43-year-old explained: “After relegation it’s always complicated because many players left and the players who stayed here are not mentality positive because they were just relegated. We lost around 14 or 15 players from last year. That’s a big number.
“The players that are here with us, JJ (James Justin) and Ricardo [Pereira] were injured, Jannik [Vestergaard] was not involved. And then we have players like Jamie [Vardy], Kel (Kelechi Iheanacho), Wilf (Wilfred Ndidi), Wout [Faes] that were here, so it’s a good mix.
“He (Harry) is a main player, an important player. I said already many times that he was our number one target. The first time I met the Club and we went through the squad, he was one of the main targets.
“I knew Harry from a long time ago when he was still at Spurs and then he moved to Italy. I always thought he was a very good player. I think every player with different managers can give more or less depending on the idea of the manager.
“Harry’s skills are perfect for us. That’s probably the reason why he is doing so well. We are trying to help him and he is trying to help us. He is doing very well.”
Sunderland’s approach
Tony Mowbray’s side sit sixth prior to visiting Leicestershire this week and his young side have impressed many with the way they have bounced back from play-off disappointment in 2022/23. Only three second-tier teams have scored more goals than the Black Cats and, while there are equally crucial fixtures on the horizon, Maresca believes that full focus must be on Tuesday night.
“They are third in the Championship for possession,” the former Parma manager analysed. “At the same time, they are very dangerous in counter attacking. I expect them to be aggressive, but I am unsure, we will see tomorrow. For sure, they have very good players, like [Jobe] Bellingham. They have three or four very good players.
“I’m thinking about Sunderland and then QPR and then we’ll see. They are important games for sure and we need the people, the fans in the way they are helping us in every game and with that I think it’s enough.”