‘A Very Good Game’ - Maresca’s Assessment Of Millwall Success
- Leicester City defeated Millwall 3-2 in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round on Saturday
- Cesare Casadei, Ricardo Pereira and Tom Cannon all scored for the Foxes at The Den
- Manager Enzo Maresca assessed his side’s third win in a row across all competitions
- Having rotated the team, Maresca kept several players fresh for the Championship’s resumption
The Foxes triumphed 3-2 in the capital courtesy of strikes from Cesare Casadei, Ricardo Pereira and Tom Cannon, but were made to work for the victory, with Duncan Watmore and Zian Flemming creating a game of it.
Speaking following full-time at The Den, City’s Manager mused on an entertaining third round tie against fellow Sky Bet Championship opposition, which produced five goals and plenty for the near-3,000 strong away following to cheer.
“It was a very good game, I enjoyed it,” Maresca stated. “We had many, many chances. We also probably conceded some chances but it’s normal in this kind of game. I think in the second half we were also much better off the ball.
"The way we pressed, I think we worked much better off the ball and, on the ball, we were finding Yunus [Akgün] a little bit more and then Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall]. We had struggled a little bit in the first half, but overall it was a good game.
“We conceded two goals from set pieces that we could probably avoid but it’s one of the many things that we need to improve for sure.”
Having made seven changes to the starting XI, starting Ben Nelson for the very first time, as well as handing Tawanda Maswanhise a senior debut from the bench, Maresca came away happy with the whole squad’s contribution.
Callum Doyle got a first 90 minutes in the tank following his recent return from injury, too, while Cannon continued his fine form in front of goal with a third strike in two matches.
“[I’m pleased with] all of them today to be honest,” the 43-year-old continued. “It was a tricky game, we had many young players like Wanya [Marçal], Ben and Jakub [Stolarczyk]. Don’t forget Callum and Cesare were born in 2003 so they are also very young. I’m happy for him (Doyle) because he’s an important player for us.
“He (Cannon) is working very good off the ball. On the ball he is giving us what we are looking for – goals first of all and the way he is playing, he is linking and connecting with his team-mates, so we are happy.”
It’s a trip to Coventry City up next for Leicester as attention turns back to the Sky Bet Championship on Saturday (12:30pm GMT kick-off). While the winning momentum carries into that Midlands derby, Maresca was keen not to draw parallels between the league and cup competitions. The draw for the next round takes place on Monday evening.
He added: “They are two completely different things. Now we are going to be focused on the next game, Coventry away, and then we’ll also see what the next game is in the FA Cup.”