Roberts: City Can Build On Talented Core

First Team
25 May 2019
3 Minutes
Leicester City favourite Iwan Roberts believes the youthful core at the Club will be central to Brendan Rodgers' plans for the 2019/20 season.

The Foxes have three Academy graduates - Ben Chilwell, Harvey Barnes and Hamza Choudhury - who have now become fully integrated into the first team squad.

Players who were developed from within compliment an experienced squad full of internationals, including the likes of Harry Maguire, Kasper Schmeichel and Ricardo Pereira.

With such talent among the ranks, along with the astute management of Rodgers, Roberts, who scored 44 goals for the Club in the 1990s, believes the future is bright for Leicester.

Reflecting on the season just gone, which ended with a ninth-place finish in the Premier League, the Welshman said: "All in all, supporters can be pleased with the campaign. 

"They earned five points more than the season before and overall, I believe it was a successful year which sets Leicester up for an exciting couple of years coming up.

"Leicester clearly feel that they can compete with the top six in the Premier League. They took four points off Chelsea and three off Manchester City, for example.

"There were obviously some disappointing results in there as well. I’m thinking about Cardiff winning at King Power Stadium… Southampton, too.

"But wins over the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Everton… they go to show, with a few additions under Rodgers, just how far the Club can go.

"We saw what they are capable of doing during his short time at Leicester. He will take them to another level, that is clear for everyone to see."

Roberts now works regularly for BBC Wales and witnessed firsthand the impact Rodgers made during his two-year spell at Swansea City between 2010 and 2012.

The Northern Irish manager has earned a reputation as a coach who is renowned as a developer of talent - and Roberts has backed Rodgers to repeat the feat at Leicester.

"I watched his Swansea team a lot and got to know him quite well, so he’s a great appointment who will allow the younger players at the Club to flourish," he added.

"James Maddison had a wonderful first season in the Premier League, Ben Chilwell was fantastic at left-back, and Harvey Barnes was superb when he came back from West Brom.

The owners will always back their managers at Leicester, everybody knows that, and there’s no reason they can’t push for the top six.

Iwan Roberts

"With players like Hamza Choudhury, who has an excellent energy in midfield, I think the future is very bright for Leicester.

"Brendan will have them well-drilled and organised. That’s the big one for me, he is as good a man manager and motivator I’ve ever come across.

"I’ve spoken to people that have worked with him and they all say that’s his big strength. He gets to know his players in depth, he knows what makes them tick, and he pushes them.

"He knows how to get the best out of his players and, with the players Leicester have and may add in the summer, I think that’s what Leicester have to look forward to next season."

Finally, on City's chances of breaking into the league's top six places, the aspiration of many clubs in the top flight, Roberts concluded: "People say breaking into the top six is impossible.

"But there are teams who occupy those places at the moment who look a little bit fragile, which is the opposite to Leicester’s outlook. With a bit of a push, they can make it.

"The owners will always back their managers at Leicester, everybody knows that, and there’s no reason they can’t push for the top six."