Beaglehole's Frustration With Lack Of Goals

Development Squad
02 Oct 2018
2 Minutes
Steve Beaglehole says Leicester City’s Development Squad must add a ruthlessness to their game after a 2-1 defeat by Arsenal at Holmes Park on Monday.

- Leicester City's Development Squad fell to a 2-1 defeat by Arsenal on Monday evening
- Callum Wright scored for the Foxes, between Tobi Omole and Robbie Burton efforts for the Gunners
- Beaglehole says the starting line-up was good enough for City to be victorious at Holmes Park
- The Academy's Senior Professional Development Phase Coach reserved praise for Wright's performance

The Foxes missed out on a chance to climb to the Premier League summit as goals from Tobi Omole and Robbie Burton condemned them to a first defeat in five matches in Whetstone.

Callum Wright did find the net for City’s youngsters, but Beaglehole, the Academy’s Senior Professional Development Phase Coach, wants to see more from the Under-23s’ attackers.

“I’m disappointed because the team that went out tonight, I would’ve expected us to keep a clean sheet and score more goals, which we didn’t do,” he told LCFC TV.

“We expect a lot from the Under-23s team which is the normal side that we put out but I said the expectations are even higher tonight, so I’m disappointed.

“I thought that we started the game really well, Callum Elder put three or four great crosses in… I think they were there to punish and we didn’t do that.

“We were not as ruthless as we should be in the box. There’s something creeping into our game - whatever the personnel is - and that’s leaking goals, poor goals.

“They’ve not cut us open, I don’t think any team has cut us open with really clever play, but they’ve scored a goal which was handed to them.

“One of the important stats is trying to score a goal first at any level, the first goal is usually a significant thing to do. We didn’t, we conceded a goal from a corner.

It was a terrific goal to get back in it and we said at half-time, let’s keep a clean sheet in the second half but we weren’t able to do that and we were punished.

Steve Beaglehole LCFC TV

“It should never have been a corner, it was poor defending and then people switched off in the box. I’ve not seen the playback on it, but it was a cheap goal to concede and then you make it hard for yourselves because they defended in numbers.

“Arsenal are athletic, they’re difficult to break down, but I also felt that we would score a goal and maybe two or three goals with the players we had out.

“But we didn’t do that and we don’t look ruthless enough in the final third, although we’re creating things.”

Wright, meanwhile, netted for the second time in a week and, following a lengthy injury over pre-season, Beaglehole has been pleased with his return to action.

“Callum is one of the younger players who is just coming back from injury, it was a brilliant strike from him,” he added.

“He was the one who was positive and prepared to go in and drive the ball. We had some shots from the edge of the box, but not of the quality he showed.

“It was a terrific goal to get back in it and we said at half-time, let’s keep a clean sheet in the second half but we weren’t able to do that and we were punished.”