- Leicester City must perform with quality against Crystal Palace on Saturday, says manager Claude Puel
- City make the trip to Selhurst Park in the Premier League
- Puel says he respects the Eagles for their solidity
- Tune into the Pre-Match Pint at 1pm GMT for free coverage
The Foxes sit just four points off sixth-placed Manchester United ahead of their weekend visit to Selhurst Park, where they will face Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace.
However, Puel’s interests lie firmly on navigating a tricky fixture schedule which sees them twice face Manchester City at King Power Stadium, as well as heading to Chelsea and Everton.
“The most important thing is to have at the beginning of the season an objective,” said Puel. “Now, in the middle of the season, the most important thing is to keep focus on the next game.
“In our last game, we did not take enough points. Before thinking of a place at the end, we need good focus and concentration on our game.
“We need quality and the mentality to perform and get good results and points. Afterwards, to get a place – it is not the priority at the moment.”
Puel believes his side will face a Crystal Palace outfit that has a strong defensive structure, and hopes City can improve on their performance against Tottenham Hotspur last time out.
“It’s important to look at this team and to try to play open football,” added the City manager. “They have a strong, deep block and it’s difficult to move this team and hurt them.
“In our last game, it was a tight game against Tottenham. It was difficult to find space against Tottenham. We couldn’t find a solution.
“This team, I have lot of respect for.”