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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Sunny Badwal

Brendan Rodgers looking for confidence and consistency from Leicester

PA Wire

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers knows the importance of winning in the Premier League and wants his players to take confidence and consistency into their upcoming games.

The Foxes twice came from behind to beat Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in a 4-2 victory last weekend and Rodgers hopes his side can be more consistent, as they head into their next six league games before the international break.

Leicester come up against Tottenham on Saturday, who are on a high after their recent 1-0 victory over champions and current title contenders Manchester City last weekend, while Spurs ran Leicester ragged with a 6-2 scoreline the last time the sides met back in September.

However, Rodgers wants Leicester to turn performances into consistency, no matter who their opponents are.

He told a press conference: “We’re in an industry where it’s about winning.

“I think when you go away to Aston Villa in particular, who are doing well and to show all the attributes you need to win a game of football in the Premier League, we demonstrated that.

“You need consistency. (It was a) really good win and performance last week, great atmosphere by the supporters. Now we need to take that consistency into the next game.

“No matter how tough it is and no matter who the opponent is, it’s taking that mentality and bringing that consistency – so that’s the challenge going through to the next international break.

“Certainly the confidence from that game, we take that into training and that’s what I’ve seen this week.”

Nigeria forward Kelechi Iheanacho started just his second league game last weekend but was vital in that recent victory, assisting two goals and scoring once, taking his goals and assists tally to seven in all competitions for the season.

Rodgers has praised Iheanacho’s commitment in training which has led to more minutes on the field.

He continued: “He scored a goal, he created two, especially the pass to Tete which was a perfect weight of pass but he does that because he drops in deep.

“He’s a fantastic link player and in order to do that you need people to run beyond him.

“His quality is there and we now have the guys in the roles that can do that and I thought he was excellent last weekend and he has been very good in training also.”

Rodgers marks four years in the hot seat at Leicester later this month and has seen important players leave the club during his time, in the form of Wesley Fofana, Harry Maguire and Ben Chilwell among others.

Some of Rodgers’ men will be coming to the end of their current contracts within the next 18 months but he is excited at the prospect of rebuilding a squad, in the hope of future success.

“We have obviously lost players over my time here, important players but I just feel that natural progression over the team is to come,” He said.

“The current players here are very good players who have the chance to continue to develop but naturally, because of the situation we are in, with players out of contract over this next 18 months.

“There is going to be changes within the squad and, of course, I would love to be able to be in charge to see that through.

“That’s the excitement as a manager. You get new players with hunger and they improve the players you already have and they will strive to achieve themselves.

“So hopefully with my time here, I have shown we can have that level of success for a club our size and I’d love the chance to continue with that.”

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