PUEL: FOXES MUST BE LIKE SCROOGE AT SET-PIECES

CLAUDE PUEL bemoaned Leicester’s enduring weakness at defending set-pieces and admitted: “We have to correct this.”

The Foxes were undone by two scrappy goals from dead-ball situations and four games without a victory has taken the wind from their sails.

Puel groaned: “We played with good energy and a positive outlook, but we have to connect more at set-pieces. Of course, we need to correct this – there has to be big concentration at free-kicks and corners, and for the second ball.

“When you lose a game like this, it is a big frustration.

“We knew it was going to be hard to play against long balls and set-pieces – they are powerful and it was a problem for us.” Jamie Vardy (right) put on a Christmas hat to celebrate Riyad Mahrez’s opener for Leicester – but the lead lasted only eight minutes.

To make matters worse, Watford’s equaliser was scored by former Foxes defender Molla Wague, who made only one appearance on loan at the King Power last season – the FA Cup defeat at Millwall. Leicester have conceded eight goals in the last 10 minutes before the break this season – easily their most vulnerable period – and Puel admitted: “Perhaps we have to correct this too.

“We have conceded goals before half-time against other teams and perhaps we come back for the start of the second half refreshed and with more concentration.”