EUR EN ROUTE
Evans tells team to keep going
BRENDAN RODGERS’ players must start turning draws into wins. Leicester right-back Ricardo Pereira is fed up of dropping points. “I think it’s important we improve,” he said. “It’s true that we take a point. We wanted better, we wanted to win. We didn’t get the three points, but there’s still one point to have.”
LEICESTER have no intention of cashing in any Champions League get-out-ofjail card.
Foxes star Jonny Evans insists the former Premier League title winners aim to make talk about finishing in the top five “an irrelevant argument” after UEFA clobbered Manchester City over
Financial Fair Play rules.
With Pep Guardiola’s men now banned from European competition for two seasons it means that the fifth-placed team could qualify for the Champions League.
Sheffield United are currently occupying that spot – but the Blades lie 11 points behind the Foxes who sit in third – and Brendan Rodgers’ men boast a superior goal difference.
With 12 games to go, Leicester are well- placed to return to European football’s top table.
But Evans says they are looking upwards, not down.
He said: “We are trying to look forward and at what’s above us.
“We play Manchester City in our next game at the King Power – and that’s a huge one for us, especially because of our last result against them when we didn’t think we equipped ourselves well.
“We want to try and get up the league and as close to Liverpool as we can.
“We don’t want to be looking behind us. Champions League football for us this year is a big incentive.
“Over my years of playing in this league, I know it can change so quickly so we are not taking anything for granted ourselves.
“We know there are a lot of teams coming close now on points, so it is up to us to see it out.
“We want to make it an irrelevant argument, that’s our objective.
“We want to get ahead of Man City and not think about what’s behind us.”
However, Evans did concede that the ban on the champions could make the run-in far more interesting with several clubs – including Chris Wilder’s unfancied outsiders – now aiming for a far bigger prize.
He added: “I’m sure there will be more spice now – everyone will be talking about it over the next couple of days.
“The incentive is always there but it might throw out a bit of a lifeline to everyone else now as well.
“We heard the news just before our game against Wolves, but our gameplan was focused. Now it’s about looking at the next one against City and knowing if we beat them we can maybe get above them.”
Leicester had to dig deep at Molineux on Friday night as they weathered a second-half storm and a red card for Hamza Choudhury to come away with a point.
Raul Jimenez missed a glut of chances as Wolves blew the chance to make up lost ground in the race for the top five.
Asked if the match would be remembered under the category of ‘hard-earned point,’ Evans added: “Yes, especially after going down to 10 men.
“We did that last year against them for quite a period and managed to see the game out then as well.
“We knew this was going to be tough and at the end of the day they are a very good side, especially at Molineux.
“They put a lot of pressure on us and it speaks volumes for the character we’ve got that we emerged with something.”