Remarkable, but we can do better
CITY AHEAD OF EXPECTATIONS BUT STILL SHORT OF HEIGHTS WE WANT TO REACH – RODGERS
LEICESTER City are “way ahead” of expectations but short of where they want to be, manager Brendan Rodgers has said.
With 13 games remaining, City are odds-on to finish in the Champions League spots, sitting third in the Premier League table with a double-point cushion to fifth.
Taking stock of the campaign during a newly-introduced midseason break, Rodgers said City’s achievements so far were “remarkable”.
But, he added, they are not willing to settle for their current heights, and that they want to reach a level where they are regularly winning matches like Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
“We’re way ahead [of expectations] if you think the team has finished ninth the past two seasons,” said Rodgers after the weekend’s game at the King Power Stadium.
“The level they have played at, the consistency, and some of the football they have played has been absolutely brilliant. From the start of the season we were nowhere near the budget levels of the top six teams.
“We were classed in a group along with West Ham, Everton and Wolves as possible teams who could maybe break into the top six.
“All the trends have shown the gap between six and seventh was getting bigger.
“For us to have achieved with the group of young players that we have, I think it’s remarkable what the players have done to this point.
“We’re not settling for that, we want to finish off the final 13 games, and finish as high as we possibly can.
“We know we’ve got a lot of improvements to make, and we know it’ll always be a huge challenge for us against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, but what the players have shown up until now has been incredible.
“We showed a great mentality against Chelsea, but where we want to get to, we have to win that game.”
The City squad are currently on a week off and return to training on Sunday to prepare for their trip to Wolves on Valentine’s Day.
■ Leicester City will host Birmingham City in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday, March 4 (7.45pm kick-off).
The date for the game at the King Power Stadium was set yesterday with broadcasters opting not to show the match live.