WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
RODGERS HOLDS CHANGING ROOM INQUEST AFTER TOFFEES DEFEAT
BRENDAN Rodgers consulted his Leicester City players on how the club can move forward after a “hugely disappointing” defeat to Everton.
The City manager held a rare post-match debrief in the changing room after the 2-1 loss that extended the club’s winless run to seven, their longest such streak of Rodgers’ tenure.
He usually waits until the players reconvene at training for discussions on the match, but felt an honest chat was needed after losing to Frank Lampard’s relegation-battlers.
Rodgers explained that he was seeking the players’ thoughts on what they can do to move forward, and said he received honest feedback.
But he was not willing to divulge too many details of what went on in the dressing room.
“After games, I never normally say so much,” Rodgers said. “If there’s something to say, I’ll direct it, but normally wait until the next day and reflect. But today it was hugely disappointing. Also, I needed a reaction from the players. We need some honest feedback in order for us to go forward. The players were very open. That is the best way in order to go forward.
“It’s private. I’m sure in their own conversations they will mention it but it always stays within our changing room.”
The defeat was just City’s second in 17 games at home in all competitions, but there were familiar problems against the Toffees as they conceded from a corner, and then failed to make their possession count.
“It was a disappointing result and performance,” Rodgers said. “We started the game well and then, like what has happened a lot of the time this season, we have undone our good work.
“It’s a great finish by (Vitalii Mykolenko), but we switched off from a throw-in, and then a corner cost us the game. That’s hugely disappointing. We had enough of the ball and arrived into good areas, but a lack of quality in the final third cost us. I’ve said that a lot this season. We take the game through the field really well and arrive into that area, we saw that against Roma, the same sort of idea.
“Without James Maddison, who was outstanding for us in those two games, we missed that quality. A very disappointing day for us both in terms of result and performance.”