BEST YET TO COME FOR RODGERS
Foxes boss salutes his young stars
IT’S just a shame for Leicester that the improvements Brendan Rodgers is making in this Foxes side have been made redundant by Liverpool’s relentless pursuit of the Premier League title this season.
But the former Reds boss admits to being excited by their potential — and the team he is building is worthy of acclaim regardless of league position.
It was apt that he compared yesterday’s comprehensive win to a previous resounding victory here on Tyneside when he was in charge of the Anfield side.
‘I came here with Liverpool once and won 6-0 — but this performance was just as good with the quality and control,’ said Rodgers, whose team sit in second place, ten points adrift of the runaway leaders. ‘But we will improve the longer we work together. The potential in this group excites me. They just have to keep that consistency and hunger.’
Maybe it was appropriate, too, that Ayoze Perez yesterday shut out the boo boys who had targeted him even when he played in black and white.
How they must wish he was still in their colours. Perez and Leicester were everything Newcastle are not — skilful, bright and clinical.
The Spaniard was never massively popular here and it was only towards the end of his five years on Tyneside that appreciation grew.
Indeed, after becoming the club’s 13-goal top scorer last season, Leicester were persuaded to activate a £30million release clause. Newcastle added £10m to that return and made Brazilian striker Joelinton their £40m record signing.
On this evidence, that looks like selling your sports car and then paying more for a push bike. Perez scored one and created one. Joelinton missed one and then missed another.
Perez was the best player on the pitch as Rodgers’ side cruised to an easy victory that keeps them two points better off than at this stage during the club’s title-winning season.
Although aided by an abject Newcastle, they did not pass up the opportunity to punish their hosts. Steve Bruce’s side have lost four of their last five in the Premier League.
Even during a winning streak that took them into the top half last month, their gameplan did not extend much beyond sitting deep, letting the opposition have the ball and hoping to nick a goal on the break or from a set-piece.
Without the injured Allan SaintMaximin, their shortcomings are being brutally exposed.
They had 23 per cent possession here and, even when they did have the ball, invariably gave it straight back, as was the case for Leicester’s first two goals before half-time.
Bruce knew he was taking a risk starting Florian Lejeune after the defender played three times in seven days following his return from an eight-month absence with a cruciate ligament injury, his second in as many years.
The Frenchman looked physically shot during Saturday’s home defeat to Everton. This time he looked mentally gone, too.
Fatigue can be the only explanation for his decision to pass across his own penalty area and straight to Perez on 36 minutes. He collected before stepping inside Fabian Schar and stabbing into the bottom corner.
Three minutes later Lejeune blundered again. His attempted clearance lacked height, power and precision and Perez worked the ball to James Maddison who lashed into the top corner.
Lejeune would have been withdrawn had Newcastle not lost three players in the final two minutes of the half.
Jetro Willems was unable to continue with a groin problem before fellow full-back Javier Manquillo followed him down the tunnel with a hamstring injury.
Jonjo Shelvey then failed to emerge after the break and it got worse when defender Schar pulled up with a thigh strain within 60 seconds of the restart, leaving Newcastle with ten men.
Bruce said: ‘In 20 years in management, I don’t think I’ve known a crazy 15 minutes like that, from the goals being given away to four players going down with injury. It was bizarre.
‘I said a month ago that asking players to play four games in ten days is ludicrous. Today is the consequence of that.’
Leicester sub Hamza Choudhury bagged his first senior goal when steering into the top corner from 25 yards three minutes from time.
NEWCASTLE (5-4-1): Dubravka; Manquillo (Krafth 45), Schar, Fernandez, Lejeune, Willems (Yedlin 45); Muto, Shelvey (S Longstaff 46), Hayden, Almiron; Joelinton. Subs not used: Darlow, Carroll, Gayle, Atsu. Booked: Fernandez. LEICESTER (3-5-2): Schmeichel; Evans (Morgan 84), Soyuncu, Fuchs; Pereira, Tielemans, Ndidi, Maddison (Choudhury 76), Chilwell; Iheanacho (Gray 63), Perez. Subs not used: Ward, Justin, Albrighton, Barnes. Booked: Tielemans. Man of the match: Ayoze Perez. Referee: Martin Atkinson. Attendance: 52,178.