Manager Claudio Ranieri was delighted to see the squad bounce back from a poor, by their standards, loss to Liverpool on Boxing Day by picking up a point in last night’s clash against Manchester City.
Hosting Manuel Pellegrini’s boys at the King Power with three points separating us going into the game, a hard fought draw returned a point and a clean sheet once more for the lads and we now sit in joint first place with Arsenal, only in second by goal difference.
Not a bad way to end 2015 given we were written off before a ball was kicked this year – both last season before the Greatest of Escapes and this season – and every week since then!
With City dominating chances – albeit largely off target – and possession, Ranieri was pleased with the determination of the side come full time as he spoke to lcfc.com in his post game press interviews and he also said the introduction of Leo Ulloa with just over 20 minutes remaining was because he thought it would help us go for the win given how we were playing.
‘I`m very pleased but I`m also very pleased with a clean sheet against these great champions. I think we showed a very good performance and after the Liverpool defeat we`ve played so well. We played calm, fast and pressed high when it was possible. When it wasn`t possible we closed very well the space with good shape and everybody played very good football. We closed all the space. We made a little mistake in the last game at Liverpool and Christian Benteke scored a goal but tonight we closed very well when they passed the ball back in their defensive line.’
With Gökhan Inler and Danny Drinkwater introduced to midfield as the two changes to the starting eleven, Ranieri added that it was because of the game plan and we wanted to nullify their threats through the middle of the park.
‘I wanted to close very well the space between the lines and between the defensive and midfield lines because they play with a lot of midfielders – David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne – a lot of players around this area. I wanted to close this area and help my central defenders. Then I saw in the second half we can do something better. Win or lose for me it was the same and the team responded very well. I wanted to put on another striker to try to win.’
Vital Leicester on:
Vital Leicester on:
