New manager Claudio Ranieri kicked off his first competitive game in charge in spectacular fashion with an opening Premiership day four two victory over Sunderland.
Audio – Great Start For Ranieri
With goals coming from Jamie Vardy, a Riyad Mahrez brace and then Marc Albrighton capping off his assists with a strike of his own, it was certainly a good day for Leicester.
Speaking to lcfc.com following the game, the gaffer couldn’t have been happier especially as the performance gave him all he had asked for when it came to desire, effort, character and fight.
‘I think I know the Leicester fans very well. They are passionate supporters and I told my players ‘when you go on the pitch and you hear the song from Kasabian, that means they want warriors.` I want to see them as warriors for the fans. Kasabian are a fantastic rock band from Leicester and I think the guitar man, Serge, is Italian. It`s good and I think they (the fans) love fighters. We are fighters.’
A closet Kasabian fan?
As for the game itself, he went on to add.
‘I`m very pleased with the performance of the players. I wanted fighters and warriors and this is important for me because there will be matches where you draw or lose because this is football. You have to fight, and they did fight.’
There was also a switch from our expected 352 to a more traditional 442 and it certainly paid dividends on the day with a great attacking showing.
‘Maybe we surprised them at the beginning. We pressed a lot from the front and the two strikers and the wingers were very, very fast to play between them. It was very good. Leicester are used to playing a four or three at the back. Throughout last season they did this and today I continued. At the beginning (pre-season) we were three and then suddenly four. The players know what to do, but I`m sure in some matches we will play three at the back. The whole team played very, very well.’
Another thing that would’ve certainly pleased the manager was the performance of Vardy as he was waxing lyrical about him ahead of the game, saying.
‘He is a very fantastic man. He`s an example for everybody – the other team-mates. He`s strong and he has a very strong mentality. He presses everybody. He`s a very good worker and I love this kind of person. He continues to press and press and press and I love this. If he shows this to his other team-mates, then the other team-mates are looking at him. As a unit, that is important. He`s a nice boy. He`s very funny, but when the ball is on the pitch, he changes – he`s strong. I think he can improve. Last season he scored five goals. I think his target is eight or 10 goals.’
Already off the mark and his work rate again in the game had a big bearing on the final result – long may that continue.
With a fair bit of change over the summer, the win and continuing our momentum from last season could well be key as well.
Vital Leicester on:
Vital Leicester on:
