The Leicester City boss speaks to the press ahead of the Europa League Group G clash with Sporting Braga at the King Power Stadium on Thursday night
Brendan Rodgers said Papy Mendy was « crucial » by his side with Wilfred Ndidi injured
However, the French midfielder will not be able to play alongside the Nigerian on his return from injury near Christmas as the City boss believes he needs creative players around them
BR: « These are all tough games but Braga has a good history in competition, they have always been in competition and have started the season well. They have won four of their six games
« Most teams at this level are used to winning, which is why they come first in the competition Braga is a team with experience They have very good players We have watched them from up close and were very impressed with the way they play «
BR: « He’s becoming a top notch player When he first arrived there was that excitement of coming to the Premier League, those first four to six months he came on loan Last year he had a full season to adjust to the physicality of the Premier League and now you see someone who has fully adapted to it He is a technically exceptional player, and for a young player, tactically he is so good
« He plays a little deeper, which gives him a little more control of the game, with a little less emphasis on scoring In the preparation phase he is so good He understands his positioning so well, he can play with both feet and is tactically so good for someone who is so young
« He plays at a very high level He performs very well He puts so much work into his game He lives his life for football, Yuri, and it is a joy to work with »
Q: Are we seeing Mendy’s performances which saw the club pay record fees for him in 2016?
BR: « I think he works at the level that is why the club wanted to bring him in. He’s a defensive midfielder, he’s tactically very good, understands the role and does a lot of dirty work for the team
« Whenever he’s played before he’s played with Wilf, who looks like him, and it’s probably one where these two players need someone more creative by their side. in Wilf’s form he’s been so consistent since I’ve been here so it’s been really hard for Grandpa to play But it shows you the guy’s brand, how well he’s trained, how hard he’s been. been focused He never lost his focus and was always there if an opportunity presented itself and gave the best of himself
« What you are seeing is a player who gets a consistent series of games and really shows the quality player that he is. I was delighted with Grandpa He gives the team stability, his experience, his understanding of football and the way we work, he was crucial in the way we play «
Q: If you were Gareth Southgate, would you have a conversation with Jamie Vardy about England?
BR: « We’ll see how he’s doing later and give him every chance, but he’ll be a big doubt for the game »
BR: « It comes from this game’s awkward landing, and it’s just a part of the back that could snap in later and be absolutely perfect He’s still in pain and Jonny is the type of player even if he is not at 100% he would play through But it affects his running, jumps and all his movements
« We’ll just have to wait and see. I’ve always felt from the medical team and from Jonny that if it wasn’t for Thursday we would have high hopes he would be okay with the Wolves »
BR: « It’s a type of performance you need to produce week after week in the Premier League. You play against good teams so you have to be organized, you have to be focused and you have to play with quality
“I think what is evident this season is the growing development of the team Their understanding of the game is improving all the time There is a lot of potential in this group and what will help them is is time and consistency We are seeing that consistency and it comes from more time working together and more time under pressure We’ve had times where we’ve been under pressure and you can see now because of the way the players work, the confidence they gain, the way they handle it
« This game will be no different They are a very good opponent I saw Braga towards the end of last season playing against Rangers in the Europa League and they showed, especially away, how good they are. were good It will be a tough game for us and it will be no different from what we are experiencing in the Premier League «
Q: Regarding Harry Kane, what do you think of the art of winning a penalty? Is it okay for an attacker to create a contact?
BR: « You have to be smart and streetwise, but as long as it doesn’t put an opponent in danger If an action puts an opponent in danger, it’s not what you want to see But there are all kinds of things that happen in the game between players in order to gain an advantage and that’s how football has always been, and how it will be It happens in football «
Q: Considering how many injuries you have, were you surprised by the team with the results? And did the « second channel » give you any food for thought?
BR: « We always knew we needed more players to help the team but I’m not surprised I see the players up close every day Every time a player has gone out and I have asked someone to come in he was exceptional I see how hard they work This is a band with an amazing spirit And they can play with great quality
« What has been good from my point of view is seeing the development Plus we have been working together for a long time, understanding their roles and the game, they are now playing with a real level of confidence and that ‘ is great to see
« Young players like Luke Thomas and James Justin have been exceptional in the way they play Luke Thomas played the other night on his first start and faced winger Costa, who has been very good for Leeds this year , but he handled it very well
« Then on the other side you have the likes of Christian Fuchs, who is such a special player, his training and mindset is focused every day. Everywhere he’s been asked to play, that this either left-back or as a left center-half he does an amazing job
« Wes Morgan, Marc Albrighton, Grandpa Mendy, all these players are coming in and doing an amazing job It bodes really well for us in the future because once the players come back it will create a great competition in the team , but we also know that if we hurt each other more, we have players who can adapt and fit perfectly into the game model. It’s nice «
Q: James Maddison said that after Zorya’s game due to his injury he felt quite fragile. Is there anything you did during this time to keep his spirits up?
BR: “With James it was that constant communication and once he got out on the pitch and started working with the players he felt a lot better. He talks to him constantly He’s a player who loves the game, he loves to play, he loves to train, and when you have a player like that who is injured and unable to make an impact on the team, that can be difficult
« He was very honest to say that, but luckily now he’s back, he looks in good shape, he looks strong, and he started the game in Athens and then he came against Leeds and had a big impact He’s a great player and it’s been a long season
« The key was to manage him and get him back to a good level of fitness where he could impact the games and now he’s starting to get that shape »
BR: « He’s got a wonderful personality In the game it’s very important to have these guys My teams, there’s a lot of structure in the organization, but you need this improvisation and he brings this improvisation. at the top of the pitch You can set up movement patterns, but it’s also about the player’s intuition and he has this amazing ability in the last third of the pitch to shake things up
« You saw him the other night where he comes in and turns on his touch, it was a fantastic turn, then his passing weight puts Cengo in And then he invites the penalty kick He’s a great talent and that type of personality is important on and off the pitch He’s a big boy
« He loves his life, he loves his football and he’s going to enjoy it every minute of it But also, James is a winner, he wants to win It’s not just about looking good as a player, he wants to be a good player and he wants to be a successful player and it’s really refreshing to see that as a manager
Q: This is the first time in three years that Fuchs has started four straight games for the club. Are you planning to have a conversation with him about his future?
BR: « It’s not something that occurred to me we will just take it year after year He gave us everything I thought he would do He’s been exceptional since I arrived whether he plays or is influenced by the team
« We kept him because of that, because he’s a winner Every time I’ve used him he’s been very good It worked out as I expected in terms of the position he was playing It is first class and we’ll see where we are later in the season «
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Q: Braga recently played Wolves and Rangers Did you dive into your contact book to have a word with Nuno or Steven Gerrard?
BR: « We’ve watched the games and seen some of the games this season It’s pretty clear they’re a very good side They play well with an offensive style and you know you have to play well
« It’s a great opportunity for these next two games. We both want to finish top of the group, so these are important games, starting with tomorrow’s game »
Q: With Jamie, how much does it help that he gets international breaks and can focus on Leicester?
BR: « He didn’t have too much summer vacation We all came back really quickly But this is where you have to deal with it, deal with that freshness He brings such a huge dimension to the team, and as you have seen this week, against a team that started very well, he was incredible in his performance, with his timing, his race He’s a great player because he makes the others better
« He knows where he is in his career. He is in good shape and he takes very good care of his body. He manages his time to rest and recuperate like a top professional C ‘would do is a remarkable forward and luckily looking so fit and quick «
Q: Carlos Carvalhal, Braga boss, has experience in England with Swansea and Sheffield on Wednesday. Is it an advantage for him that he knows English football?
BR: « He did really well when he was here He had two very good years at Sheffield Wednesday where they almost got promoted and he went to Swansea and worked really well there
« I think once you have this opportunity to work in England you understand the mentality because the Premier League is unlike any other league in the world, the spirit, the fighting, the physicality He will understand perfectly the conditions under which the players play here and how good the players are
« I can’t wait to see him He did a great job while he was here and he does a fantastic job in Braga »
Leicester City FC, SC Braga, UEFA Europa League, Brendan Rodgers, Premier League, Jamie Vardy
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SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
