Matchday Minus Two Talking Points: Vardy's Sharpness, Team Positivity & Exciting Prospects
Speaking live on air from the LCFC TV studio at King Power Stadium, Elliott and Cottee, team-mates during the halcyon '90s era, picked out their key talking points ahead of the fixture.
The Foxes tackle Spurs in the early match on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League (12:30pm BST kick-off), hoping to further climb the standings in England's top-flight...
Vardy's always ready
Matt Elliott said: “That’s one of Jamie Vardy’s strengths (staying alert without the ball). He’s gone through long periods of games, not just isolated games, of not getting the ball. He still maintains that discipline and the mentality to keep making the runs. Many strikers would down tools at times, but in some games he only gets one or two decent opportunities, other times he gets a hatful, but his work-rate is always there throughout the game.”
Confidence is essential
Tony Cottee said: “You have to keep putting yourself in those positions. As a forward, I think the longest I went without scoring was about 10 games. It’s awful. Football is very much a mental game. You can have all the ability in the world, but if you’re not right mentally, you’re not going to perform. Keeping making the runs, keep finding your team-mates. Leicester seem to do that really well.”
Overdue a win vs. Spurs
Matt Elliott said: “You have to remind yourself about games against Tottenham because there are so many that stick out over recent seasons. Obviously in the title-winning season, they were immediate rivals, and then, since, there’s been a rivalry between the supporters. Leicester are overdue a win against Tottenham, that’s for sure, but that’s just a reminder of the quality that Tottenham have got at the moment. They’re a top-quality side.”
A massive opportunity for Leicester
Tony Cottee said: “These games become more important if you’re looking to get into the top-six. You don’t want to lose these games. You want to at least draw them and it hurts a bit more. It’s a massive game for Leicester. It’s a good opportunity as well. Having said that, Spurs scored four goals in the first half against Crystal Palace, so they’ve got to be careful about how they go about it. Leicester are good enough to beat them without doubt.”
Being positive
Matt Elliott said: “You need to show the positive attitude that the players have got. They’ve got that belief. When you look at it, any Premier League side is a challenge. Tottenham are one of the better teams. You can sit there and worry about them all day long. It’s about what you do, individually and as a team. If Leicester can up it a level from last weekend at Manchester United, they’ll be confident of getting a result.”
City more than capable
Tony Cottee said: “You’d rather go under the radar, but we have to accept the progress the Club has made. They are now what you would call a top-10 club. They need to finish in the top-10, everyone expects them to do it, and you want to try and push on. It’s going to be tough. If you look the other clubs around, Everton and West Ham, they really want to do it as well. If you asked the lads, they will know they are capable of it.”
Matt Elliott's score prediction: Leicester City 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tony Cottee's score prediction: Leicester City 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1