A Good Exercise, Says Rodgers
- Brendan Rodgers provides his thoughts on Leicester City’s 1-1 pre-season draw with Blackburn Rovers at King Power Stadium
- The Foxes manager praised the Club’s youngsters for their efforts in pre-season
- Rodgers labelled their attitude in training as ‘absolutely brilliant’
- Daniel Amartey was on target for the hosts on Filbert Way
With a number of the Club’s players away with their nations, Rodgers continued to field several youngsters, while other senior stars were in pre-season action for the first time.
After a goalless first half, City broke the deadlock on 66 minutes through substitute Daniel Amartey, but conceded their first goal of pre-season with 10 minutes to play after Derrick Williams flicked home at the front post.
Speaking to LCFC TV at full-time, Rodgers said: “It was a really good exercise for us. You can see Blackburn are playing competitive football already in the Carabao Cup, so they're up and running and you can see with all the players, they're a good side.
“They're a team that will be up challenging in the Championship next season. It was always going be a really good test for us, but I'm pleased for likes of Daniel Amartey coming back, his first game in a long time.
“Again, it's more minutes in the legs for our senior players and established first team players, and for some of our young players, a chance for them to come in and play with a little bit of pressure, even though it's pre-season, and feel a tempo and intensity at this level.”
City’s starting XI versus Blackburn included a number of youngsters, with Wilfred Ndidi, operating at centre-back, a senior at just 23 years-old.
“I think it's always tough for them,” Rodgers said of the Club’s young contingent. “They're coming in and they're not used to playing with them, but what I would say is that all of our young Academy players have come in and acquitted themselves well.
“I think before the end of the window shuts, it will be an opportunity for a number of them to get out and get games because they need to play if they're going to improve under pressure. If they're not going to be here, that is.
“But I think they came in and they worked very, very hard, and just a little spell at the end of the game, when they're under a little bit of pressure and they concede late on, it's good for them to feel that pressure to make sure they don't concede again.
“So yes, I've been pleased with them, the training attitude's being absolutely brilliant. It's really helped us over this period of the pandemic, but also when the international players have been away.”