Talking Heads: Southampton-Leicester Previews From Both Dressing Rooms
- Southampton host Leicester City in the Premier League on Friday (8pm BST kick-off)
- The Foxes have already beaten the Saints twice this season in all competitions
- Brendan Rodgers and Ralph Hasenhüttl hosted press conferences this week
- Çağlar Söyüncü and Ché Adams were on club media duty over recent days also
City have enjoyed a duo of successes over the Saints, both in the Premier League and the Emirates FA Cup this term, and will be looking to make it three in a row on the South Coast.
Ahead of Friday's encounter, key figures from both dressing rooms have spoken in the media...
Brendan Rodgers, speaking on Wednesday, commenting on the form of Kelechi Iheanacho for the Foxes: "He’s a very talented boy, but also his mentality is to work hard every single day. It’s so nice to see a young player get his rewards. I remember coming into here and he wasn’t playing so much and there’s no question there was doubts around whether he could come in and play at the level consistently. It was just about whether he’d get the opportunity and would he have that resilience and mentality to keep fighting until he did get it? Clearly, he has all of those traits."
Saints manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said on Thursday: "They have a very good defence. They are physically strong with nearly no weaknesses in any position. They're a very good squad with fantastic players. They have alternatives in every position, also from the bench, so they have quality that can decide games. It makes it difficult to win against them but we had chances in the last game. Ingsy (Danny Ings) has a big one where he could have got a penalty but stayed on his feet and a few more chances to score, but we didn't take them. One goal decided the game, so we have to make it look different tomorrow."
City and Turkey centre-back Çağlar Söyüncü on his relationship with his defensive team-mates at the Football Club: "I’m very happy to be able to play with them, that’s the most important thing. You might be winning games, but you might not be feeling that happy. It makes it special when you’re happy playing with the players that are with you. We learn from each other a lot, we have a great relationship and we are trying to continue in this happy way. It’s difficult sometimes to keep this going, but we are doing our best to do that. I would like to thank them as well for being there."
Speaking after a loss at Tottenham Hotspur, Ché Adams told southamptonfc.com: "When we competed so well in the first half and to let it slip with a silly foul around the box it’s obviously not good enough. These fine margins you get executed for in the Premier League and to compete at the highest level you need to be on it every single minute, we competed so well in the first-half and we let it slip in the second. That’s the main thing – to come out flying, because that’s what we’re so good at. Pressing high up and the energy in the squad but it’s just about consistency, which is the hardest thing in football."