Petty Reflects On Development Squad Season
- Leicester City's Development Squad fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool Under-23s on Monday evening
- The Premier League 2 Division 1 clash at LCFC Training Ground was the Foxes' final outing of the campaign
- Assistant Coach Ben Petty speaks to LCFC TV after the game to reflect on the 2020/21 season as a whole
- He says there have been promising signs of development despite results not always going in City's favour
Following a 2-2 stalemate between the two sides a week prior, the visiting Reds enjoyed a 2-0 victory at LCFC Training Ground this time around, scoring the crucial opener on 59 minutes through Ben Woodburn and wrapping up three points via Kaide Gordon's late second with City pushing for an equaliser.
Petty felt it was a tough result to take given the pattern of the game and opportunities squandered while it was still in the balance.
"We played ever so well last week, away, and obviously playing them twice in a week, we had a game plan," the 44-year-old told LCFC TV in his post-match interview on Monday night. "We felt like the formation and the players that we selected tonight were good enough to get a result.
"Obviously, we go out into every game trying to win and I think, as you saw tonight, it didn't quite go for us. We didn't quite get into our rhythm. The first goal of the game is always massive and unfortunately it went against us and we couldn't quite get back into the game.
"We just said to the players there at the end, although we didn't play well tonight, we created some very, very good chances. And there were moments in the game where we should have capitalised. Kasey's [McAteer] chance in the first half at 0-0 is huge.
"Tyrese squares it and the form that Kasey has been in, you'd back him to score and unfortunately the ball goes wide and I think we always felt like we needed to get our nose in front tonight. Too often this season we've been chasing games and we need to start controlling games."
City lost midfielder Sidnei Tavares within two minutes of the contest and then also had his replacement Tyrese Shade pick up an injury which ruled him out of the second half.
Petty explained: "It was a massive blow and obviously we've done a lot of work on the team shape in the last couple of days with Sidnei as the pivot in there for us and to lose him was a big blow.
"We had to change the shape with Tyrese [Shade] coming on and then we lose Tyrese to a hamstring [injury], two key players were lost. When you're playing a side against Liverpool, you need your best players out there."
City finished 12th in the Premier League 2 Division 1 standings and Petty believes it is important to learn from their outings this campaign, while also commending their achievements.
Vontae Daley-Campbell and Tavares both stepped up to make their first team debuts during the campaign, with several other Development Squad players named in matchday squads for Brendan Rodgers' side.
"It's been a big learning curve, for sure," he added. "It's difficult circumstances for everyone with COVID-19, split groups and players training in different bubbles. And we've had to work really hard for every game and to try and get results in every game.
"But one thing for sure is there's been a lot of development going on, and ultimately, we are the development team. So, we're striving to get better players for the manager and his staff to select and to give him a headache.
"And we've had one or two debuts, which is great, but we're striving for better and that's what we've said in there to the players. That we want them to come back refreshed and ready to get back to work again."