Rodgers: We Know Where We Need To Improve

- Brendan Rodgers reflects on Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw at Crystal Palace
- Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy put Leicester City two goals ahead at the break
- The Eagles hit back to secure a point, which Rodgers felt was a fitting outcome
- The City manager says his players know where they can improve in their game

The Foxes went in at the interval two goals ahead after efforts from Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy, but the Eagles recovered in the second period, courtesy of strikes from Michael Olise and Jeff Schlupp.  

Speaking at full-time at Selhurst Park, Rodgers felt a draw was a deserved outcome, but also pointed to areas where City can work on their game to secure more positive results over the coming weeks and months.

"I thought a point was what we deserved from the game," the Northern Irishman told LCFC TV. "We didn’t defend well enough, not strong enough, and that’s the reality. We had a couple of chances and took them really, really well, but it was a point that we deserved.

"In both the first and second half, we didn’t keep the ball well enough. It was certainly nowhere near the level that we would like to. We’re normally a team that enjoys having the ball but there were too many loose passes and we gave the ball away too much.

"We need to perform better. I’m always very focused on that. We won’t always perform to our level, but I think if you can consistently perform well, we’ve seen that results take care of themselves. In terms of results, we’ve made a slow start compared to what we’ve done over this last couple of seasons.

"This may be when the season builds for us. We know where we need to improve. We can hopefully get some players back and, from that, the confidence can flow again and then we can be more consistent in our results."

Leicester played in a 4-4-2 formation for much of the clash with Palace, as Hamza Choudhury made his maiden appearance of the season, and Rodgers believes that the Academy graduate added something unique to their tactical plan.

"I just felt we needed a little bit of dig in midfield," he said. "Too many times over this opening period, we haven’t been close enough to people and, for the hour, I thought he did really well. He needs to improve in terms of taking the ball, passing it and keeping it, but overall, I thought his contribution was really good.

"We went with two strikers and both those boys are a real threat and then it’s just trying to work from there with the wingers coming on the inside just to pose more of a threat.

"We’re a squad that wants to win games. We lost in the week and we wanted to win today. We should have won, but we didn’t, so on our performances and results, there’s no letting off, we’re here to win and that’s what we want to do."

City now head into another international break over the coming fortnight and Rodgers says time will be spent in training reflecting and responding to some of the areas where they can improve. Manchester United are the visitors to King Power Stadium on Saturday 16 October. 

"We can do some work," he added. "It’s important we can reflect and analyse over this period. We’ve got some points, but not as many as we’d have liked, so it’s a period of reflecting on where we can be better and then taking that into the Manchester United."