We Want To Kick On, Says Petty
- Leicester City's Development Squad face Wolverhampton Wanderers in Premier League 2
- Monday's PL2 match at LCFC Training Ground has a 7pm kick-off
- City were beaten 1-0 by Brentford B last time out in the Premier League Cup
- Coach Ben Petty looks ahead to facing Wolves in Seagrave
After a month away from league action, which most recently saw the young Foxes fall to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Brentford B in the Premier League Cup, Leicester return to league action next week.
Coach Ben Petty previewed the fixture, but first of all, spoke about the narrow loss in London, and was proud of the team’s performance.
“It was a disappointing loss,” Petty stated. “But it was probably the best we’ve played in terms of dominating the ball, and there were plenty of positives to come out of it. We’ve been working hard, with some behind closed doors friendlies to keep the sharpness up.
“We’ve got a really good group and they’ve got a great attitude. They’re a talented bunch, and even when there might be some areas of their game which need work, their mentality makes up for that and they’re keen to learn.
“I know we’re in a results industry, but we’ve had plenty of debuts this season, and to me that shows progress and is something that can be built on.”
A win on Monday evening would see the Foxes draw level on points with Wolves, but the coach understands the test that lies ahead, and is keen to kickstart the second half of the season in Seagrave.
He added: “There’s been no league games for a month so once we get going again, that’ll be good because we have two games in December before kicking on in January.
“We want to have a strong second half of the season, and that starts on Monday night against Wolves who we classify as one of our closest rivals. I know their coach, James Collins, really well. He’ll have them well organised, and we know we’re going to have to be at our best.”
While results have not been going as well as he would’ve hoped, City's coach is keen to continue the development side of the game, and how the likes of Kasey McAteer, who has been in Enzo Maresca’s side, is proof of the good work being done.
“At an Under-21s level, we don’t see it as a Christmas break because we’re supporting the First Team,” Petty explained. “And it’s important that we’re here and working alongside them.
“We’ll be focusing on our games, but the sessions they have where they can join up with the first team is vital for their development. So, it’s a real key period for us, before getting back to our schedule in the new year.
“We are making good progress. Ultimately, we’d like to be at the top of the league, like every club. Results haven’t been how we’d like, but we’ve also had three or four lads go across to the first team on a regular basis.
“We’re always in transition as an Under-21s team, and we’re never settled. So of course, we want to improve results, but I’m looking to get more players in front of the Manager, so that in January he sees some of the young players here as starters for the First Team.”
All times GMT.