Maresca: Focus On What Is Ahead Of Us
Having recovered from a late defeat to Leeds United in the Sky Bet Championship, the Italian Manager spoke to the media as the Foxes prepare for a fifth-round tie in the FA Cup at the Vitality Stadium.
Reflecting on Leeds
Last Friday night saw City beaten by Leeds with three goals coming in the last 15 minutes of the action at Elland Road.
While disappointed with the loss, Maresca says you have to expect defeats in your season and was proud of elements of his sides’ performance.
“You can’t think that you’re going to win all of your games,” the Manager stated. “So, it’s normal that you will lose. Now that this game has gone, we can focus on what is ahead of us.
“Immediately after the game, it’s normal to be upset but I like to analyse the performance. Sometimes you win games that you don’t deserve too, and sometimes you lose games you don’t deserve to.
“First of all, I was upset with the result, but for me, the performance was good for 80 minutes.
“I was never expecting to finish the season with 15 more points than anyone else – that would be unrealistic. We are where we are, and we need to keep going.”
Looking at Bournemouth
Tuesday’s opponents Bournemouth reached the fifth round of the competition by defeating QPR before putting in a dominant 5-0 display at home to Swansea City.
The former Parma manager expects a tough and physical battle on the South Coast but doesn’t see the game as a chance to compare his Foxes to a Premier League side.
“They are very aggressive and man-to-man orientated,” Maresca continued. “They are a very intense team, and they try to play good football so it will be a tough game.
“You can’t compare the two teams going into tomorrow. If we win, you say we’re ready for the Premier League, and if you lose, you say we aren’t ready so we can’t look at it like this.
“It’s the wrong way to look at it. Right now, we have one squad, but come the summer might have a different squad, so we can’t compare the teams like this. At this moment, it’s just a game of football.”
Progressing in the cup
A win would see Leicester reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, and although aiming for victory at Vitality Stadium, the Manager confirms there will be several changes to the starting line-up.
He added: “It’s always a good opportunity to play these types of games, but in the same time, we are going to make many changes as we have done in the past.
“We will make eight or nine changes as we have players that deserve the chance, but we will still prepare for the game in the best way we can to win.
“Going into the quarter-finals could be very important for us, which is why we’ll prepare for it in such a way that we want to win, but they will be in the same situation.”