It’s A Fight For Points, Says Ndidi
- Wilfred Ndidi has his say ahead of Leicester City’s trip to Ipswich Town
- The Foxes sit five points and three places ahead of Town prior to kick-off
- Saturday’s Premier League encounter will be very important, according to Ndidi
- The midfielder has featured in every league game so far this season
Two of last season’s promoted sides go head-to-head at Portman Road this weekend as the Foxes take on the Tractor Boys and the midfielder spoke of the significance surrounding Saturday’s encounter prior to travelling to East Anglia.
Currently 15th, Steve Cooper’s side will be looking to get back on track following defeat last time out, a fate Kieran McKenna’s winless Ipswich also suffered at the weekend.
“They are a very good team, a very attacking team,” Ndidi analysed. “We’ve seen a few of their games and we also know them from the Championship when we played them last season. But new players have come in and their attacking threats are right up there.
“We’re planning a way to try and get around it, because we know the style of play. We’ll just play our game, it’s just about that. It’s very important because we are in this period of the season where we need to get as many points as we can before going into December because of all the games in December.
“These games are the ones we need to get something out of. They are also under pressure because they need to win, so it makes the game very open. We have to create chances and get goals.
“They are in a difficult position and so are we. This is a fight for points and if you get them, it gives you more confidence for the next one. That’s the kind of games I’m looking towards.”
The 27-year-old wants to see Leicester begin games on the front foot after conceding the first goal in four of their last five encounters.
“It’s something that needs to stop,” the Nigeria international admitted. “We want to be in the lead, get the goal and get the momentum going. But when you go a goal down, you have to give everything to get back into the game.
“When we concede first, it becomes a shock and an eye opener because we know we are a good team and we can actually win these games. We have to give more and then we just start [playing].
“Now we’re trying as much as possible to find a way not to concede, get into the game and then keep it going. We want to try and give everything at the beginning of the game, where we don’t concede but we try to get a goal. That’s what we have to do going forward.
“The other teams have got their plan, we’ve got our own plan, it’s football. But it’s not a good thing because we’ve been conceding first for three or four previous games. It’s not good momentum and it’s something we’re looking at.”
Ndidi, an ever-present this season, starting all nine Premier League fixtures, has contributed four assists from a more advanced midfield role. He believes the squad as a whole is more than capable of placing higher than they currently are, given the talent at their disposal.
“We are a team who can actually get something in every game,” he said. “Because of the quality of players we have, we haven’t really reached where we wanted to in games. You have only seen glimpses of it, but I think with this team, you see the quality. It’s about not being scared of making mistakes, because they are part of the game.
“I try to help the team and do my job. We have a common goal. For me as a player, I don’t really mind where I play on the pitch, I just try and give my best for the team, which is what the players and the Manager know.
“It’s not just about me, it’s about the team and individual quality within the team, so that is part of my contribution, saying what we have to do.”