Davies Enthused By Chance Creation In Rotherham

Pre-Season
28 Jul 2019
2 Minutes
Assistant manager Chris Davies was pleased with the number of opportunities Leicester City created in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Rotherham United.

- Leicester City were held to a 2-2 draw by Rotherham United at New York Stadium on Saturday
- Kelechi Iheanacho netted a brace for the Foxes to take his pre-season tally up to three
- Assistant Manager Chris Davies found plenty to be enthused by in South Yorkshire
- Davies praised Iheanacho for his application in training over the summer so far

While Brendan Rodgers oversaw one squad during a 2-1 victory at Stoke City, Davies and first team coach Kolo Touré took another side to South Yorkshire. 

Kelechi Iheanacho twice fired the Foxes ahead at New York Stadium, but strikes from Carlton Morris and Michael Ihiekwe meant it ended in a draw.

Evaluating the action post-match on LCFC TV, Davies said: "Performance-wise, we're really pleased, but the result at the end was a little bit of a frustration for the lads.

"From our point of view, chances-wise, we felt we probably created enough to win three games of football, let alone one.

"We didn’t really give an awful lot away and they obviously scored the two goals. That was a little bit of a disappointment but I’m really, really pleased.

"We’re still in pre-season but the performance, especially in the first-half... some of the football that we showed was from the very top level.

"That’s what we’re trying to create, we’re trying to create a team that performs well and doesn't just focus on only trying to do everything they can to win a game, it’s also the performance.

"That’s what we had in the first-half, we had a really good performance level and in the second half as well, they gave everything.

"I think you see the fatigue, the conditions… and Rotherham make you defend and work so [I’m] really pleased with the performance and I think it was a good day."

Meanwhile, Davies also expressed his delight with the performance level of Iheanacho in an advanced position, between Demarai Gray and Harvey Barnes on the flanks.

Following his header at Cambridge United on Tuesday evening, the Nigerian forward has now netted three goals in two matches for the Foxes in pre-season. 

Davies added: "I'm very pleased, Keli’s a threat. He’s got a lot of attributes; quick, strong, he’s got good technique, he’s a finisher.

"It’s difficult as he’s playing in the same squad as one of the Premier League’s best strikers in Vards (Jamie Vardy) so he has to be patient.

"He has to do his best to develop himself through the training. He’s been doing that and he’s come back hungry, he’s come back looking strong.

"He scored a hat-trick in a pre-season training game a few weeks ago and then he’s done that today and he’s scored two goals, and could have had more, but he looked a threat.

"To be fair, the goals he did score… he took them very well. So, there’s a couple more he could have had but we need that, we need goals in the team so it’s really promising."