Foxes strikers' coach full of praise for his forwards
Tuesday 23 September 2014 17:07, UK
In my blog last week, I said our forwards at Leicester could exploit Manchester United’s defence - but I wasn’t expecting us to score five!
Our 5-3 comeback win on Sunday was quite incredible, to be honest. The end result was huge - especially because when we went 2-0 down, a part of me thought we could be on the end of a bit of a hammering.
However, for the third time this season, after going behind we responded within seconds. It was critical we got a goal straight back after going 2-0 down because that got us back in the game, got our tails up and we started to press them.
We conceded again, though, and at 3-1 I wouldn't have blamed anyone watching at home who switched off thinking the game was over. Fortunately, we have a never-say-die attitude in abundance here, as well as great work rate and commitment. We believed we could still create chances and the lads were outstanding.
Then, how many teams who got back to 3-3 against United would sit back and settle for a point? That’s not in our make-up. We felt we could go on and win the game and I don’t think anyone could have any arguments if I said we thoroughly deserved to win it in the end.
As the strikers’ coach at Leicester, it was extremely satisfying to see our lads take their chances.
Leonardo Ulloa, 17mins (Leicester 1-2 Man Utd)
Argentine heads in Vardy’s cross 72 seconds after United went 2-0 up
These sort of finishes you struggle to re-create on the training pitch. You can do crossing and finishing but it’s different in a match. Vardy did so well to get to the by-line - although a few people are moaning the ball might have gone out - and put a tremendous cross in. It was a little bit behind Leo and I thought ‘just get something on it and get it on target’ - but that was a superb header and probably about the only place he could have put it in the net.
The pace on the ball was generated from Vardy’s cross and it was a fantastic finish - a finish that comes from a player who is full of confidence at the moment. He was in the right place at the right time, got himself half a yard between the defenders and bang, before they knew it, the ball was in the back of the net and we were back in the game. It was the perfect way to respond to going two goals down.
David Nugent, 62mins (Leicester 2-3 Man Utd)
Penalty-taker converts from 12 yards after controversial clash between Vardy and Rafael
It was certainly a foul by Jamie on Rafael in the build-up, there’s no denying that. But how many times have teams been on the end of dodgy decisions against Man United? Even in the first half, they got a few free-kicks that weren’t. It led to the penalty and when Nuge stepped up, I had every confidence he’d score. Who knows what was going through his mind, because he hadn’t scored in the first four games, but what a confident penalty. He despatched it with ease. I’m delighted to see him off the mark and hopefully that will give him huge confidence and put him on a roll.
Esteban Cambiasso, 64mins (Leicester 3-3 Man Utd)
Leicester’s star signing pounces on a loose ball and fires into the bottom corner
Yet again Vardy was involved; the ball came back to him after Dean Hammond’s shot and his touch dropped to Cambiasso. It’s one of those moments where you want it to drop to someone who has a calm head and there was no one with a calmer head on the pitch than Esteban. That’s what he’s brought to our club: his experience, his calmness. And what a fantastic strike. That got us back to 3-3 and when we got it back to that, I personally felt there was only one team that was going to go on and win it. You could tell the players were feeling that as well, they were full of energy.
Jamie Vardy, 79mins (Leicester 4-3 Man Utd)
Ritchie de Laet sets Vardy clear and striker cooly slots past David de Gea
Generally when you have a lot of time to think about a finish, you miss. I’ve not had a chance to speak to Jamie yet because the lads were off on Monday and just cooling down on Tuesday but he should certainly not underestimate what a quality finish that was. He made it look easy but believe me, in a high-pressure situation like that, when you go through on goal knowing you’ve got a chance to score against Man United and potentially get the winner, to despatch it with such calmness shows the quality he’s got. And remember he’s been out all season, too - he only came back last week at Stoke. He was delighted with the goal and so was everyone on the Leicester bench.
Leonardo Ulloa, 83mins (Leicester 5-3 Man Utd)
Ulloa converts penalty after Tyler Blackett sees red for foul on Vardy
The first one may have been controversial but this was a blatant penalty. The young lad Blackett - who I thought was probably one of United’s better players on the day - shouldn’t be making a challenge like that, but I think it was out of desperation, frustration and when Vardy gets away from you, then usually the only way you can get the ball back off him is by fouling him. With Nuge off the pitch, Leo, who has more confidence than anyone on the pitch in front of goal at the moment, stepped up and I had no worries about him taking it. When that went in, the sense of relief in the stadium was exceptional.
That’s Leo’s fifth of the season already and that’s massive. No matter what league you’re in, to have a player get five in five is a great scenario, but to do it in the Premier League, coming from the Championship, with people questioning whether you can make the step up, is amazing. He’s growing and growing as a player, getting better and better and those goals will just add confidence. He’s a player we need to keep fit because he’s huge for us.
