Enzo Maresca not getting carried away with Foxes flying high in October
Posted Sunday, October 29, 2023 by PA
Leicester boss Enzo Maresca insisted there must be no let-up from his side after a 2-1 win at QPR maintained their commanding lead at the top of the Sky Bet Championship.
The Foxes are five points clear of second-placed Ipswich and 14 clear of Leeds, seemingly on course for an immediate return to the top flight in Maresca’s first season at the helm.
The Italian coach, though, warned against any sense of complacency.
“We have just one problem: we are still in October. I would like to still be in the same position in February, March and April,” he said.
“You can lose a game for many reasons, but for sure you can lose a game if you have a drop in intensity. We know that because we always mention that.
“If you come here, against this team, after their five (defeats) in a row, and you drop a little bit in terms of intensity, then they will beat us for sure.
“As long as we remain with the same intensity then we can win more games than we lose.
“But the players deserve it. The way they work on the ball and off the ball, they make an unbelievable effort. They are open-minded and fantastic.”
After Stephy Mavididi opened the scoring on the half-hour, Andre Dozzell equalised shortly before the interval – but the midfielder was dismissed early in the second half for two quick cautions following a foul and his reaction.
Rangers, who have lost six matches in a row and remain one off the bottom of the table, battled hard.
Leicester, though, made their numerical advantage count with 10 minutes left when Harry Winks rifled in a right-footed strike for his first goal since moving from Tottenham.
QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth bemoaned his side’s “naivety” after they had a man sent off for the second successive match.
Abdul Fatawu reacted angrily to a challenge from Dozzell, who raised a hand towards the Leicester winger and was shown a first yellow card for the foul followed swiftly by another for the retaliation.
It came after Jimmy Dunne was dismissed during the midweek defeat at West Brom, also for picking up two yellow cards in quick succession.
“Naivety has cost us again. It’s cost us over the past two games,” Ainsworth said.
“Out of the four bookings that have cost us two red cards, I think there’s only one legitimate foul in there and the rest has been just stupidity.
“Andre has reacted just as Fatawu wanted him to. The referee has no choice but to give a second yellow.
“We had a plan put in place that I think was working, but again you need 11 men, especially against the top-of-the-league team.
“I thought there were some superb performances for us. There wasn’t much in the game at all until Andre falls for the trick of gamesmanship from Fatawu.
“Andre has to learn from that. It was always going to be tough after that. It still took a world-class goal to beat us.”
Rangers’ spirited performance perhaps eased the pressure on Ainsworth, who remains convinced they will avoid relegation.
However, a defeat away to fellow strugglers Rotherham next weekend would put further focus on his future.
“I am proud of that performance. I can hold my head up high and say we gave absolutely everything,” Ainsworth said.
“As long as that keeps happening we’ll amass enough points to stay in this division.”
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