With the Sky Bet Championship season reaching matchday 30 this weekend, the promotion race is hotting up. The Foxes lead at the top by 10 points at things stands, while a visit to Stoke City presents the next opportunity to increase that margin.
Ahead of Saturday’s 3pm GMT kick-off at bet365 Stadium, Maresca addressed reporters is his pre-match press conference from inside LCFC Training Ground…
Maresca has already faced his opposite number once this season, with Steven Schumacher’s appointment at Stoke coming after spending the first half of the season guiding Plymouth Argyle to mid-table, following their League 1 promotion.
Now tasked with lifting the Potters, who currently sit 19th in the table, into an improved position in the short-term, the 43-year-old expects a similar set-up from Schumacher’s new side, akin to when he visited King Power Stadium with the Pilgrims in December.
“They’re one of the best teams in high pressing,” the Italian analysed. “We already faced their manager here with Plymouth, where they were very aggressive, high pressing, almost man-to-man.
“We scored the second goal from Mads [Hermansen] to Pat (Patson Daka) in behind. That is one of the solutions when the opposition press us higher man-to-man. In case they are going to do the same, we are also going to try and use some solutions in behind.
“Birmingham, the other day in the FA Cup game, behaved in the same way to when we played Sunderland (under Tony Mowbray). They tried to be very aggressive, man-to-man. The only player free was Jakub [Stolarczyk] and we expected that. Tomorrow, we expect more or less the same behaviour they had with Plymouth but we’ll see.”
Forward options
Daka’s return from the CAF Africa Cup of Nations – going straight into the XI against Swansea City in midweek – adds competition to the forward line, with Jamie Vardy also back following his injury and Tom Cannon continuing to impress having scored three since the turn of the year.
Maresca continued on his front men: “Sometimes we choose our striker depending a little bit on the opposition, especially the central defender. The other day the choice was quite easy. There was a very high line, so a lot of space in behind that we tried to use with Kiernan [Dewsbury-Hall] in the first goal and Kasey [McAteer] in behind.
“Pat gives us energy and runs in behind. He can also link and play with his team-mates. Off the ball the other day, he was working very good and very hard pressing the ‘keeper. For me, he was the most dangerous player.
“He is doing very well. He was doing very well before he left for the international team and he came back the other day and gave the assist for Kiernan, the second for the penalty. He missed some chances, but it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that he was in the position and he will score goals for sure.”
Nelson’s impact
There was also praise for young Ben Nelson from the Manager, who played 90 minutes in last weekend’s Emirates FA Cup success over Birmingham City, before also featuring against Swansea, with his defensive profile suiting the way Maresca wants to play.
“He’s a very good player, young and, for me, he has potential,” the former Manchester City coach explained. “He’s a big club player, no doubt. The only thing, as we always say with young players, is that you need to manage a little bit the situation.
“He showed against Birmingham what he can do. He shows every time we give him the opportunity, like Millwall away in the FA Cup. I’m sure he will be a very important player in the future for this Club.
“He is quick, he can play right or left, it’s perfect. The only thing he needs to improve is that he is shy on the ball. Against Birmingham, he could play forward many times. We showed him, after the game, many clips.
“But he’s young, sometimes he prefers to play safe. Also in the five minutes against Swansea, he touched the ball three or four times. He could drive forward. He has many things to improve, but as a centre defender, he is ideal.”
The state of play
Several teams remain in the promotion picture, with the likes of Ipswich Town, Southampton and Leeds United all looking to keep pace with the league leaders as we enter the final months of the season. For Maresca, though, the only focus is how his team can collect three points against Stoke on Saturday.
“It’s still long, but we’re up in the position we are in now,” he added. “Now it is the moment, if you are able to get five or six wins in a row, it is a crucial moment. After that, the other clubs don’t have many games to play because we are almost there at the end.
“As I said, I think for the players, for the Club and the fans, the most important thing is focusing on Stoke tomorrow and the other games. Now we need to be focused.
“The players continue with the same idea. They love that and the most important thing is not me but the players that go inside the pitch. I see the players working hard to get the Club and the fans back to play Premier League.
“I’m in love with the players that are here. We’re going to find a solution until the end. We’re going to try and find another solution. I like to find solutions. Sometimes if you don’t need to find solutions, it makes your job easier.”
