Leicester City are set for a season-defining week as they look to channel the “hurt and frustration” of their defeat to Nottingham Forest into a strong response.
City manager Steve Cooper said the reaction to Friday’s 3-1 loss in the East Midlands derby will be significant in determining how the club’s campaign pans out. They have two games in which to put the Forest defeat behind them, first against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night before another big game in the relegation battle at Ipswich next weekend.
“We’ve got to keep going,” Cooper said. “The journey we’re on, we’re going to have setbacks this season. We’re going to have highs this season. We’re trying to re-establish ourselves in the Premier League and that’s not an easy challenge.
“With it not being an easy challenge, there’s going to be some real highs and there’s going to be lows as well. What’s important is that we stick to the plan and we don’t get too high and low after what happens, and we keep believing in what we’re doing.
“A setback like Friday, how we recover from them will end up defining how we do this year. It’s completely on us. We have to take full responsibility for it, nobody more than me. The challenge now is to move forward and use the hurt and frustration from tonight in a positive way.”
To move forward, City must improve in defence. While they’ve scored in every match this season, they’ve only kept one clean sheet and have had the highest number of shots taken against them in the division.
After three more goals were conceded, Cooper added: “The goals have come from being outbalanced because we were so comfortable, the second in particular. We should be seeing those as opportunities to go the other way rather than the ball ending up in our net.”
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