City put three past Rotherham United without reply in the second half at King Power Stadium on Saturday to seal another home triumph and sign off before Christmas in the perfect way. It took until the hour mark to break through, but the Manager was always confident in the plan.
“Patience has been very important,” Maresca revealed. “In general, I was happy with the first half because we were doing the right things. We created three or four clear chances and against this kind of team it is difficult to create chances.
“When we finished the first half, we adjusted some things. Not tactical but in general. We needed to continue in the same way because we were doing well. The only thing we needed to do was to stay patient and not concede any transitions.
“Every weekend, we can see many games in the competitions that when they sit back, it’s complicated to find solutions and space. You look like you are close but it’s complicated. In the end, we did the most difficult thing – that is to find the goal. Then it was easier after that.”
The Suffolk-based outfit have surprised many with their consistent form since promotion from the third tier. Maresca expects an even more determined performance from the hosts following their 4-0 defeat to Leeds United last time out.
“They are unbelievable,” the Italian analysed. “They are doing fantastically well, a fantastic job. To be honest, it’s one of the teams that I really enjoy to watch. They are fantastic. It’s probably the one team in the Championship who are doing better, because they are there with us. We are doing well, but when you see the table, they are just there.
“You can see that there is some magic inside that sometimes happen when teams get promoted from League 1 and then they get promoted again from the Championship to the Premier League because they maintain the same manager, the same magic inside.
“They are going to be more upset (after Leeds). In any case, it’s a chance for us to go nine points [clear] but it’s also a chance for them to [close the gap to] three points. But I really think that for us, between today (Saturday) and Tuesday, it was much more important [to win] tonight than Tuesday.
“We are expecting a tough game because they are very good and have some good players. What they do, they do fantastically. They have an advantage, that they work with the same manager already for more than one year. They know each other very well and they are altogether.
“In terms of feeling, it is much easier for a team that are promoted to continue than a team that were relegated to build something new, no doubt. In terms of psychology, it is easier for the team that is in behind knowing that you seem close. Mentally, it’s normal. But we are happy with the position that we are in.”
Leave a Reply