Leicester City Manager Puel Advocates Improvement for Young Iheanacho and Musa Amidst Criticisms

Claude Puel, the astute manager of Leicester City, has come to the defense of Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho, acknowledging recent criticisms of the player’s performance while simultaneously issuing a challenge for improvement, according to reports by Completesportsnigeria.com.

Iheanacho, a 21-year-old talent, has encountered challenges in leaving a significant impact on the field since his £25 million transition from Manchester City this summer. Having participated in a mere 11 games for Leicester City, the young striker has found the net only once, and his struggle to impress persisted in a lackluster performance against his former club Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

Addressing Iheanacho’s situation in a pre-match conference ahead of Saturday’s clash with Manchester United at the King Power Stadium, Puel emphasized the importance of continuous improvement for the burgeoning talent. “He’s a young player; he needs to continue to work to improve,” Puel remarked. “It was important to see him, to give him game time. It was a good opportunity for him and other players. I was happy with the squad because it was a good level of quality on the pitch and it was a good response after our game against Crystal Palace.”

Acknowledging the challenge of managing a roster replete with skilled strikers, Puel urged his players, including Iheanacho and others like Slimani and Musa, to maintain a positive attitude even when not actively participating in matches. “Kele, like other players, like Slimani, like Musa, they are different players. It’s important for them and for the squad,” he affirmed. “We have a lot of players sometimes in the same position, and it’s difficult to manage this. It’s important to keep the positive attitude, for Kele it’s the same thing.”

Puel’s measured approach to player management reflects his commitment to nurturing talent and maintaining a cohesive team dynamic within the Leicester City squad.