Leicester City cannot keep giving away leads, says Claudio Ranieri
Saturday 19 September 2015 17:50, UK
Claudio Ranieri admitted his Leicester City team cannot afford to keep going 2-0 behind after they fought back to earn a 2-2 draw at Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday.
Seven days after turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa, the Foxes once again dug themselves a hole by conceding twice in seven first-half minutes at the Britannia Stadium.
A penalty from Riyah Mahrez and an equaliser from Jamie Vardy salvaged a point and extended the Foxes' unbeaten start to the season, but Ranieri is conscious that they may not be able to complete a comeback next time.
He told Sky Sports: "It would be ideal not to [have to] come back every time, but now it is two times in a row and not every time will it be possible to come back.
"We started very well. The first 12 minutes, I enjoy a lot. But suddenly we concede the first goal, and the second was amazing, but that is football. The second half, we react very well and this is important for me."
Ranieri revealed that he told his players at half-time that he would accept losing as long as they showed spirit after the break.
He added: "At half-time I said, 'Stoke is more desperate than us? That is not possible. Lose the match, but show our strength and show our pride. If we lose, we lose. It is not important, but I want to see how you react'."
