Six players who had intended to quit Leicester City after relegation have changed their minds, according to manager Enzo Maresca.
The 43-year-old Italian, who replaced Brendan Rodgers as manager just in June, thinks his players have been motivated and inspired by his new training philosophy and the strategy he has asked them to follow this season as they prepare for an immediate return to the Premier League.
He did, however, add that he had informed the team that any player who wished to leave before the transfer window closed might do so.
Six players approached me in my office and said, ‘It was my intention to leave the club in the summer, but I would like toHall said of Maresca’s tactics: “I’ll be honest, for the first few weeks, players were openly saying they felt a bit stupid. A lot of the things he was saying, the lads hadn’t seen before.
“The way he explained it made it look so simple and we were telling ourselves: ‘How did we not know this?’ We felt out of our depth!
“The more you do it, the more it feels second nature. That’s why the top teams are so good, they’re all on the same wavelength.
“We played Swansea and they scored early on, but we didn’t change the way we played and won 3-1. We played some very good football and even had opposition players saying to us: ‘You’re one of the best sides we’ve played at this level.’
“One, fair play, I respect somebody admitting that. And two, it shows that what we’re doing is working. I enjoy it. You’re free, you’re playing great football, you’re creating chances, and for me it’s the best way to play.”
In Maresca’s system, Dewsbury-Hall has been given greater freedom to contribute at the top end of the pitch. He quickly got down to business with a brace against Coventry on the opening day of the season, and now has 11 goals and 13 assists for the campaign.
However, Dewsbury-Hall focused too hard on Maresca’s encouragement of him to get more goals, taking eight shots in that game against Coventry. By the first international break of the season, the manager was having to tell him to tone it down.
“He said I was having a go from anywhere!” Dewsbury-Hall added. “I don’t know if I took his suggestion a bit too literally – I was shooting from any angle. I went from zero to 100.
“To be fair, if you have more shots, your chances of scoring are greater. But I’ve mellowed a little now. I’ll try to pick my moments and find the right pass if that’s a better option.”
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