Claude Puel backs Leicester players to pull off more upsets against Premier League top dogs

Having seen his side beat Manchester City and Chelsea over Christmas before slipping up against the Premier League’s lesser sides, Puel says his team cannot be counted out

Claude Puel after the home defeat against Southampton (Getty)

Claude Puel has backed his Leicester City players to pull off more Premier League upsets to help ease the mounting pressure on his position as manager.

Puel and his team were booed after losing at home to Southampton on Saturday, a week after they bowed out of the FA Cup at Newport County.

They face in-form Wolves in their next game, followed by meetings with Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham in their following three fixtures.

Yet having seen his side beat Manchester City and Chelsea over Christmas before slipping up against the Premier League’s lesser sides, Puel says they cannot be counted out.

“People cannot make a lot of bets on us because always it’s a surprise,” he said. “And I hope we will continue the surprises.

“We have strong games for the next games, and we will see if we maintain the surprise.”

Defender Harry Maguire backed up his manager’s prediction but admitted Leicester’s home form must improve after they lost three of their last four games at King Power Stadium with the only victory coming against City.

“They are four easy games for us!” joked Harry Maguire, the England defender.

“But we need to start improving at home. Wolves away will be tough and then we have three good fixtures but very tough ones.

“Hopefully we can rise to the occasion and get some more points on the board and set us up for an exciting end to the season.

“You have to say that at the moment we struggle to break teams down who sit behind the ball.

“Before the game we were sat seventh in the table and if we finish there at the end of the season it is a great season.

“The frustration comes from our performances at home. At home against the bottom eight we haven’t been good enough. We hold our hands up there.”

Southampton moved out of the bottom three thanks to first-half goals from James Ward-Prowse and Shane Long.

They had Yan Valery sent off late in the first half and Wilfried Ndidi pulled a goal back for the Foxes, but the Saints held firm to continue their improvement under new manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

“We’re on the front foot, looking to score quick goals on the counter attack and that’s the style we need to be playing,” said Ward-Prowse.

“The difference has been unbelievable, it was needed.

Yan Valery was sent off for two yellow cards (Getty Images)

“We have a clear structure and a plan of what do with and without the ball.

“You can see in the performances and games we’ve had, there’s an idea and a philosophy, and that’s grown.

“We’ve had good and bad results, but the progress is there to be seen and that’s the way the club needs to be going.

“He’s been impressed with the way we’ve adapted to his style of play

“It’s good to have a manager who can communicate well with you and tell you what he wants in his team.”

Long added: “We know the quality is there for us to get out of it but the performances have been good lately.

“Things are looking up, we’ve got games coming up that we can get three points in and start looking up instead of looking down.

“It’s not going to be easy but we are fully confident in our ability to get out of it.”