Leicester's 'warriors' who are patient for success

Leicester goalscorer Missy Goodwin, right, came on as a substitute against Chelsea and was later taken off in the same game

Manager Amandine Miquel has not been at Leicester City for long but she is already "making warriors".

Her side have scored just three goals in 10 Women's Super League matches and have only one win in the league - but they were the team to end Chelsea's 100% record under manager Sonia Bompastor.

Their 1-1 draw at King Power Stadium on Sunday, having led for 77 minutes, showed something is clearly working under Miquel despite a rough few months.

Hit with an injury crisis, struggling to score goals and joint-bottom heading into Sunday's game against the champions, all the odds were against Leicester but they defended well and frustrated Chelsea.

"I know points are what worries everyone in the industry but my job is to make a group of players become warriors and it's taking time, but we're going to get there," said Miquel.

"It's a collective sport and the only thing that makes a difference when you have less money and less quality - is the mentality."

'We have to enjoy every moment'

Miquel has always remained calm despite tricky results. She spent eight seasons at Reims before joining Leicester in the summer and knows how to build a long-term project.

This week, as she joked about and laughed off their poor luck with injuries, she reminded her players that things were not always going to be so difficult.

"We tend to make it look like it's the end of the world but every morning when I wake up, and I hope the players now do the same, I think [about how] we get paid to put the ball in the goal," said Miquel.

"There are worse things happening in life. We have the chance to be paid to play a game - so it's OK. We have the chance to do our dream job.

"We have to make sure we enjoy every moment and stay positive because no matter what happens - sometimes a lot happens against you - that positivity can help things come back better."

Before Saturday's game, Bompastor joked that her French counterpart "always tries to surprise me" and Miquel's positivity paid off as Leicester gave those watching on at King Power Stadium plenty to cheer about.

Missy Goodwin replaced the injured Deanne Rose early on, then scored the opening goal just 13 minutes later, finishing off an excellent team move.

"We are all really happy as a team. They [Chelsea] haven't lost a point this season. We're really happy to be able to do it," said Goodwin afterwards.

"We worked really hard as a team. It's a step in the right direction. It was more about a mentality approach."

'The hard part is when it doesn't go well'

Leicester City sit a point above bottom side Crystal Palace

Fans were on their feet applauding and cheering loudly at half-time, enthused by Leicester's showing, and they were not disappointed 45 minutes later.

Despite Chelsea eventually finding an equaliser, Leicester showed they could go toe-to-toe with the WSL's best and picked up a crucial point in the process.

At full-time, Chelsea players were on their knees in dismay as Leicester celebrated in a huddle inside the six-yard area they spent over an hour defending.

"We were willing to give them a lot of trouble. It went very well because we scored on a rare occasion that we had [a chance],"said Miquel.

"To be able to lead against this type of team and hold it for so long is very important mentally for our team to move on from here.

"We've seen that with mentality and team effort, even when you have less quality, you can compete. It's a collective effort."

The statistics do not look great for Leicester but there was optimism about them this summer after Miquel's tactics had impressed opposition teams in pre-season.

They put in a strong showing on the opening weekend despite losing 1-0 to Arsenal but have been without key players ever since.

Their frontline in particular has been damaged by injuries with Lena Petermann and Jutta Rantala both unavailable, and Rose's substitution against Chelsea will only add to Miquel's concerns.

But she is confident that things are improving for Leicester on the pitch, she is implementing her style effectively and results will come.

"Yes it's not an ideal start but I am someone who has been very patient. I don't believe any change could be done in two months - even if we had no injuries," said Miquel.

"We would not have ended up third by the winter break, that's for sure. It takes time. The hard part is when it doesn't go well.

"We need all of us - the staff and the players - instead of panicking and trying to change the plan, we need to keep confidence."