A brand new episode of the When You're Smiling podcast has been released, featuring a preview of Leicester's Championship match against 19th-placed Millwall.
Hear from Foxes boss Enzo Maresca, BBC Radio Leicester's Owynn Palmer-Atkin and former Leicester winger Matt Piper.
Listen to the latest When You're Smiling episode here
Image source, Getty ImagesEnzo Maresca believes it will be "important to win games" during the busy Christmas schedule, as his Leicester City side prepare to face Millwall on Wednesday (19:45 GMT kick-off).
In his pre-match news conference, the Foxes boss said: "We have an important amount of games in the next few weeks. In this moment, it's important - not just for us, but for every team - to win games. It's a tricky month.
"The only way for me to focus is to think about the next game. If you try to look at four or five games, it is impossible."
Leicester will still be without attacking threats Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho, Kasey McAteer and Yunus Akgun.
Foxes boss Maresca has also called upon the fans to get behind the players at King Power Stadium: "I've said since day one, we need our fans. After relegation, it was a complicated moment.
"We understand every effort they do - both home and away - but we've seen at the end of some games how happy everyone is together. We need them."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Leicester winger Matt Piper spoke to the When You're Smiling podcast about the "empty" King Power Stadium at full time in their win against Plymouth on Saturday: "People have had things to say this season about the way that the team have been playing and that it's a little bit boring, I can understand that.
"Then your team open up [on Saturday] especially in the second half and play some really exciting football and score some good goals. They're top of the table and there's a new manager.
"Imagine sitting at the top of the Championship with some Leicester lads in there, young players that are looking to prove themselves at this level. They score four goals and are clapping an empty stadium at the end? It wound me up a bit.
"There are naturally going to be reasons you need to leave early, but I looked at it from a player point of view. Imagine being in such a good moment, top of the table and clapping an empty stadium.
"It must not be a good feeling for the players at the end of the game, or the manager who's looking to build something new."
Listen to the full episode here
Chris Forryan, Leicester Till I Die, external
Many Championship fans were calling us the Manchester City of the Championship. A Premier League squad with a big budget.
What we did have was the money for finishing 18th in the Premier League and just short of £80m for selling two of our star players. We also let a lot of players go. In fact, we let more players leave than we brought in.
What we have done is invested in good young players, got others on loan and held on to a few as well.
From that, Enzo Maresca has built a squad, not just a team. A squad where whomever we call upon to play does so with enthusiasm, energy and a decent amount of skill as well.
Harry Souttar had hardly played this season, but performed as well as any regular when called upon to start against Liverpool and Stoke City.
As did Patson Daka against Plymouth on Saturday. This season he had made only two substitute appearances, 26 minutes at Liverpool and one minute (yes, one) against Sunderland.
However, on Saturday he played with a smile, scored one and got one assist.
If Enzo can keep the squad players happy, as he appears to be doing, then the future is bright, the future is blue!
Leicester City academy product and former Northern Ireland manager Ian Barraclough discussing the Foxes victory against Plymouth Argyle on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast: "City started off brightly in the first 25 minutes with a dominant performance.
"Then City started giving the ball away in poor areas, misplacing passes or there were misunderstandings between players. Plymouth were forcing Leicester into mistakes or Leicester lost their concentration. For 20 minutes, they allowed Plymouth into the game.
"Both teams had the same amount of chances; both sides had 12 shots on goal; and both keepers had six saves. Plymouth didn’t give up. That many chances against Leicester is too many, especially for a team that wants to win a championship.
"Then the second half began with three quick-fire goals, good finishes and decisions. In the second half, they were more ruthless. They took chances, put the game to bed, which allowed the final 30 minutes to be a comfortable affair."
On what he thinks Enzo Maresca said to the team at half-time: "He would have been saying cut out the slack passes that were happening at the back - they tried to overplay in certain areas.
"There were a couple of misunderstandings with Jannik Vestergaard and Patson Daka, who were coming deep and spinning in behind. Vestergaard had already played the ball and, all of a sudden, they were four versus three at the back.
"There were certain times they were taking risk where they didn’t need to."
BBC East Midlands Today joined Leicester City players as they took a break from their hectic football schedule to make a festive visit to a local care home
Kasey McAteer and his team-mates Danny Ward and Harry Souttar spent time with residents in the lead up to their Championship game against Plymouth.
Joining the players was Leicester City legend and club ambassador Alan 'The Birch' Birchenall, who had a surreal reunion with former Sheffield United team-mate Gerry Summers.
Image source, Getty ImagesLeicester manager Enzo Maresca has said now is not the time to hold contract talks with players and that his only focus is on what happens on the pitch.
Eight first-team players are out of contract next summer, with current deals for Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Jamie Vardy, Dennis Praet, Jannik Vestergaard, Marc Albrighton, Alex Smithies and Wanya Marcal all running until 30 June.
On whether talks have begun, Maresca said: "Not yet. I want all of them focused on this season and our target. Then we will see in February and March where we are at and take a decision.
"In this moment, the most important thing is to be focused, to continue in the way we are doing and this is the only thing I am worried about today. We have time for the new contracts.
Earlier on Friday, the club announced that 19-year-old centre-back Ben Nelson had signed a new contract running until the summer of 2027.
Nelson made his senior Foxes debut in the Carabao Cup win at Tranmere Rovers in August and has previously had loan spells with Doncaster Rovers and Rochdale.
"Ben is a very good profile," Maresca said. "He’s from the academy, he’s still very young but he is improving and we are happy to continue with him. With young players we need to give them the right time. I think for the club and for the fans it’s something we need to be proud of."
On the latest episode of When You're Smiling, host Jack Rafferty is joined by former Leicester midfielder Dean Hammond and Foxes fan Jamie Thorpe to preview the weekend's game against Plymouth and the busy Christmas schedule
They also hear from full-back James Justin on the club's visit to the Children's Ward at the LRI hospital, where the players met patients and their families and gave out Christmas presents.
Chris Forryan, Leicester Till I Die, external
A win is just a win, isn’t it?
Well, no. A 5-3 win over Manchester United, a 9-0 thrashing of Southampton... you get my point. Yes it is still only three points but these moments are why we love the game of football.
And so it was on Saturday.
Look, Leicester have been on the wrong end of late goals down the years. Think Watford in the play-offs and then Spurs more recently when we threw away a lead to lose in stoppage time.
I think it was only last season that we conceded the most goals in the last 20 minutes of any Premier League team, but now we seem to be the team that scores the most goals in the final 20 minutes in the Championship.
At 1-1 and following the lacklustre display against Sheffield Wednesday, I was resigned to missing out on three points against West Bromwich Albion.
But then Jannik Vestergaard headed clear from a long throw-in, Kelechi Iheanacho played a perfect through ball to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and he found Harry Winks who was busting a gut to keep up with him - and he slid in a perfect 94th-minute winner.
No, not all wins are the same!
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Former Leicester City winger Matt Piper, speaking about Harry Winks on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast:
"He is too good for this level, what you don't see a lot of in football any more is players deciding to step down a level and back themselves in the Championship.
"There must be so many Premier League clubs, especially sixth down, that are looking and thinking why didn't we go for Winks?
"He's that important, not only does he keep the ball, he's dynamic, he's a good tackler, he's quick across the grass to cover positions. He's excellent at what he does."
Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling here
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Former Leicester City striker Steve Howard discussing the Foxes' dramatic win over West Bromwich Albion on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast: "At 1-1 I just thought: 'OK, we're take a draw'. Then West Brom thought they had a chance of winning, tried to, and the counter attack by Leicester was just awesome.
"This season is all about getting promoted. Get the three points anywhere you can. Who cares who scores as long as we get the win.
On the frustration shown by Leicester fans: "I think it was harsh, but I think that was a backlash from Wednesday’s game. There may have been some apprehension from fans wondering if they would score.
"When it went to 1-1, there were a couple of boos and West Brom fans were really raising the roof at one stage. For most of the game there was moans and groans from the West Brom fans, which is what you want when you come to places like this."
Listen to the full podcast over here
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Image source, Getty ImagesLeicester City have been drawn to face Millwall at The Den in the FA Cup third round.
The game will take place on the weekend of 6-7 January.
Image source, Getty ImagesLeicester manager Enzo Maresca says his side must "adapt" when they travel across the Midlands to face a "very intense" West Brom team on Saturday.
The Foxes faced Sheffield Wednesday away on Wednesday night and will play the fifth-placed Baggies at The Hawthorns at 12:30 BST tomorrow.
"I don't think it's normal we play on a Wednesday night and then a Saturday morning - it's difficult but we need to adapt," Maresca said as he previewed the match.
"In this moment they're a very intense team. They're aggressive when pressing onto your goalkeeper, and then in open play they drop into their half and wait for the right moment to press.
"Unfortunately we're coming up against a side in top form but we're ready for Saturday morning.
"We always try to win. It doesn't matter if it's at home, away, or every three days. We're prepared and will go there and try and beat West Brom."
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Everton and Crystal Palace are interested in Leicester City's Irish midfielder Kasey McAteer. (Football Transfers), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
