We will continue working, says Justin

– James Justin has provided an update on Leicester City’s pre-season so far
– The full-back was speaking after facing Serie B side Palermo on Friday
– The Foxes lost 1-0 in the friendly at Chesterfield’s SMH Group Stadium
– He sees promising signs in the work done in preparation for 2024/25

Leicester City’s preparations for the 2024/25 Premier League campaign have taken another step forward with a match against the Serie B side Palermo on Friday night, ending in a 1-0 defeat at the SMH Group Stadium.

Of course, the result was not the most important part of the exercise, but Justin felt the scoreline could have been very different had City been more clinical in front of goal, both before and after Federico Di Francesco’s goal for the Italian side.

“We actually played really well today,” the full-back expressed after full-time at Chesterfield. “Even though we lost, it was probably the best game we’ve played in pre-season. We’re slowly building up to what the manager wants with our playing patterns.

“You know what you’re going to get with the Italian teams. If they’re 1-0 up, they’ll keep the back door closed and they’re a well-drilled team. They were really tough to break down, much like we faced last year as well.

“We had some good chances but tonight we couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. On another day I feel like we would have come away with a win. It’s something we have to work on but it’s still early and things are going well. We’ll keep working.”

Several weeks of training under the new coaching staff have set the stage for what will be a big step forward for last season’s Sky Bet Championship title winners. It has been an enjoyable start, according to the defender, who can’t wait to put those methods into practice in a competitive match.

“It’s been a breath of fresh air,” the 26-year-old explained. “The new gaffer has come in with new ideas and wants to build on what we did last year and I’m really looking forward to the season and how we do.

“One of the first things he said to us was that we had a good season last season, but the Premier League is a totally different level and we have to evolve our ideas and prepare for the Premier League, that has been his big mantra so far.

“We are working step by step to get there at the training camp. We leave next week and this will be a good chance to work out some kinks. Everyone has their own goals and wants to do the best they can.”