Fulham boss Chris Coleman was delighted with the second half performance of his squad.
Half time had seen The Cottagers losing 2-1 and Leicester were full value for their winning position seeming to cut open Fulham’s defence at will.
The second half started with The Cottagers being thrown out of their changing room early and from then on they were early to the ball throughout the second half.
Coleman said: “The second half, for us anyway, was very good” .
“I think first half, we were very poor. We went in (at half-time) behind 2-1.
“I think we deserved to be behind because it was an inept performance in the first 45 minutes. The lads knew that.
“That’s not what we’ve been getting off of in the last six weeks, in all fairness to them.
“To concede a minute before half-time and a minute after takes a lot to come back from.
“But fair play to our players, they don’t know when they’re beat at the minute.
“It took an enormous effort from them, and we’ve scored at the death like we did on Saturday.”
At 3-1 to Leicester Coleman decided to introduce his Roma signing Vincenzo Montella who proceded to change the game.
The Fulham boss said “He (Montella) scores goals, but he’s not 90-minute match fit for the Premier League, and Vincenzo knows that.”
“But in the box, he’s terrific. There’s none better than him at finishing.
‘Vincenzo brings goals. Any type of quality we get into the box he will get on the end of it.
‘His technique is fantastic. The timing of his runs across defenders, he is always moving in the box, he is never standing still and that is very hard for defenders.
‘He has the knack of being in the right place at the right time. His record shows that. He has scored one in two (as a ratio) in Serie A, which is the hardest league to score goals in.
‘But he is not fit. He was tired tonight after 45 minutes and he needs games.
‘The pace between here and Italy is chalk and cheese. He has got to get used to playing at the Premier League tempo, where it is 100 miles per hour going around his ears.
‘But he will because he is a quality player. He is only here until the end of the season. We have 15 games. If he starts 10 he will score five. That is what his record suggests.’
“I was delighted what we got back from him in 45 minutes with his two goals.”
Coleman has seen the same impact on the training field.
‘His attitude is fantastic. He has an interpreter three days a week to try and learn the lingo,’ said Coleman.
‘What we have seen from Vincenzo so far is absolute professionalism, no ego and loads of enthusiasm.
‘He is a big name. Roma paid 25 million euros for him (in 1999) so in the talks with his agent I said it was important he fits in with everybody else, not the other way round.
‘And he has been terrific. He doesn’t need to improve on his goalscoring, because he is a natural. That is what he does. He just needs to get match-fit.’
