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Claude Puel believes his young Leicester City side have completed the first step in their transformation under his management, and is urging them to move to step two and become more clinical.

The Frenchman has been pleased with the performance of his new-look City side in recent games, against Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, and believes they are now starting to play how he wants them to.

With Youri Tielemans coming into a midfield three alongside the holding midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and James Maddison, who was given more attacking licence, and Harvey Barnes impressing on the left of the attack, Puel believes there have been encouraging signs, despite the fact his side have picked up just one point in their last five games.

However, he said the next step was to develop a more clinical edge in the final third and start taking the chances they have been creating, and start picking up the points he believes their efforts deserve.

“The first step is to have the opportunity to hurt the opponent and to play good football and create chances,” Puel said after the 3-1 defeat to Spurs at Wembley.

“We have taken the first step. Now we have to find the second step with a clinical edge, the composure and calm in the final third of the pitch.

“Sometimes we need more conviction but we have a close feeling I think because we wasted some good performances recently against Liverpool. I was not completely happy because we had the best chances I think to win this game.

“Of course the difference against the big teams is they don’t have a lot of chances against us but they score. Today we conceded three goals.

“We have had plenty of chances ourselves today without the good precision. It will be our next step.”

Puel was particularly pleased with the performance of Tielemans on debut and believes the combination of the Belgium international and Maddison will give City extra attacking potency.

“I was happy with his first game,” he added.

“His composure on the ball and his good quality passes, and he can bring his quality to the team.

“It was another system, 4-3-3, with Maddison working in midfield, away from home it was interesting.

“There was good solidity but also good possibility to play to have good situations, good moves and a good start with the ball.

“I hope now there will be a little more clinical to finish in the final third. I think Maddie and Tielemans, Gray, Barnes and Ghezzal can have this good clinical edge with a little more freedom in our play, composure and calm to finish and compete a little more.

“About our level against a big team it was very interesting but without the good result. Now we need a result of course to give benefit and reward for our hard work on the pitch.”

A big improvement for City was the fact they didn’t concede in the first 15 minutes of the game. They had fallen behind in the first 15 of the previous five games, but Puel was still left frustrated.

“For the first time in a long time we did not concede a goal in the first 15 minutes. That was a positive,” he added.

From the kick-off we showed a lot of quality and it was very interesting.

“I have had some frustrations in the first half because with a little more conviction and precision we should have led this game.

“It is a big shame for my players and fans because it was hard work today, a good performance without the good reward”