Matt Oakley wants Leicester City to be best-kept secret in the Championship

Leicester City may be only three points off top spot in the Championship but many pundits are still refusing talking about them as promotion contenders.

Despite their promising start to the season, City have been largely ignored as Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion have dominated the Championship headlines.

Back to back wins over Reading and Queens Park Rangers have certainly raised the profile of Nigel Pearson's side and victory over Albion at the Walkers Stadium on Saturday would make sure the rest of the Championship takes City seriously as promotion contenders.

However, captain Matt Oakley would rather City remained the best-kept secret in the Championship and continue to operate beneath the media radar.

"I am happy for that to continue for three quarters of the season and if then, if everyone starts talking about us as contenders for the promotion, then great," said Oakley.

"If they start talking about us in that way in the next couple of months then I won't be happy because the pressure starts to build on us.

"It is much easier for us to work under the radar. But I want that pressure at the end of the season because it will be a sign we are doing well and doing the right things on the pitch.

"Watching Nigel Pearson with the press, he doesn't give much away.

"He likes to keep a closed house on the press and is very strict on that.

"Things then don't get out of hand and comments don't get into the papers that don't need to be there. Players aren't saying the wrong things and it does help.

"I have been at clubs where management have been quite loose on it and, before you know, you have to deal with things that have got out and it does affect the team.

"You just want to be concentrating on the football so, in one way, he has got that right."

Oakley said he is satisfied with the progress City had made so far, although he admitted they could have been in an even better place in the table had they managed to turn some good performances into victories.

"We are a quarter of the way in and I am satisfied with how it has gone so far," he said.

"Before the season started I would have taken where we are now, definitely. Coming up from a lower division you just don't know how you are going to fare.

"Three strong teams have come down, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and West Brom, and you would expect them to be strong. After that you still have some strong teams like Cardiff, Sheffield United and we are up there with them.

"But, in the games we have played, we have probably dropped points at Sheffield United and Ipswich.

"We were also 2-0 up at Watford and should have won that quite comfortably and almost ended up losing it."