As he approaches his third anniversary as Leicester boss, Brendan Rodgers has outlined his blueprint for putting the club back on track. The coming weeks are likely to determine whether he will be the man to implement it.
Ahead of Thursday night’s meeting with Liverpool at Anfield, Rodgers accepted he was ‘under pressure’ after an underwhelming season, which hit its lowest point last weekend. He believes the solution is a ‘healthy shake-up’ of the squad at the end of the season.
Leicester were dumped out of the FA Cup by local rivals Nottingham Forest, prompting Rodgers to question his players’ hunger and challenge them to prove they were good enough to stay.
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Brendan Rodgers admitted he is under pressure after Leicester’s 4-1 defeat by Forest
Statements of that nature are rarely well-received by club owners, especially from managers already under the microscope. Three days later, Rodgers’ response was to expand on his belief that new blood is needed to stop Leicester’s decline, though he stopped short of calling for a full-scale overhaul.
‘Now my job is to keep provoking and keep developing the club and the squad,’ he said.
‘If players aren’t improving and developing, then of course you need that healthy shake-up. We need to reinvigorate the squad.
‘Nine of the 11 players who started at Forest were here when I joined. For the squad to evolve and become better you need to add better players. The club have been super-supportive since I’ve been here.
‘Money will always talk and Leicester have always worked that side of the market (player sales) very well. Players will improve and then want to move on, and when that happens the club will maximise what they can get.
‘We can never be frightened to do that. If a player is ready to move on, you can get maximum value and then reintroduce hunger and desire from another player, hopefully you benefit from that. The club will always look to keep their best players and if it’s not possible then you go into the market.’
Leicester will listen to offers for Youri Tielemans as he enters the final year of his deal
Rodgers’ supporters argue that a season like this was to be expected after two of the best campaigns in the club’s history, which yielded consecutive fifth-place finishes and the FA Cup.
They have also had to handle a dreadful injury list which – at different times – has forced Jamie Vardy, Jonny Evans, James Justin, Wesley Fofana, Ryan Bertrand, Ricardo Pereira, Timothy Castagne and Wilfred Ndidi to the sidelines.
The absence of Vardy, in particular, has hit Leicester hard. Even at 35, he remains one of the most dangerous forwards about and has a reputation to match. With Vardy missing with hamstring trouble since December 28, opposing defenders have been able to breathe a little easier.
Yet Leicester’s poor form this term cannot be attributed solely to bad luck. They signed two defenders – Jannik Vestergaard and Bertrand – from a Southampton team beaten 9-0 by Leicester in October 2019. While one game is not a general indicator of performance, both players have underwhelmed since joining last summer.
Normally so smart in their transfer and contract dealings, Leicester now have Vardy, Kasper Schmeichel, Youri Tielemans, Caglar Soyuncu and Ayoze Perez with contracts expiring at the end of next season.
The Foxes are still over-reliant on Jamie Vardy, who has been out injured since late December
The club are likely to listen to bids for Tielemans this summer, with the Belgium midfielder no closer to signing a new contract, while offers are expected for Harvey Barnes and James Maddison. Fofana and Justin are also coveted though it would be a surprise were either sold, with Justin expected to agree a new long-term contract.
If Rodgers is to regain a strong position, improvement is needed, with a strong finish – ideally including a long run in the Europa Conference League – required. There can be no more performances like the one at The City Ground last Sunday.
‘I have always felt support from the club but I also understand football,’ he said. ‘If you’re not getting results you are always under pressure, I can’t deny that. We’ve had a great run here for a period of time but results like the one at the weekend will always put you under pressure as a manager. I don’t shy away from that.
‘Whatever the context the responsibility is always with the manager. I pick the team and choose the tactics so when we lose it’s my responsibility. You can’t mask results and I’d never try to.’
Rodgers is clear about what needs to be done in the medium-to-long-term. But as he knows well, short-term results are what make or break a manager.