MAVIDIDI: WE NEED TO SHUT CRITICS UP

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STEPHY MAVIDIDI reckons Leicester winning promotion will “shut people up.”

The ex-arsenal youngster is bemused by criticism of his side’s style of play and negative comments in the wake of their charge for allegedly breaching Premier League financial rules.

And after his crucial winner to put the Foxes back on top of the Championship, Mavididi (above) was in bullish mood.

He said: “I feel like there has been pressure on us for the majority of the season.

“I don’t know why but I just feel like everyone is against us, they don’t want us to go up.

“There is a lot of noise outside, whether that’s about our style of play, financial situation. It doesn’t affect us but it just annoys us.

“I just like to shut people up – be that getting the goals or putting in the performances. That’s what we need to do, keep proving the doubters wrong.”

Saturday was a dream day for Leicester with nearest rivals Ipswich and Leeds both losing.

They now know that five wins from the remaining six games will secure promotion and the title.

Mavididi, who headed home from Yunus Akgun’s 87th-minute cross, said: “It was a great feeling. The goal was something I’ve been working on – getting in at the back post.

“We don’t have an easy run-in but we know what we need to do.”

Leicester had taken the lead through Kiernan Dewsbury-hall’s 28th-minute effort but disaster appeared to strike after keeper Mads Hermansen’s howler on half-time where he kicked the ball against Jay Stansfield and it rebounded in.

Birmingham dropped into the bottom three despite a positive performance and Stansfield said: “The lads are really disappointed. We battled hard and showed our personality and that we do care.

“It wasn’t our day but we need to take the positives.”