Craig kicked
Swansea .......... 1 Leicester .......... 2 HAVE THAI BOSSES GOT IT RIGHT AGAIN AFTER GIVING BOSS SHAKESPEARE SACK?
LEICESTER CITY’S ruthless owners may have played yet another blinder.
Not many either inside or outside the King Power Stadium were too impressed with the sudden decision to sack boss Craig Shakespeare last week.
Yes, the Foxes were in the drop zone after Monday’s 1-1 home draw with West Brom but with only eight games gone, it seemed mighty premature to fire their manager for a third time in barely two years.
Yet, just as it did when removing Nigel Pearson for Claudio Ranieri in July 2015 and then ditching the Italian for Shakespeare nine months ago, the Thai chiefs’ latest deadly dugout shuffle has produced an immediate, positive effect.
Courtesy of an own goal from Swansea defender Federico Fernandez and a second-half strike from recalled Shinji Okazaki, Leicester picked up their first league win in seven attempts here.
Foxes caretaker boss Michael Appleton said: “It’s been a difficult week for everyone – especially myself because of my relationship with Craig.
“My biggest message to the players was we all have different motivations but this was an opportunity to put on a performance and make people feel a bit better.”
And few could argue that Appleton and his troops did not thoroughly warrant taking three vital points at the Liberty Stadium yesterday.
For as dreadful as Swansea were – but for a brief spell after half-time – the visitors were excellent from start to finish.
No doubt Leicester’s players, reportedly fuming at the treatment dished out to popular Shakespeare, will deny that this triumph has anything to do with his sudden exit.
But whatever lay behind the improved display, the Leicester board will feel they have been vindicated.
The Foxes now have nine points on the board and are sitting in a relatively comfortable 14th place. And in the process they have leapt above Paul Clement’s Swansea, who are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
Certainly the Welsh outfit are destined for a third consecutive campaign fighting relegation if they continue to produce such lame displays on their own patch.
Home boss Clement had warned the visit of a fired-up Leicester side would be anything but a breeze. And by the time the Foxes broke the deadlock in the 24th minute, they could have been three-up.
Swans stopper Lukasz Fabianski was called into action inside 60 seconds when saving a header from Okazaki.
Nine minutes on, the Polish keeper was denying Marc Albrighton’s blistering drive.
That was merely delaying the inevitable, however, as Leicester’s lively start was rewarded midway through the half. Riyad Mahrez, having broken his scoring drought on Monday, was the architect here.
The Swansea defence reckoned the
Algeria ace had failed to keep in Albrighton’s long ball over the top.
But while they waved and appealed in protest, Mahrez whipped in a fine cross, which Fernandez headed into his own net. That summed up the hosts’ inept first-half display.
But whatever Clement said at the interval failed to register. Within three minutes the Foxes had doubled their lead in the simplest fashion. Albrighton was allowed to run 40 yards unchecked, picked out an unmarked Mahrez at the far post and he calmly rolled a pass for Okazaki to score. Swansea seemed dead and buried – only to be handed a lifeline after 56 minutes.
Leicester failed to deal with Renato Sanches’ corner and England Under-21s defender Alfie Mawson spun sharply and buried a bouncing effort past Kasper Schmeichel.
It was a fine finish yet Swansea were unable to build on it. The closest they came to a second was through Jordan Ayew four minutes from time.
Despite the triumph, Appleton remained realistic about succeeding Shakespeare permanently.
The ex-Blackpool and Blackburn manager said: “I signed a three-year deal as assistant manager here. “I have been a manager before so I know the highs and lows of the job. But they are even higher and lower at this level.
“One win doesn’t make you a Premier League manager.
“If I’m in charge again on Tuesday – and we don’t win – the coin flips.”
Swans boss Clement said: “Nothing surprised me about Leicester. “They were everything we had expected.
“It’s not a complicated tactic what Leicester did but we did not adapt. We looked static. “There’s a confidence issue and it’s up to me to change that.”