MILLWALL ADD TO RANIERI WOES
CLAUDIO RANIERI sat in a small room at The Den and did his best to draw some comfort from another dark day in a campaign that is turning into a season from Hell for the bedraggled champions of England.
The Leicester boss had just seen his team knocked out of the FA Cup by a League One Millwall side which played most of the second half with ten men after Jake Cooper was red-carded.
Ranieri watched the team so well marshalled by manger Neil Harris get stronger and stronger while his charges wilted when the travelling fans desperately needed them to stand up.
‘When the game was ten versus 11, they played better than us,’ said Ranieri. ‘They had more character, more desire. In the end, they deserved their win. Now, we have to fight in every match. I need soldiers, gladiators.’
If Leicester were giantkillers last season, now they are being slain by underdogs week after week until it has reached the point that defeats like this are not really much of a surprise any more.
Millwall’s winner came a minute from time when right-back Shaun Cummings wriggled past a challenge and steered the ball past Leicester keeper Ron-Robert Zieler to spark pandemonium.