RUCK RODGERS
I’ll fight on vows boss as fans show anger
BRENDAN RODGERS says he is handling the pressure as Leicester fans vent their frustration.
The Foxes manager takes his side to Chelsea today knowing another defeat will turn up the heat.
But the former Liverpool and Celtic boss says he has been in the game long enough to know how things work.
One point from their opening three games and no players bought this summer has some fans calling for change.
Loud boos echoed around the ground last Saturday following the 2-1 home defeat by Southampton and there were similar murmurings after the shoot-out win against Stockport three days later.
Rodgers points to two fifth-place finishes and an FA Cup triumph and says maybe some fans’ expectations have gone a bit too high.
He said: “I understand it’s a real frustrating time. I understand the position we’re in, so I can only imagine for the supporters that the club feels like a ball of frustration at the moment.
“If there’s anyone to take it out on, it’s normally the manager. I respect that. If results and performances are not right, the responsibility is mine. They have every right to express how they feel.”
Asked if he was feeling the pressure, Rodgers said: “I’m feeling the want to get the result. I’m not feeling the pressure as such in terms of it’s a pressurised job. I
look back over my time here, over three-and-a-half years, and we’ve spent about £25million net per season, and that’s got us to challenging at the top end of the table, winning a couple of trophies [FA Cup and Community Shield] and getting to a European semi-final.
“What I hope is to continue with that ambition. If I’m unable to and the club decides it needs to go in a different direction, that’s the way it is.That’s management. I don’t lose sleep over it. My energy is with the players and the people here.
“I’m in here early in the morning until late at night, trying to find solutions. For a lot of the time, we have managed to do that well for a club of this size.
“But what’s definitely happened is that the expectation is not aligned with our finances in terms of where we should be competing. It doesn’t make us any less ambitious. I’ll continue to fight to get the best results we can.”
James Maddison faces a late fitness check after feeling a twinge in his hamstring in training.