Rodgers and Foxes are match made in heaven
HE WON’T GET LURED AWAY BY BIG SIX, SAYS TAGGART
LEICESTER CITY and Brendan Rodgers are a marriage made in heaven – and divorce is not on the cards, says former Foxes centre-half Gerry Taggart.
Rodgers’ side face Crystal Palace at the King Power Stadium tomorrow night, with Champions League qualification within their grasp.
And despite a managerial vacancy arising at Tottenham this week – that Rodgers has distanced himself from – Leicester’s boss is one of the hottest managerial properties in the game.
But Taggart (below) cannot see his relationship with the Foxes being broken for some time yet.
Taggart said: “When Brendan first looked at Leicester City, it was bound to grab his attention. What was planned with regards to the training facility – it’s going to turn the head of any ambitious manager.
“Those plans are now a reality. The new training centre is an amazing place.
“They’ve spent over £100million on it and it’s a wonderful place to work.
“When you look at the first-team squad he inherited and the record of recruitment, it’s an impressive package.
“They have bought players they feel they can improve.
“Brendan sees himself as a developer of talent. The club has bought into that. “It’s just a marriage made in heaven. “At the moment, Brendan’s stock must be sky-high. There will be clubs looking at him left, right and centre.
“But those owners will be looking at their own balance sheets. They’ll be keeping a close eye on the cash, following this pandemic.
“And let’s say Tottenham had been interested in him – and I’m only saying this because Jose Mourinho has gone – how much money would he be given? Which players will he be working with? Spurs are nowhere near at the minute.
“They are a glamorous club with an unbelievable stadium. But what he’s got at Leicester he cannot replicate at Spurs, nor any of the so-called Big Six.
“So it’s ideal for him. He’s punching above his weight, the team keep on improving, the players coming through are doing better than they did 12 months previously. Why would you want to leave that?
“Brendan’s old enough and experienced enough to know that the grass isn’t always greener.
“He will know if and when the time is right. I don’t see it being right now – or in the foreseeable future.”
Taggart, who won 51 caps for Northern Ireland and spent six seasons at Leicester, says the players now at Rodgers’ disposal might be the most compelling argument for keeping him in situ. He added: “Brendan has improved players – Harvey Barnes is one. And look at the quality he has down the spine of the team.
“Youri Tielemans may only be 23 but he’s played plenty of times in Europe, and with Belgium he is mixing with the best. Wilfred Ndidi is 24. Two of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
“Behind them, you have Jonny Evans and Kasper Schmeichel – good, solid characters.
“There’s another group with potential – James Maddison, Barnes and James Justin.
“Leicester have gambled on buying players with potential, but Brendan is the ideal modern manager for that. A couple of weeks ago, a few of them breached the Covid protocols. Brendan said fining them wouldn’t hurt them.
“So he took away their platform of playing, even though the team eventually lost at West Ham. He turned that situation on its head.
“He’s kept Kelechi Iheanacho onside and now the club is reaping the benefit. That’s taking some of the pressure off Jamie Vardy.
“It all adds up to a compelling argument as to why he would stay put at Leicester City.”