Discipline is everything
FOXES BOSS RODGERS WON’T HESITATE TO AXE STARS AGAIN IF THEY STEP OUT OF LINE THIS SEASON
BRENDAN RODGERS sacrificed a Champions League spot in a crackdown on four of his errant Leicester City stars – and insists he would do it all again.
The Foxes chief returns to the London Stadium today, four months after a crucial clash against the Hammers which was played out against the backdrop of a breach of Covid protocols.
Four of his players – James Maddison, Ayoze Perez, Hamza Choudhury and the sidelined Harvey Barnes – went to a party and three were omitted from the side that lost 3-2 to David Moyes’ men.
Leicester eventually missed out on a place in the top four by a single point, but Rodgers underlined he would rather maintain discipline within his club – even if it jeopardised their Champions League qualification hopes.
He said: “Would I do it again? 100 per cent. We have a standard on and off the pitch which I demand. Part of that is that you have to sacrifice and commit.
“At the time, those young guys fell short of that. But I didn’t fall out with them. It just wasn’t the application or the professionalism we wanted at the time.
“But they suffered because it took them out of the team and away from the squad. And if you want to succeed and you want to be a top club, you have to have discipline. It’s absolutely critical.
“With experience, you deal with things differently and better – but you have to make your mark.
“Fingers crossed, I’ll never have to do that again. But if a situation like this arises, then I would do it again.
“For the good of the team and the club, yes, I would.”
However, Rodgers said that it had a galvanising effect on a squad that ended by creating history as Leicester lifted the FA Cup for the first time.
He added: “It helped us. Maybe not on that day because we were missing some very good players. But it certainly helped us going forward.
“It’s helped us in a positive way. It was an education for them. They’re young guys, talented players who have made a mistake. Those guys were accepted into the group again and they have all done well since going back.
“That’s what life is about. We wouldn’t have wanted to deal with it. But it cropped up, they’ve learnt their lesson.
“But there’s no doubt it galvanised us and brought us closer together.”
The Hammers did the double over his team last season and Rodgers admitted both defeats were deserved, saying: ‘We just didn’t play well in either game.”
And he says that Moyes’ success in the East End has not surprised him because the Scot has always been in the top bracket of bosses – despite West Ham dispensing with his services after six months of his first spell there. Rodgers said: “David is an outstanding manager.
“Perhaps now West Ham appreciate what they have.
“You don’t go from being a very good manager to not being very good.
“Sometimes, it just doesn’t work out for you.
“You reflect, go back and, hopefully, be successful.
“He’s been at the top of the game for many years, although I hope he has a hiccup against us.”