FAULTY TOWERS
Rodgers: I could see six months ago we needed upgrading... that’s now my goal
BRENDAN RODGERS says he foresaw Leicester’s current problems six months ago.
The Foxes manager has reset his ambition after a summer in which he added only Belgian defender Wout Faes to his ranks.
Rodgers was blindsided after Wesley Fofana decided to leave for Chelsea in a £70million deal, and his side heads to the Amex this afternoon without a win in their first five outings.
Rodgers said: “I felt six months ago that we needed to improve this summer. Every team, no matter how good you have been, needs regenerating.
“When I came here three-anda-half years ago, some of the players had already been written off, at 32, 33 years of age.
“But since then, in terms of the starting XI, not a great deal has changed. So I knew it would be an issue for us. But I’m not going to lay down and roll over.
“We have to find a way. Our objective now is to get to 40 points. It’s totally different to what we have in the past.
“I’m preparing to get to 40 points as quickly as possible.”
Rodgers said he understood the fans’ reaction following defeat to Manchester United, which left them winless in their first five.
There was some booing at the final whistle at the King Power on Thursday night, but it was not widespread.
Frustration
The Northern Irish coach said: “I totally understand it. If you lose the first four or five games, then it’s frustrating for the supporters. I’m in the know, within the club, and I’m frustrated.
“Outside they see lots of teams, such as their rivals, getting lots of players and we’re not getting any, so there’s a sense of frustration around.
“I can only look at what I can control. We were excellent for an hour against Brentford. We should have won the game. We found a way to lose against Southampton.
“We were close to
Arsenal, we should have got something at
Chelsea. It’s not as if the players are downing tools.
“We’re lacking quality. We’ll fight and I’ve no doubt it will turn.”
After seeing his side concede 11 goals in five games,
Rodgers is under pressure to find a way to stem the flow. The signing he did make was Faes (left) from French side Reims at £15million.
That had to be pushed through quickly because the Foxes did not expect Chelsea to make a successful raid on them for Fofana.
But Rodgers says the new man will add leadership to a squad sorely lacking in it now that the likes of Fofana and former skipper Kasper Schmeichel have departed.
Leicester’s boss added: “Wout is in Belgium’s national team. He has leadership qualities. We don’t have many of those.
“We have plenty of quiet leaders in the squad, but Wout will bring that authority.
“He’s aggressive in his defending. He fits the profile of how we want to defend. He can pass as well. He will do as well as Wesley did.”