Leicester City relegated, why?

In the match against Liverpool, there was only one moment that stirred up the atmosphere at King Power. That was the 85th minute, when Jeremy Monga was brought on the field. At only 15 years old, Monga was considered the jewel of Leicester's academy, promising to shoulder the future of the team.

But that moment of joy was short-lived. They were immediately brought back to reality. A 1-0 defeat to Liverpool meant that with five games left to play, the Foxes were relegated for the second time in three seasons. They also set a Premier League record of failing to score at home in nine consecutive games, making it nine straight defeats.

As a result of relegation, player wages will be cut by at least 35%. This will be reduced further if Leicester do not return to the Premier League soon. In the coming days, the board will also listen to all proposals and carry out a major sale, in order to meet the regulations on a sustainable financial model. However, this process may be difficult because Leicester have made too many generous contracts for players over 30 on high salaries.

Last summer, for example, Leicester gave Jannik Vestergaard a three-year contract despite him being 32. This was a surprising move, given the Danish defender’s poor standing with managers. In recent weeks, he has clashed with manager Ruud van Nistelrooy and been dropped from the squad, much like Harry Winks.

In all fairness, King Power and Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha remain passionate about Leicester and committed to investing. However, a series of poor decisions have left the club in turmoil.

Leicester had built the team last summer under manager Enzo Maresca, but he left, forcing a reset. Steve Cooper, though not the first choice, was chosen to replace him and was paid £80m.

Having successfully steered Nottingham Forest to relegation, Cooper says Maresca's philosophy is not suited to the Premier League. No longer focused on possession and width, Cooper has a more pragmatic approach, placing responsibility on the individual.

Looking back, 12 games under Cooper were not so bad. Leicester had 10 points and were in 16th place when the Englishman was sacked. They had also never lost more than two games in a row.

But the Foxes board have been judging Cooper on off-field factors. They have been unhappy with his repeated attacks on referees while the club is battling allegations of breaching financial fair play rules, and have also noticed that the players do not like Cooper. At the club's Christmas party in Copenhagen, some posed with a sign reading "I miss Enzo (Maresca)".

Having hastily moved Cooper, Leicester had little time to think before appointing Van Nistelrooy. Once again the style of play was disrupted, but the new Dutchman did not receive the transfer package he had been promised in January to help him build his squad.

Leicester picked up four points from Van Nistelrooy’s first three games, only to enter a disastrous period of consecutive defeats. The Foxes became disjointed, disunited, dejected, demotivated and waiting to lose. Van Nistelrooy was completely inexperienced in dealing with this situation. He was powerless to save the team, and his efforts to rebuild discipline and morale only made things worse.

In Van Nistelrooy's 21 games, Leicester have picked up just eight points, making for two runs of seven and eight defeats. This will undoubtedly be the club's worst relegation campaign in the Premier League era. In their previous four relegations, the worst they've managed was 28 points (2001/02).

Winks and Vestergaard flatly refused requests to spend the night at the training ground during the build-up to the game. They had no problem being left out of the squad. It was felt that they, like a number of other players, were waiting for Van Nistelrooy to be sacked.

Fans were also fed up with Van Nistelrooy, largely because of poor results. Leicester's games were filled with empty seats, and even more so when the team conceded a goal or two.

According to British media, Leicester's board of directors still supports Van Nistelrooy, while the Dutch coach wants to see the club's long-term vision and direction. However, King Power's future is uncertain. No one knows what decisions will be made, nor how accurate they are.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/leicester-city-xuong-hang-vi-dau-nen-noi-post1735650.tpo