Leicester old boy devastated live on Sky Sports by ‘sorry’ capitulation to Newcastle
Newcastle were toying with a “sorry” Leicester side in their meeting on Monday night, according to former Foxes striker Alan Smith.
In-form Jacob Murphy opened the scoring for the Magpies after only three minutes, as the Foxes struggled to deal with a fast start.
Things only got worse for Leicester when Fabian Schar attempted a David Beckham-esque shot from his own half, which cannoned off the bar, landing fortuitously at the feet of Murphy once again, who slotted past a hapless Mads Hermansen.
The Foxes began the match having won one game in 14, losing the other 13, but looked hopelessly outclassed.
Leicester ‘on their knees’ after fast Newcastle start
Commentating on Sky Sports, former Leicester and Arsenal striker, Smith, gave his review on the Foxes performance after two early goals from Newcastle, saying (8.15pm): “This could get ugly, it really could. Leicester are on their knees, already.
“And it is a sorry sight for my old club. Newcastle are toying with them.”
Having sacked Steve Cooper with Leicester sitting 16th in the Premier League, the club appointed Ruud van Nistelrooy, after the Dutchman had left Man United following a stint as caretaker manager.
Key Leicester players were unimpressed with Cooper’s tactics and playstyle, and the idea was for the former Real Madrid striker to instil a more attractive style of play.
Instead, the Foxes are now destined for relegation and with Harvey Barnes adding a third for Newcastle against his old club, the best case scenario for the Midlands side is to avoid a drubbing, with the players on-field looking bereft of belief.
Steve Cooper sacking a warning to other promoted clubs
Football Insider Verdict
The grim state of affairs at the King Power Stadium should be headed by all soon-to-be-promoted sides, making the treacherous journey from the Championship, to the Premier League.
Leicester arrived as champions of the second tier, and whilst they did lose Enzo Maresca in the summer, Cooper seemed like a shrewd appointment.
Whilst his football is pragmatic and a far cry from what some aspire to play, the ex-Forest boss has made a name for himself by getting results.
That’s exactly what he did earlier in the season, and although there was still plenty of time for things to go wrong, Leicester were on-course to survive on their return to the big-time.
Instead, they made the fateful error of sacking Cooper in favour of a younger manager, promising to make the football more attractive whilst also improving results.
Leicester’s toils should be a lesson to both themselves, and other’s making their way to the Premier League, winning games is the priority and if you have a manager achieving that, it’s probably best to stick with them.