Praet seemingly criticises Rodgers and Leicester teammates
Currently loaned Leicester City midfielder Dennis Praet has criticised his treatment while with the Foxes. That included manager Brendan Rodgers.
If you read Praet’s latest interview, it doesn’t take a lot of interpretation to realise it is criticism of the boss. In addition, by default, the Belgium international also levels a shot at his counterparts at Leicester. Teammates, in other words.
"“Yes, I was no longer happy at Leicester,” the 27-year-old told Het Nieuwsblad. “Okay, I was out for a long time with a hamstring injury, but after that I didn’t get any more chances.“I thought that my competitors did not excel and that I had shown myself in the first months when I was allowed to participate in 12 matches in a row. Just ask the fans.“Unfortunately, the coach no longer saw it in me. Brendan Rodgers is a trainer who speaks a lot, but I didn’t get an explanation. In front of me, of course, was James Maddison, the star of the team. I was treated somewhat unfairly.”– Dennis PraetVia Leicester Mercury"
Although the latterly mentioned example by myself was slightly veiled at first, Praet is more than entitled to question why certain players were being chosen ahead of him. And that is especially relevant as the east Midlands team were, and still are, deficient with regard to creativity in the middle of the pitch toward the No.10 remit.
Maddison’s form had already evaporated whilst the former Anderlecht man was still on Filbert Way. In fact, this season Praet could have been deployed in a number a of viably helpful positions.
Is Leicester City midfielder right, and if so should he publicly censure the boss of a club to which he belongs?
Essentially, in my honest view, Praet is arguably correct – Youri Tielemans and Wilfred Ndidi are ‘undroppable’, so therefore cast doubt on Praet’s longevity in the team, but Maddison is up for debate – and the current Torino loanee is definitely allowed to voice his opinion.
Airing your ‘dirty laundry’ or problems in public is an age-old elite sporting tradition in Europe and ‘transatlantically’ – but is always ill-advised because of obvious ramifications. In this instance Praet, as a top national player – or he at least was until omitted from the Belgian squad most recently, presumably due in part to the LCFC issues – has a legitimate complaint.
Praet possibly wants to force a permanent move away from Leicester and is using the media as leverage, and who can blame him?