Rodgers bemoans lack of Leicester signings again after Brighton defeat

Pressure is continuing to mount on Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers after a fifth consecutive Premier League defeat, this time a 5-2 reverse against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. The Foxes were outclassed from minute two to 90, failing to capitalise on taking the lead in the first minute and allowing their hosts to dance around them for the rest of the afternoon.

If the City boss was feeling the heat beforehand, his stress will be exacerbated tenfold now, particularly as his players performed with an air of resignation in the second half, appearing to exhibit zero fight or commitment and accepting their fate. The tide has now well and truly turned among LCFC followers on social media, with the discourse changing dramatically to wanting a change in manager, with some going as far as accusing the Northern Irishman of trying to get himself sacked.

Sitting in the King Power hot seat for three and a half years, this is the longest Rodgers has managed any club, and there has been a suggestion for months now that his ideas might be going stale and his natural cycle may be coming to and end. Speaking to TalkSport after the Brighton defeat, Rodgers outlined his continued commitment to manage Leicester City:

"“I’m young and fresh as a manager and enjoyed every minute of my time here at Leicester and will continue to until someone tells me different.I love working with the players. We have to stay strong and stay focussed and get that confidence back”"

It’s not only the lack of fight and desire being shown on the pitch, reflective of Rodgers’ ideas and methods on the training ground, that are turning the majority of fans against him, as many supporters have also taken issue with his comments in the media while his position is under scrutiny. The above quotes will not do the manager any favours with the fan base, as they create the impression he is thinking solely about himself and protecting brand Rodgers rather than acting in the best interests of the club.

Doing the media round after yesterday’s humbling defeat, Rodgers left himself open to more similar criticism by lamenting the disappearance of quality in the squad, citing lack of major signings as a key component of that. Talking to BBC Radio Leicester, when asked where the quality had gone from a side winning the FA Cup and securing two fifth places, the Northern Irishman said:

"“That goes from the squad still being virtually the same.“The squad needed improving and that stops complacency from coming in.”"

While Rodgers is correct to an extent – in that if you stand still in the Premier League you get overtaken and risk going stale – these words come from the same man who allegedly overruled his recruitment team to bring in Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand on big wages last summer. With a new Head of Recruitment unable to join until after the transfer window, it’s no wonder Rodgers isn’t entirely trusted by the club’s hierarchy to make decisions on incoming players.

The manager has said recently that he respects the financial situation that Leicester City is experiencing, and that he couldn’t bring in the five or six players he wanted to to increase competition in the squad, but it’s best now that he keeps quiet and works to deliver with the personnel available to him. There’s no transfer window until January, and the winter window is one that Premier League clubs try to avoid dipping into, so Rodgers would be better served to keep quiet and avoid aggravating his bosses and the supporters.

Squad morale is at an all time low, and there was even a very public disagreement on the south coast pitch yesterday between Danny Ward and Wilfred Ndidi. Players’ belief is never going to improve if their manager consistently indirectly throws them under the bus every time he faces the media. He had a message to supporters yesterday:

"“Keep supporting the team.“This is a team that needs support more than ever.“If they’re nervous when the team is making passes at the back, that will make the players anxious.“It’s so important they support the team.”"

This has wound Foxes fans up a treat once more, because in saying this with his other comments in the media effectively suggesting the squad available to him isn’t up to the required level, Rodgers has been accused of hypocrisy by the east Midlands team’s fan base. Not only that, but others have pointed out that Brendan Rodgers was appointed to manage the club’s employees and not to police the opinions of those who fund the club in match day revenue or instruct them how to behave.