What Rodgers said about banner calling for his sacking

In the contest against Crystal Palace, a section of the Leicester City fanbase unravelled a banner about Brendan Rodgers which called for the boss’s sacking. Foxes of Leicester detail what the Northern Irishman said of the matter ahead of another crunch match against Leeds United at King Power Stadium as the atmosphere threatens to get ugly.

To be quite honest, not many of us Blue Army members expected Rodgers to still be in charge at Leicester currently. The annoying, contradictory pre and post-match interviews are one thing, flat football and poor results are other elements which grind supporters down. Yet the aspect which is most notably missing, and what fans like Foxes wish to witness, is a determination and spirit to never give up. A factor long since gone in general, only seen versus Nottingham Forest which was a rare occurrence.

This is why swathes of the faithful have really turned against Rodgers: entertainment is one things, preserving Premier League status through any means necessary is another. During the Palace stalemate, a banner stating ‘Board – the time for action is now!’ was held aloft by some home spectators. It is a request for the chairman or board to sack the manager. Rodgers had this to say about the incident:

"Message to fans who held up banner?“Not really. When I came in here, it was to take the team up the league and try to disrupt the top teams and we were able to do that, with two fifth-placed finishes. We won the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history, then we haven’t been able to strengthen in the summer. If you can’t strengthen and other teams do, you’re going to get overtaken. I respect that we were unable to do anything in the summer. If there is anger to vent, it will be to me because it can’t be to the owners. They’ve been amazing here. That’s something I take on board but it doesn’t shift my concentration on the job. I’m an experienced manager now. I’ll always do my very best and I can regulate all that pressure. There’s no drama with that. When we were winning the FA Cup, I had critics, so when we’re at the bottom, I’ll definitely have critics. So you just look to your next game.”Leicester Mercury"

Leeds United visit Leicester City for a big game

Can you say that a team ‘welcome’ opponents to their ground for a competitive match? I don’t think so: the phrase is an oxymoron in the sporting sense. Any pleasantries or niceties undertaken are simply protocol; every side must aim to destroy the opposition in any clash, so to speak, or the entire fixture is a waste of time.

That being said, three points are absolutely vital for LCFC in Thursday evening as they welcome a relegation rival. For Brendan Rodgers, it is essential that his men are not defeated because his time on Filbert Way would surely have to come to an end. Even a win doesn’t guarantee that Rodgers remains in the job by the end of the season – but the bottom EPL club are certainly desperate for the victory. It’ll be a fight, with the Whites in a similar position.