Foxes of Leicester
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I don’t care what you say – Dean Smith is a bit like Brendan Rodgers

By Thomas Bradley Alderman

In this composite image a comparison has been made between Dean Smith, manager of Aston Villa (L) and Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Leicester City (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
In this composite image a comparison has been made between Dean Smith, manager of Aston Villa (L) and Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Leicester City (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /
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Brendan Rodgers, manager of Leicester City (Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images) /

I don’t care what you say – Leicester City gaffer Dean Smith is a bit like former Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers

The LCFC hierarchy liked Brendan Rodgers. The fans did as well – while the team was winning and he spoke sense. But the ownership was loyal to the Northern Irishman for far too long. He should have been sacked earlier when his strategies and tactics failed to work and he refused to alter them. Smith hasn’t been here long enough to have made so many unchanged and unchecked errors.

Yet the 52-year-old is in Rodgers territory already after not altering his own faltering and failing implementations at King Power Stadium. Maybe three centrebacks could have been tried. Papy Mendy has been overlooked despite obviously earning his spot over the recently dreadful Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare; fielding two defensive midfielders didn’t work for the Foxes predecessor either, incidentally.

In addition to those similarities, Smith has made some strange and questionable comments in his press conferences. Though he is more honest and open in interviews than the politician-like Rodgers. Prior to the Liverpool loss, the onetime Norwich City chief gave no incentive to his squad by claiming “It’ll be an achievement if we can stay up with the group of players that we’ve got and the position they were in.” Well, that was very motivational, wasn’t it?! We subsequently lost 3-0 and the Leicester players gave a poor account of themselves against a decent Reds side. If specific players are underperforming, is it not a man manager’s role to reignite athletes’ passion or remove them for more trustworthy performers?