I wouldn’t exactly put Leicester City manager Dean Smith into the David Brent category, but the former Aston Villa boss is a bit like ex-Foxes head coach Brendan Rodgers. And I’m not really interested in what people say in disagreement or if they try to convince me otherwise, with all due respect.
Living slightly above our stations is natural for some of us. I myself like to think that I’m more akin to genuine journalists and passionate, informative and interesting writers such as Henry Winter and Jonathan Liew. In reality I’m just a professional blogger – editor of two websites, to be fair – with a passion for the Foxes and lots of opinions.
Brendan Rodgers’ view of himself as a coach and his importance in football, or to LCFC generally, was also slightly misguided. Along with appearing self-important and obstinate as a coach. Now, I do not consider Dean Smith on an equal level of ‘Brentishness’ – see The Office, the English and best version – although Smith has made some rather Rodgers-esque remarks of late. Furthermore, he disregarded some crucial seeming players and is going through the motions at Leicester while the building figuratively burns down.
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?
Essentially, I also disagree with Smith here: Leicester’s 2022/23 roster should have easily avoided relegation, although that isn’t really his fault thanks to so little time to influence. With regard to Smith’s “achievement” quote, Rodgers comparatively liked to note his hypothetical successes in advance. The latter also reminded media time and time again of what had been achieved during his tenure. Meanwhile blame was shifted and his own image supposedly gleamed aside a peculiar take on accountability. As the man in charge, you are ultimately the lighting rod.
Another resemblance of both bosses emerged from the quadruple Monday situation – Smith don’t like Mondays. Constantly mentioning and moaning about the days when you compete is a complete cop-out and an aspect that Rodgers would have more than likely spun as an excuse. Basically, Smith gives off the impression of a more likeable and believable boss than Rodgers. But LCFC probably felt comfortable with a safe, homogeneous approach at the club, when a radical motivator – not necessarily Sam Allardyce – was required on Filbert Way.
If the Villa fan keeps Leicester up, I’ll happily eat my words and the Blue Army will embrace him as a legend and one of our own. But, sadly, English top-flight survival is becoming further and further out of the Foxes’ reach. And the chairman’s decisions are increasingly contentious.