What Smith MUST do to save Leicester from relegation

Unite a downbeat squad, sort out a shaky defence and get a tune out of James Maddison and Jamie Vardy… what new boss Dean Smith MUST do in his late rescue act to save Leicester from relegation

  • Dean Smith was appointed as the new Leicester City manager on Monday
  • The former Aston Villa and Norwich coach will have a long list of tasks at hand 
  • Here, Sportsmail takes a look at four different things he’ll need to implement

When new Leicester boss Dean Smith led Aston Villa to safety from a near-hopeless position three years ago, he repeated the same expression: We’re playing tournament football. The phrase hit home. 

The Premier League campaign had resumed after the three-month pause due to coronavirus and teams had cram their remaining games into a 37-day period between June and July. Rather than a league season, it felt like a knockout competition.

Villa were seven points adrift of safety with four to play but gathered eight points from those remaining games to stay above the line by a point. It remains one of Smith’s finest achievements.

After Saturday’s trip to Manchester City, Leicester face fellow strugglers Wolves, Leeds and Everton, before taking on a Fulham side in decline. Time for more tournament football.

Here, Sportsmail looks at the key issues facing Smith as he tries to keep Leicester in the league.

Leicester City confirmed the appointment of Dean Smith as manager until the end of May

Smith will be tasked with saving the Foxes’ season, amid their Premier League relegation battle

UNITE THE SQUAD 

Smith’s toughest and most important task. Eight Leicester players are out of contract at the end of the season and cannot be as invested in this quest as others. 

Then there are players like James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, who know they will likely be sold if Leicester are relegated. 

How does Smith revive those who had a strained relationship with former boss Brendan Rodgers, notably Caglar Soyuncu – one of those out of contract – and Jannik Vestergaard? 

Leicester are a disparate bunch lacking collective spirit. To have any chance of succeeding in his mission, Smith must bring them together again.

SORT OUT THE DEFENCE 

Leicester have not kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since their 2-0 win at West Ham on November 12th – 16 games ago. 

If a team has to score at least twice to win a game, they will inevitably run into trouble. That is where coaches Craig Shakespeare and John Terry come in.

Shakespeare is a Leicester hero who was Claudio Ranieri’s right-hand man when they won the title in 2016, conceding only 36 goals that season. Terry’s playing career instantly commands respect. 

If a former England captain and winner of multiple trophies gives one of Leicester’s centre-backs a piece of advice, he will surely take it on board.

Turkey defender Caglar Soyuncu is one of the Leicester stars nearing the end of his contract

John Terry (left) and Craig Shakespeare (middle) will be part of Smith’s coaching staff and will look to have an impact on the Foxes’ leaky defence

GET JAMIE VARDY AND JAMES MADDISON ON SIDE 

Maddison’s performances have been outstanding this season but the playmaker said he was ‘very low and sad’ after his error presented Bournemouth with the only goal last Saturday, and he briefly deactivated his Twitter account. 

Vardy is not the fearsome striker of old and, as any player would, is struggling to adjust to that. 

Smith is excellent at forging connections with players and Jack Grealish – a friend of Maddison and a similar personality – described Smith as ‘a father figure’ during their time together at Aston Villa. 

As for Vardy, he is a powerful presence in the dressing room whether he is playing or not. Smith understands the importance of ensuring he feels involved.

Jamie Vardy (left) and James Maddison (right) have been Leicester’s key players for years now

LOWER THE TEMPERATURE 

From his experiences at Villa Park, Smith knows how a jittery stadium can hinder a team – and how a united one can help them. 

King Power Stadium has been an angry place for most of the season, with fans berating Rodgers and the team, and players look terrified of making a mistake. 

Smith cannot change the minds of 30,000 Foxes followers overnight but if fans see players giving everything for the cause, they will generally back them. 

Smith likes to canvass his players wherever he can and it is crucial he involves senior stars Jonny Evans and Youri Tielemans closely. 

Both are out of contract in the summer and are struggling with injury but even short of full fitness, the pair can be a huge help on the pitch – and an even greater one off it.

Smith will also be tasked with appeasing the Leicester faithful in the remainder of the season

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