After losing to Swansea 2-0 last weekend, the reigning English champions Leicester City are now in real trouble. The Foxes sit just one position above the relegation zone, leading bottom club Sunderland by only two points. Relegation is now a real threat for the club that created one of sport’s great miracles last May.
An emergency meeting was called up by club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha late at night right after the defeat, which was also the fifth straight league defeat for the Foxes. Claudio Ranieri, who Gary Lineker – the English legendary player and life-long Leicester City fan – claimed should have a “job for life” due to his contribution last season, was promised he was safe, but only until the end of the season.
Ranieri’s relationship with his players is understood to have deteriorated during a woeful run of form in which Leicester became the first reigning champions to go six games without scoring and more than 300 days without an away league win.
The side’s training methods are considered to be a major reason for the unhappiness, but for now it has been made clear they won’t change manager even though the club is now in real trouble of getting relegated.
Five teams are currently embroiled in the cruel brawl to survive. Sam Allardyce, who landed the job at Crystal Palace after he became a laughing stock as England manager, seemingly can’t save the Eagles’ fate. They lost to Stoke City over the weekend, and are now sitting second bottom with only goal difference separating them and Sunderland. Hull City is the other side in the relegation zone. The final run-in for all the teams involved in the relegation fight promises to be the most intense battle of the season.
