Brentford 1-1 Leicester (Jensen 32’| Barnes 52′)
GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM — Someone should probably tell Leicester they’re in a relegation scrap. Throughout their 1-1 draw with Brentford, they had the inimitable air of 11 men who had returned from a particularly heavy lunch to be reminded they had a Premier League game in 15 minutes.
It was lackadaisical, limp, lifeless, loveless. Yes, they managed not to lose, but that misses the point as spectacularly as they are appearing to.
If anything, this result will only further entrench the Foxes’ apparent belief that they’re not really being hunted, that they’re somehow in control of the freefall, that there’s a parachute tucked somewhere in James Maddison’s shorts.
All it took was the briefest moment of class – Maddison’s scything pass finding Harvey Barnes behind the Bees defence – for Leicester to pick up a point. That goal demonstrated what this side are capable of, yet also how little they’re really trying. Even the attempted kick-off routine to begin the second-half was apathetic, dismissively swatted away by Ethan Pinnock.
Perched one point above the relegation zone, it defies logic why the Foxes don’t appear to be panicking. For the most part, a draw seemed to suit Brendan Rodgers and co – they were just happy their threadbare defence was not tested as much as expected. They appeared comfortable to sleepwalk through their afternoon, as they may continue sleepwalking toward relegation.
Optimists will argue that a point at the Gtech Community Stadium is an achievement. Brentford have only lost one home league game all season, haven’t you heard?
Yet whether it was the midweek trip to Southampton or Leicester’s banality rubbing off on them, Brentford did not look their usually scintillating selves either. With their usual forward trio of Ivan Toney, Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo seemingly replaced by clones allergic to goalscoring, the burden of excitement fell to Rico Henry.
Henry’s left foot stood out like Harry Souttar in a primary school amidst the drabness, fuelling almost all moments of real class for the Bees. The opener was a direct product of that boot, floating in a pinpoint pass from outside the box to Mbeumo. His cutback was deflected to Mathias Jensen, and as so often this season, the Dane did exactly what was asked of him.
Substitute Shandon Baptiste’s late sending-off for two yellow cards in quick succession was an apt demonstration of the host’s uncharacteristic sloppiness and thoughtlessness.
Maddison showed the only real signs of hope from a Leicester player. Unpopular in west London since he celebrated a 30-yard screamer for Norwich in front of the home crowd five years ago, the captain’s regular remonstrations with the referee and occasional through balls did nothing to endear him this time. He’s now either scored or assisted every time he has faced Brentford in the Premier League, and aside from a couple of early Patson Daka chances, looked the only one likely to break the ennui.
The strains of this season have left Rodgers an angry waxwork of his former self, although his dour Northern Irish drawl lends itself to a relegation scrap.
Before the game, he had praised the opposition for “doing the basics really well.” On a sunny afternoon in Brentford, no-one was doing the basics well. Even as Leicester fans unfurled a “Rodgers Out” banner to their once-adored manager at the end of the game, they struggled to get it up quickly enough, to really put their hearts into it.
After an FA Cup, multiple fifth-placed finishes and a European semi-final, no-one wanted it to end this way. Yet now Leicester and Rodgers are displaying toxic traits of a failing relationship where neither side quite has the bottle to end it. Both are just hoping the other does something catastrophic enough that they don’t end up looking like the bad guy.
It may be time to grow up. It’s not that they don’t love each other, but this clearly isn’t working. Maybe they can be friends?
An entire squad (bar Maddison) does not simultaneously regress by coincidence, less than two years from beating a Champions League-winning Chelsea side to win the FA Cup. Rodgers may not believe he’s changed anything, but that becomes a problem in itself. Jamie Vardy’s decline may be excused by age, but the same cannot be said of Wilfried Ndidi, or Youri Tielemans, or Caglar Soyuncu. Ricardo Pereira was once considered among the league’s best right-backs and Timothy Castagne is a regular starter for Belgium.
This is why most managerial reigns don’t make it as far as Rodgers’ four-years at the King Power. It was suspected in years past that the Northern Irishman had a three-year sell-by date of his own, and he certainly has not disproved that this season.
Of the nine-strong potential relegation cohort, only Leicester, West Ham and Nottingham Forest have not changed their manager this season. Patrick Vieira’s sacking at Crystal Palace may have seemed rushed, but it displayed a decisiveness that may be necessary to escape the mire.
Rodgers did at least show some ruthlessness pre-match, axing Danny Ward from the starting line-up, with Daniel Iversen taking his place. The Dane made the game’s only save, which perhaps says more about the match than his performance, and the Leicester boss confirmed after the game that the No 1 spot was now his to lose.
Change is clearly better than a rest for Rodgers’ starting keeper spot. Maybe it’s time to accept the same may be true for him.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/i3rDa7m
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