Leicester City ‘There For A Reason’ – Ex-Defender Warns Of Hard Task | OneFootball

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Former Championship defender Erik Pieters is of the view that Leicester City have too much individual talent to go down, pointing to a lack of cohesion as the real issue holding the Foxes back.

Leicester find themselves in a precarious position with seven games remaining, sitting in the relegation places on 39 points, just one behind 21st-placed Portsmouth.

In the latter stages of January, Marti Cifuentes was relieved of his duties, with Andy King stepping in at the King Power Stadium, but a run of four defeats prompted the club to turn to experienced firefighter Gary Rowett.

The former Oxford United boss has overseen seven matches since his mid-February arrival, with Leicester losing just twice in that span, though four draws and a single victory underline their struggles to convert performances into points.

They still boast notable quality in their ranks, including Jamaal Lascelles, described as a top-class defender by a former player, alongside ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks, labelled as one of the club’s standout talents by Adrian Clarke.

Abdul Fatawu has also been tipped by Clarke as being among the top three players in the Championship.

Pieters suggested that while the Foxes possess the individual quality to avoid relegation, their current position reflects issues at a collective level.

He indicated that their strength on paper has not translated into cohesive team performances, which is why they find themselves in trouble despite having players capable of competing at a higher level.

The 37-year-old acknowledged that survival will be a difficult task with only a handful of games remaining, but added that they must now focus on fighting their way out.

Pieters said on EFL All Access (35:08): “I mean everyone is saying Leicester is too good to go down.

“Yes, if you look at the personnel that they have, they are too good to go down, but they are there for a reason.

“The reason might be that they are not as a team.

“I think individually, they have quality players and they should not be there, but they are there.

“That is the reality of the whole story and now they need to fight to get out of there.

“With seven games to go, it is going to be a hard job.”

Leicester’s six-point deduction for breaching financial regulations has added to an already turbulent season for the Foxes.

Looking on the bright side, their final seven opponents average just 1.13 points per game, the lowest in the division, giving Rowett’s side a potentially lifeline-filled run-in as they fight to secure survival.

With the Championship resuming on 3rd April, the Foxes will return to King Power Stadium to host Preston North End in a crucial Good Friday clash, kicking off the final stretch of their survival battle.