Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has defended the job done by his former manager Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City.
The pundit believes Foxes fans need to dial down their expectations a bit if they’re calling for Rodgers to be replaced at the King Power Stadium after some unconvincing performances and results so far this season.
Leicester beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final last season and have often come close to finishing in the top four in recent times, though they’ve often slipped up late on.
It remains to be seen if Rodgers can do much more with the squad he has, but Carragher believes it’s unfair to be framing his achievements in a negative light.
The Northern Irish tactician has been working under challenging circumstances at Leicester, as Carragher has pointed out in defence of the 48-year-old.
“Rodgers’ win-rate at just below 50 per cent is the highest of any Leicester City coach in the Premier League era, including [Claudio] Ranieri,” Carragher said.
“For the last three years, Leicester have punched above their weight and played in a style which is more difficult to sustain without the kinds of budget enjoyed by the title challengers.
“That makes some of the criticism Rodgers and Leicester have endured this season hard to understand. I was driving home from a game two weeks ago, listening to a radio phone-in, and I heard the cliched complaint about managers enduring a tough period that Rodgers has ‘taken the team as far as he can’.
“My question is this: where exactly are Leicester supposed to be right now? Has one historic season created the illusion that should be the norm?
“Fans’ high expectations are understandable, but they should also be realistic. Leicester’s title winning team included N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez, players who were snapped up by Chelsea and Manchester City shortly after.
“Rodgers has not had a player to compare, and when a prospect like Ben Chilwell breaks through, or Harry Maguire establishes himself as an England international, he too is lured to a bigger club.
“Aside from Youri Tielemans, who would get into a top four team? Jamie Vardy would have done so in his prime. The rest of the squad is made up of excellent Premier League players and youngsters with potential. No neutral can seriously look at its depth and say Leicester should be in the Champions League.
“The narrative which took hold in 2020 and 2021 that Leicester blew it in the final stages is unfair. Over the course of 38 games they finished higher than should have been expected when each season began.
“The trouble for modern coaches, especially those who hit the ground running having been appointed, is that only an upward trajectory is tolerated.
“That is contributing to the shortened shelf life of a manager at a club. Fans and executives believe the best and most cost effective way of freshening up the training ground is to change the coach rather than sign new players.”