adminGoing into the game, City boss Gary Rowett had stressed the need for both mental and physical toughness. After the Swansea loss, he told reporters: “We have to start fighting like it really matters.”
That comment raised eyebrows. It naturally leads to the question what exactly had the team been doing before then, and who is responsible for the lack of fight? What Rowett seemed to suggest wasn’t that the players don’t care, but that the squad built to compete at the top end of the table may simply not be equipped, physically or mentally, for a relegation battle.
Whatever he meant, his team selection and tactical approach against Portsmouth suggested he was trying to identify players who could meet that intensity requirement. However, his options were limited due to injuries.
Only two fit centre-backs, Jannik Vestergaard and Jamaal Lascelles, were available and both started automatically.
Jordan James was again missing with a persistent heel injury, while Aaron Ramsey, although back in training, has been out for a long time and would have been a risk to start.
Gary Rowett said he “feels for the fans” after Leicester suffered another defeat on the south coast.
With just three games left, the club’s hopes of salvaging anything from the season are fading fast, with League One now a looming possibility.
“It’s incredibly disappointing,” the manager admitted.
“it wouldn’t change anything to me if I was relegated tomorrow and I had three games left I’d still want to win those three games. That has to be the mentality
He also added that his side lacked “that little bit of fight” needed to avoid conceding, as Portsmouth secured a third straight win to move seven points clear of danger. Rowett stressed that it is now about professionalism in the final matches.
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