Brendan Rodgers voiced his frustration at the Leicester City owners following a quiet transfer window after admitting his struggling side face an uphill battle in the Premier League.
Rodgers has been left picking up the pieces following a frustrating summer, with the home supporters again venting their disappointment after a 1-0 defeat by Manchester United on Thursday as they sit bottom of the table with just one point from five games.
Wesley Fofana and Kasper Schmeichel departed after Ademola Lookman’s loan expired, with third-choice goalkeeper Alex Smithies and deadline-day signing Wout Faes all that came the other way.
Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha explained their restricted transfer approach in his programme notes ahead of Thursday night’s game which ended with boos at the final whistle after Jadon Sancho’s goal proved enough to give United all three points and leave the Foxes bottom.
“I’m happy that the window’s shut, if I’m being honest,” Foxes boss Rodgers said. “I mean, there were huge distractions for this window.
“You’ll have read the programme notes and seen the situation that the club is in, so to have to watch virtually every single club in the top five leagues get players in and for us not to be able to improve, that was difficult, not just as a manager but for the players, because players want to compete.
“This group have shown that they can compete, but we needed (help) - but unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get that.
“So, in terms of the results, it’s my responsibility. I take that.
“We should have won by now. We’ve been in a couple of games and in really good positions, but we weren’t able to see it through, so I totally understand it.
“Supporters want to see the team win and if they’re not, they’ll tell you.
“So, for us, we won’t hide behind the rock and go away. We’re ready to fight now but it’s going to be really, really important that the supporters really get behind the players.
“As I said, it’s a really, really challenging situation with not being able to freshen up this team and this group of players.
“We really need their encouragement and help to push the players through.
“We’ll get a win sooner rather than later but we really need them behind us and that’s important.”
While Rodgers endured a testing window, United ended the summer having strengthened in a number of areas.
Cristiano Ronaldo started from the bench on a night when the transfer deadline passed without a much-discussed exit coming to pass.
Antony completed his big-money switch from Ajax on Thursday and the Brazil international will be pushing to be involved in Sunday’s clash against table-topping Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Erik Ten Hag’s men continue to make progress following their wretched start to the season and left the King Power Stadium having secured a third-straight Premier League win.
Ten Hag named an unchanged side for a third-straight match, meaning Cristiano Ronaldo started from the bench on a night when the transfer deadline passed without a much-discussed exit coming to pass.
Antony completed his big-money switch from Ajax on Thursday and the Brazil international will be pushing to be involved in Sunday’s clash against table-topping Arsenal at Old Trafford.
“Maybe that is too quick to say that (we have turned a corner),” Ten Hag said. “We are happy with it, that is sure.
“You can see there is raising a team, a squad raising, they are sticking together.
“They are supporting each other, they fight for each other, they cooperate - that is important - and if you do that you get the right scores and we did that the last three games.
“Now we have to step up further, we have to improve further. Sunday, a really good game, a really good test, so we are looking forward.”
PA
