It was a good job Dean Smith had tickets only for the practice rounds at the Masters because by the end of last week, instead of admiring the view at Augusta he was analysing Leicester City’s lethargic performance in defeat by Bournemouth in preparation for replacing Brendan Rodgers. “You’re not allowed your phone on the course, so I didn’t know until I got back to the hotel,” says Smith of the need to swiftly head to London for talks with Leicester.
Leicester are in an unusual spot, a place and two points off the bottom of the Premier League. Last season they finished eighth and reached the Europa Conference League semi-finals. The previous year they won the FA Cup and secured a second successive fifth-placed finish, and six years ago this week Craig Shakespeare, who has returned as Smith’s assistant, led the team at Atlético Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final; only Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy, who have struggled this season, remain from the starting XI that night. Marc Albrighton is on loan at West Brom.
