The 2022/23 season has brought out arguably the most intense relegation battle in Premier League history, with eight teams all still in danger as we enter the final stage of the season. There are teams that were generally expected to struggle that make up the foundation of the relegation battle, the likes of Bournemouth and Southampton, but there are also some surprise packages that are in real danger. If a few could have foreseen the misfortune of West Ham and Wolves this season, then even fewer would have seen the chaotic slide toward disaster from Leicester City.

Now Leicester have taken the surprising move of hiring Dean Smith until the end of the season. The former Aston Villa manager built a solid reputation for getting the very best out of the likes of Jack Grealish but was most recently unsuccessful in the Championship with a good Norwich City squad. The Leicester fans who breathed a sigh of relief when the deal for Jesse Marsch collapsed may end up ruing the day. So where did it all go wrong for Leicester and Brendan Rodgers?

Goalkeeping Woes

For eleven years, Kasper Schmeichel was a stalwart in the Leicester City goal. The Danish international was equally important in Nigel Pearson’s miraculous relegation escape as he was in Claudio Ranieri’s Premier League win and Rodgers' FA Cup triumph. It’s true that by the end of the 2021/22 season, his form had fallen off a cliff, so a deal was agreed upon to move him onto Nice that summer. The only issue with this plan was that Leicester didn’t see it necessary to replace their long-term number one with a new goalkeeper, instead turning to Wales number one and backup goalkeeper Danny Ward to step up.