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Smith: We fell a little bit short

28 May 2023

Leicester manager rues side's relegation saying their 'best performance' came too late

Leicester City manager Dean Smith said his team’s best performance came too late to save them from relegation.

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Leicester beat West Ham United 2-1 at home but that was not enough to take them above Everton, who edged past AFC Bournemouth 1-0, and into 17th.

“That was our best performance today,” Smith told Sky Sports. “We deserved a win. We put some pressure on [Everton] but it wasn't to be.

“When I came here with eight games to go I thought we probably needed 11 points. We’ve fallen two short of that with nine – and it ended up being 11 points.

“I’ll look back at the Leeds and Everton game, but it’s over a long season. I’m disappointed for the owner here and the staff and the players. It wasn’t to be.

"I didn’t know their [Everton] score. I didn’t want to know. All I was concentrating on was trying to win this game. You hear things around the ground. I just wanted to make sure we did our bit and we did that.

“There will be a review from people who have been here all season and will understand it. Mine was a remit to come in for seven weeks and eight games and try to keep the club in the Premier League. Unfortunately I’ve fallen a little bit short.”

Allardyce regrets errors

Sam Allardyce came in to Leeds United with only four matches to save them but fell short after watching his team lose 4-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

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The manager was downbeat after seeing his side concede two minutes into the first and second halves, first to Harry Kane and then to Pedro Porro.

"Well, it’s professional suicide,” he said. “You prepare for a game, you get the players down here, put some tactics into play, look at the opposition’s strengths and weaknesses and play the game as best you possibly can.

“The huge errors that you make, Harry Kane’s going to take full advantage of. We messed up again, tried to fight our way back, messed up again in a big way."