‘You finish where you deserve to’ says Leicester’s Dean Smith; fans entitled to their fury, claims Leeds’ Sam Allardyce

LONDON – Dean Smith admitted Leicester City got what they deserved after the former Premier League champions were relegated on the final day of a dismal season.

Despite

Sunday’s 2-1 win against West Ham United,

Smith’s side were condemned to play in the second tier for the first time since 2014 after their relegation rivals

Everton beat Bournemouth 1-0.

Just seven years after their against-all-odds title triumph, Leicester finished two points behind fourth-bottom Everton.

It was a painful end to a troubled season that featured the exit of former boss Brendan Rodgers by mutual consent in early April.

Smith was hired to save Leicester on a short-term contract until the end of the season.

But the 52-year-old suffered a second successive relegation after dropping out of the Premier League with Norwich City last season.

Smith conceded he had fallen short in his rescue mission but made it clear there were no excuses for his Thai-owned club’s decline.

“We put some pressure on 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,” he said.

“I’m disappointed for the owner here and the staff and the players.”

Leicester

won the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history

in 2021 and finished fifth in the Premier League in successive seasons in 2020 and 2021.

Only last season, they came a creditable eighth, making their sudden descent into the Championship all the more surprising.

Asked why Leicester find themselves in this position, Smith said: “I don’t think that’s a question for me. I failed on my part because I felt we needed 11 points.

“Every manager will think I could have done this or that but hindsight is a wonderful thing. You finish where you deserve to over a season.

“There will be a review from people who have been here all season and will understand it.”

Leicester will take a massive financial hit from relegation, with several star players likely to want to leave.

England midfielder James Maddison, talented winger Harvey Barnes and veteran striker Jamie Vardy will all have suitors.

Joining Leicester in the second tier next season are Leeds United.

Interim manager Sam Allardyce said Leeds fans were “entitled” to their furious response to the club’s relegation on Sunday after three years in the top tier.

Allardyce’s side needed Everton and Leicester to drop points, but both won while Leeds were

thrashed 4-1 by Tottenham Hotspur.

It was a fittingly depressing end to a troubled season, and frustrated Leeds supporters spent much of the match calling for the board to quit, while also berating their underperforming players.

Chants of “Leeds are falling apart again” and “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” echoed from the Elland Road stands.

Allardyce had no complaints about the jeers.

“It is a huge disappointment to me not to have gotten more results from the players. I can’t blame them for not trying.

“They gave everything they have but you can’t make those errors at this level,” he said.

“I’m disappointed for the fans. They are very entitled to show their disapproval. They filled the stadium to support and the lads should have given them more to get behind them.

“It is a great shame. The fans go home disappointed and rightly so. If we had been more resilient, we could have had more in our favour.”

The last time Leeds were relegated from the Premier League in 2004, it took them

16 years to get back to the top tier.

Like Smith at Leicester, Allardyce is yet to find out if he will be guiding Leeds’ promotion bid.

The former England boss failed to win any of his four games after replacing the sacked Javi Gracia, but has hinted he would like to stay in charge beyond this season.

“There is a lot to be done, even for the Championship,” said Allardyce.

“Goals to be scored and goalscorers to score them. That is an area (to improve).” AFP