Brendan Rodgers admits Leicester were ‘too soft’ and ‘lacked courage’ as they collapsed to stunning defeat by
Brendan Rodgers questioned Leicester’s mentality after their 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth on Sunday. The Foxes were in full control when Jamie Vardy opened the scoring with his 23rd Premier League goal of the season. Getty – Pool Rodgers was furious with his side’s second-half display against Bournemouth However, Rodgers’ side conceded four second-half goals and had star defender Caglar Soyuncu sent off in a stunning collapse at the Vitality Stadium. It means Leicester will drop out of the top four for the first time since September if Manchester United beat Southampton on Monday. Rodgers said: “We lacked courage in the second-half, to take the ball. We had good opportunities and decent control in the first-half. “They changed their shape a little bit. For the first 15 minutes you’ve got to grind it out. They’ve got nothing to lose and have to come after the game. “You’ve got to grind it out in football sometimes. That first 15 minutes we did that but we weren’t making quick enough angles, we weren’t taking responsibility on the ball. “We concede the penalty, which is then, okay, we get to 1-1. But we still have to show a greater mentality in the game. Getty Images – Getty Junior Stanislas kept his cool from the penalty spot to bring Bournemouth level “It is something that surprised me, to be honest. In all the time I’ve been here I mentioned in the week about the strength of mentality in this team. “But second-half we were too soft in too many ways. That was the big disappointment. To end up losing 4-1, it was a big surprise, especially after the first-half.” Meanwhile, Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe insisted the club’s relegation fight remained ‘alive’ with their first win since the Premier League restart. Dominic Solanke netted his first league goals for the Cherries since his £19million move from Liverpool in January 2019 with Junior Stanislas also on the scoresheet. Bournemouth are just three points from safety with as many games to go. Howe said: “It’s a massive result for us, we knew we needed to win. Getty – Pool Solanke netted a brace to keep Bournemouth’s survival hopes alive “It was a really difficult first 45 minutes. Leicester played very well, we didn’t. “But so pleased with the players because in that moment when everything looks like it’s conspiring against us we found something from somewhere. “Again, against the odds, we showed great qualities, which has always been the hallmark of the team and the club. And we’re going to need that even more so in the next three games. “I think we’ve got it all on to achieve it but we can do it. We wouldn’t have been able to do it if we hadn’t got the win tonight. It keeps us alive.”,
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