LONDON
\nDean Smith insisted that Leicester can avoid relegation after the Premier League strugglers hired him as their manager until the end of the season on Monday.
\nFormer Aston Villa and Norwich boss Smith replaced Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked on April 2 after his side\u2019s slump into relegation trouble.
\nSmith will take charge for Leicester\u2019s last eight games of the campaign as they battle to avoid dropping into the Championship for the first time since 2014.
\nThe Foxes sit second bottom of the table and are two points from safety after Saturday\u2019s damaging 1-0 home defeat against fellow strugglers Bournemouth.
\n\u201cI\u2019m really happy to have the opportunity to lead the team during these final weeks of the season,\u201d Smith said.
\n\u201cThe challenge in front of us is clear, but it\u2019s one myself and my coaching team have experienced before and, with the quality in this squad and the number of games remaining, it\u2019s very much achievable.
\n\u201cOur first job is to rebuild confidence and instil belief in the team and I\u2019m looking forward to getting to work with the players this week.\u201d
\nLeicester have lost both matches since Rodgers was sacked, with first-team coaches Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell taking charge on an interim basis prior to Smith\u2019s appointment.
\nSmith\u2019s backroom staff will include former Chelsea and England captain John Terry, who previously worked for him as an assistant coach at Villa.
\nCraig Shakespeare also returns to the King Power Stadium as Smith\u2019s assistant manager.
\nShakespeare was part of Claudio Ranieri\u2019s coaching team when Leicester stunningly won their fairytale Premier League title in 2016, and also briefly managed the club after the Italian\u2019s sacking.
\nSmith, who was sacked by second-tier Norwich in December, faces a daunting assignment for his first game, a trip to in-form champions Manchester City on Saturday.
\n\u201cSaturday will be a big test, but it\u2019s the kind of occasion that reminds us all what it means to be a Premier League club, competing on the biggest stages against the best players in the world,\u201d Smith said.
\n\u201cI know we\u2019ll be well supported by our travelling fans. We have to connect with that and give them a performance they can be proud of. We go there positive, looking for points.\u201d
\nLeicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha believes the 52-year-old Smith can save them from relegation despite their dismal form in 2023.
\nThe Foxes are without a win in their last nine games in all competitions, losing eight of those matches to plummet into the relegation zone.
\n\u201cHis leadership, coaching and motivational qualities will be vital assets for us in the coming eight games as we fight to secure our Premier League status,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve endured a challenging season, but I have no doubt that we have the quality in our squad to win this fight.
\n\u201cDean\u2019s experience will be key to unlocking that potential, helping the team rediscover its confidence and channelling the support of our fans, who will be so important during these final eight games.\u201d
\nRodgers spent four years at Leicester and led the club to their first ever FA Cup triumph in 2021.
\nBut despite finishing a respectable eighth last season, Leicester sold key defender Wesley Fofana to Chelsea, with Rodgers gradually falling out of favour after complaining publicly about a lack of backing from the board over new signings.
\nNow Smith has just a handful of games to arrest the slide and avoid relegation, something he was unable to do while in charge of Norwich last season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Dean Smith insisted that Leicester can avoid relegation after the Premier League strugglers hired him as their manager until the end of the season on Monday. Former Aston Villa and Norwich boss Smith replaced Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked on April 2 after his side\u2019s slump into relegation trouble. Smith will take charge for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":325352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-325341","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n