- Leicester City are defeated 5-3 by Fulham in the Premier League
- The Foxes left Craven Cottage empty handed on Monday afternoon
- Harvey Barnes scored twice, alongside a James Maddison penalty
- Dean Smith gave LCFC TV his reaction following a frustrating day
The home supporters were off their feet three times during a blistering opening half, with Willian, Carlos Vinícius and Tom Cairney all on the scoresheet. Cairney added a fourth before City attempted a late comeback, but Willian’s second effectively killed off any hope of an unlikely share of the spoils.
In an honest post-match assessment of proceedings, Manager Smith pulled no punches when speaking to LCFC TV about the nature of the defeat, which keeps Leicester in the lower reaches of the Premier League table.
“I’m really, really disappointed with how we started the game,” he commented. “We set our stall out all wrong. We weren’t quick enough to get out to the ball and we weren’t aggressive enough, giving away a couple of needless free-kicks.
“The first goal killed us a little bit really and we started feeling sorry for ourselves. We did create some chances as well in the first half, but the first-half performance for me sets the tone at the end of the day and we have to be much better than that.
“With the exception of the fifth goal from Willian, when he cuts inside - it’s a great finish and he can do that to any team - the first goal we should save. The second goal they turn the ball over and break too easily through the heart of us. The third goal, same again.
“And the centre midfielder walks through and scores (for the fourth). That can’t happen. It was too similar to the Everton game. We spoke about being harder to beat, but the goals we gave away and the chances we gave away in the first half, there was a gulf between the teams.”
Harvey Barnes pulled a goal back for the visitors to make it 4-1 and after Jamie Vardy missed a second-half penalty, James Maddison did convert from the spot. Barnes’ second of the game, late on, added respectability to the scoreline, but ultimately it wasn’t enough.
“In the Premier League, it’s hard to come back from that start,” the 52-year-old admitted. “We showed some pride in the second half, if you want to call it that, but we had to. The last thing we can do is feel sorry for ourselves.
“Once you feel like that, the game could really get away from us and that would harm the goal difference. Fortunately, we pulled it back. But we’re all take a long hard look at ourselves tomorrow and assess it.
“I’ve told them that we’ll be in tomorrow, we’ll deal with it tomorrow and then move forward. That’s all you can do because we’re running out of time. We felt this was a game and an opportunity and now we have to do it at home next week.
“I didn’t see that coming, certainly the first half. It’s been a really good week of training. All the noises were right, the attitude and the application was right. But that’s not what matters. When it came to matchday, we didn’t perform as we should have today.”
Some 2,296 Foxes supporters made the trip down to the capital and Smith applauded their efforts in travelling to follow the team in difficult times. They are needed more than ever, he believes, in the final three games of the season.
“Stay with us,” the former Aston Villa manager gave as his message to the fans. “Certainly I understand them being frustrated with the first half. They were as frustrated as we were on the touchline as well and we need them to stick with us because that’s the only way we get through this, by being a club together.”