Alan Shearer: Leicester could make history again as the first champions to be relegated in nearly 80 years
Leicester's title defence has been a shambles and the Foxes now look like they are in a relegation battle
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I WAS with Sir Alex Ferguson at this year’s Masters talking with a jubilant Danny Willett after his dramatic triumph at Augusta.
It was Willett’s first major win as he rocked the world of golf.
As the champagne flowed Sir Alex said to him: “You know how we celebrated winning our first trophy at Manchester United? We went out and won another one.”
The message was simple — don’t let it end here, go out and do it again.
Of course United under Fergie’s leadership were the masters of that. As soon as they won one trophy they set their sights on the next. It is a shame Leicester City were not offered similar advice, or if they were, they certainly did not listen.
If ever a group of players were resting on their laurels after what was achieved last season it is this lot.
You cannot take anything away from that amazing title triumph.
And I am not saying Leicester could have won the league again this season, nor am I saying they should be up there with Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool right now.
They have all taken giant strides from where they were last term.
But though it was highly unlikely we would win the title again at Blackburn after our success in 1995, we at least tried — we still worked hard and gave our best — which is not something Leicester did on Saturday.
They are are doing their best to prove right the detractors who labelled their title win as a mere fluke in a year when a lot of big clubs were in transition or turmoil, depending how you look at it.
But if they had the same application this time around, they would not be in a position where the manager had to give up on defending the title a fortnight ago.
Leicester should still be in the top half — even with the loss of N’Golo Kante. You cannot keep using his departure to Chelsea as a reason for under performing.
The Foxes spent around £70million on new players but they seem to have been infected with the same apathy which has hit the title-winning ones.
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Unfortunately the hard work that got them to that unlikely triumph is nowhere to be seen.
It has been different in the Champions League, however, where they have already won their group. Perhaps the players and manager subconsciously prioritised that adventure.
It is all very new and exciting, they can get up for that. As for the bread and butter of the Premier League and trips to Sunderland . . . ‘nah’.
The biggest mistake they could make now is believing they are not in a relegation scrap, because they are.
On Saturday, Sunderland gave them a lesson in what you have to do in that position — work hard and fight.
That is something they themselves were not doing earlier this season but are now. Leicester rocked up to the Stadium of Light thinking ‘We are the champions and this won’t be a problem’.
That is a big error for any team in this Premier League.
Going back to Manchester United, one of their biggest strengths was in taking every opponent as seriously as the last.
They won titles, not necessarily because they would win all the derbies and high-profile clashes, but because they bulldozed the weaker sides in the league.
United might lose the odd big derby contest or top-of-the-table clash but then they would make sure they won the next five games or more.
Two of the stars of Leicester’s title-winning campaign are among the biggest culprits right now — Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
They are simply not closing people down and working hard enough when they don’t have the ball.
And when they are in possession, Vardy is not putting in the effort that earned him so many goals last season.
Leicester played with two up front on Saturday in Vardy and Islam Slimani.
When you do that you can get overrun in midfield unless one is prepared to drop back when the team does not have the ball.
Neither did.
Last year Shinji Okazaki played a bit more off Vardy and was prepared to do the hard work.
I have highlighted two players but, in truth, boss Claudio Ranieri could drop any of them right now.
As the Italian said after Saturday’s defeat: “Everything last season was right. This season everything is wrong.”
Leicester made history last season and could easily do it again.
Not since Manchester City in 1938 have the champions been relegated the following season.
Now that is not something this team will want to be remembered for.