Shakespeare: We Have To Take It On The Chin

- Leicester City beaten 6-1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Thursday evening 
- Ben Chilwell scored for the Foxes while Harry Kane (4) and Son Heung-min (2) found the net for Spurs 
- City have one more game against AFC Bournemouth to come on Sunday afternoon 
- Shakespeare urges his team to not let their season end on a low after a disappointing night 

Leicester City manager Craig Shakespeare couldn’t hide his disappointment after his side suffered a 6-1 Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at King Power Stadium on Thursday night. 

In their penultimate game of the season, the Foxes faced a 2-0 half-time deficit when Harry Kane and Son Heung-min scored for the visitors, but Ben Chilwell’s first professional goal gave them hope in the second half. 

However with the game becoming increasingly stretched, another Son strike and three more for Kane handed the Foxes a heavy defeat on the night and the manager was honest in his post-match reflections. 

“They are an excellent side,” said Shakespeare of Spurs. “I knew that before the game. We were totally second best. From the third goal, that was the disappointing thing for me. I made the decision to change the shape because, you could see, their fluid movement and the way they moved between the lines, I couldn’t see us getting back into the game with the shape we were playing in. 

“I thought in the second half, for the first 10-15 minutes, we actually did. We caused them some problems. The disappointing thing for me, when we conceded the third goal, I didn’t see enough desire there to defend as a team. It really drained us of any belief. From then, there was only one side in it and they looked like scoring every time they [went forward].” 

Spurs’ third goal of the game came quickly after Chilwell scored for the Foxes – a composed right foot finish – and from that point Shakespeare’s men had to take more risks to try to haul themselves back into contention, and Spurs took advantage. 

Shakespeare added: “Of course I have to take some responsibility for that (choosing the formation in the second half). I wanted to get back in the game and choose an attacking formation. But also when you’re in the transition, when Spurs are in possession, they’re a quality side and they opened us up. Like I said, I have to take some responsibility in that but, at 3-1, we looked a forlorn side in the second half. 

“I haven’t seen that in us for a long time. As players, to a man, since I’ve been in charge, they’ve been excellent and I’ve not seen that. There’s no positives. If you get beat 6-1, there’s no positives. 

“As a coach, as a manager, you reflect on it and we have the opportunity to get it right [on Sunday]. And that’s what we need to do. We need to put in a performance on Sunday. I’ve spoken on numerous occasions about trying to finish as high as possible. This is a real dent in it but we are capable of putting in a good performance on Sunday and we need to. 

“It’s a very hard result to take. But take it we have to because it happened. We have to take it on the chin. Make no mistake, we have to bounce back. In football, when you have these setbacks, you have to roll your sleeves up. That’s why tomorrow I’ll be telling these players ‘come on, we’re not going to finish on a low’ which this is.”