Foxes have bigger fish to fry

Do Leicester need the hassle of an FA Cup run?

Leicester look to give fans a rare reason to cheer in midweek when hosting Derby in an FA Cup Fourth Round replay at the King Power Stadium. But, is it really worth the hassle for last season’s Premier League champions?

Granted, the FA Cup is adored by fans the world over, but do The Foxes need the distraction of an extended run in the competition when they have a relegation fight biting down hard? It is, undoubtedly, one of the closest run races at the wrong end of the table in recent years and, back in the summer, there wouldn’t have been many punters expecting to see Leicester in the thick of it.

Sacrifices must be made

But they are and, with a record of just five wins, six draws and a hurtful 13 defeats from their 24 league starts, fans are beginning to run low on confidence in the team. Leicester have lost each of their last four league starts, against Chelsea, Southampton, Burnley and, most recently, Man Utd. To make matters worse, they have failed to score a single goal in five, a run covering all of 2017.

Sections of the media are beginning to turn on manager Claudio Ranieri, suggesting last season’s champ is this year’s chump, and bookies have him near the top of the market to be the next manager to lose his job. Offer the boss a straight deal – a run in the FA Cup or keep their place in the top flight? You’d get your answer without hesitation. Ask fans, who love the competition so – win the FA Cup and stick it in the trophy cabinet, glittering away next to last year’s Premier League title, or stay in the top flight? Once again, they’d put you in the picture straight away.

The curse of the FA Cup