Brendan Rodgers not losing sleep over threat of sack despite Leicester woes

Leicester are in a peculiar place; a strange stasis whereby they are desperate not to sell their best players but are acutely aware that without doing so they risk a season of stagnation; an awkward spot where the squad is undeniably weaker than the one that finished eighth in an ultimately disappointing last campaign; an unforgiving world in which a winless start means it is easy to feel as if the walls are caving in at the King Power Stadium. And a situation where supporters – even if only a minority – are happy to join opposition fans in sarcastically chanting about the manager, who led the team to a European semi-final at the Stadio Olimpico in May and to lifting the FA Cup for the first time 12 months earlier, being sacked in the morning.

At least Brendan Rodgers was able to grin and bear it when those songs from the stands at Edgeley Park, where Leicester squeezed past Stockport on penalties in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday, were put to him this week.

“Not for the first time,” smiles Rodgers, for whom the past couple of months have resembled an industrial-size game of Whac-A-Mole: Wesley Fofana effectively downing tools amid several bids from Chelsea; Newcastle trying it on a little in pursuit of James Maddison; Ricardo Pereira’s ruptured achilles; Kasper Schmeichel’s untimely exit days before the season; the planned arrival of a specialist set-piece coach delayed by Brexit red tape. And what about Youri Tielemans, who is free to sign a pre-contract agreement in January?

Last week Rodgers, who has repeatedly outlined his desire to disrupt the top six, reiterated that standing still does not interest him. But first he must make sure Leicester do not go backwards. This season may be only 360 minutes old but