2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Fasika Zelealem)
Gary Lineker revealed that Leicester City 's likely relegation to the Championship meant he didn't feel like he was watching his team play in their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool. The home loss on Sunday condemned the Foxes to a swift return to the second division after just one season back into the Premier League in what is their second relegation in three years. With just four wins all season, the former league champions sit 19th with just 18 points and despite what was a dire day at the King Power Stadium, Lineker had a positive outlook on the club's fortunes over the past decade.
READ MORE: Gary Lineker confirms plans for TV presenting future after quitting Match of the Day READ MORE: Gary Lineker set for in-depth BBC interview with Amol Rajan Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, he admitted he'd have suffered the pain of going through two relegations because of their unthinkable Premier League triumph in 2016, as well as capturing the FA Cup five years later. "It's been a a mad decade, a really mad decade," Leicester-born Lineker said. "But if you'd have told me 10 years ago or 12 years ago that Leicester City will win the Premier League and win the FA Cup and then get relegated twice, A: I'd have said, are you completely out of your mind and B: I would have snapped your hand off! "Because those memories that we've had, I mean, basically we've gone back to being Leicester City.
Leicester's always been a kind of yo-yo team, you know, down one season, up the next. That's pretty much our history." While Leicester came close at times against the league leaders, namely Wilfred Ndidi hitting the post in the first half, the Match of the Day host was resigned to the club's relegation given they've won just one game since December.
"This has been coming for weeks and weeks and it's been inevitable," he claimed. "I remember two years ago when it all happened on the last day of the season. I mean, that was like, that was really horribly distressing.
"But there's been a degree of certainty for quite some considerable time. Even watching the game today, obviously there wasn't any joy, but even though they played well, which was mildly encouraging, it didn't feel like I was watching my team play because you just know what's going to happen there." However, Lineker did say there's no reason why his former side can't attempt yet another swift return to the Premier League, as he insisted: "But I looked at the players on the pitch today and if they can keep, which I'm sure they probably will keep the vast majority of them, they'll be very competitive in the Championship.
" It's been a disastrous return to management for Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, who conceded that his role is now uncertain. "I'm waiting on the clarity of the club and how they want to continue," he said after their relegation. "It is the goal to lead the club.
I have to wait on how the club sees things and take it from there.".
