Leicester City caretaker boss Michael Appleton is focusing purely on preparing his players for Saturday s clash with Swansea City as the club adjusts to the departure of Craig Shakespeare.
Shakespeare, who guided the Foxes away from a relegation battle in impressive fashion last season, was sacked on Tuesday after just one win from the opening eight Premier League games of 2017-18.
That poor start has left the 2015-16 champions languishing in the relegation zone ahead of a trip to the Liberty Stadium this weekend.
Appleton conceded it was a shock to hear of Shakespeare s departure, but called on the squad to concentrate their energies on securing a much-needed win in south Wales.
I was a little bit surprised like most people but then there s the old adage nothing surprises you in football it gets used a lot, he told a media conference.
You find yourself very quickly being put in a situation where you have a group of staff and players to prepare for a big game on Saturday.
MA: “My full focus is making sure I pick the right team for Saturday. Hopefully with a bit of luck and quality we can go and win.”
— Leicester City (@LCFC)
I m hoping the players don t need lifting. The group is very positive and I fully expect our mindset to be on Saturday s game.
My full focus is making sure I pick the right team for Saturday. Hopefully with a bit of luck and quality we can go and win.
Of Shakespeare, he added: I spoke to him a couple of times. He s a little bit raw still. I don t recall him having lost his job before.
He s a bit raw but having been there myself I spent a bit of time talking through how I dealt with it etc and I m sure in the coming days and weeks he ll start thinking positively.
He s highly respected by all the players and staff at the cub. He s been here a long time and done a lot of roles. The one thing I did mention was he was part of me coming here. A top guy.
