“I Hate to Say It…” – Neil Lennon Slams Leicester’s Performance Against West Ham

Graham Potter’s side hosted Leicester City on Thursday (27 February) and secured a comfortable victory at home.

Tomas Soucek opened the scoring for West Ham before Jannik Vestergaard’s own goal doubled their lead in the first half at the London Stadium.

The Hammers faced little resistance from the visitors for most of the match, prompting Neil Lennon to question Leicester’s attitude under Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Leicester Surrender Against West Ham

Lennon believes Leicester effectively threw in the towel during their defeat to the East London club.

The former Northern Ireland international was unimpressed with the Foxes’ overall application and intensity throughout the game.

According to Lennon, the East Midlands side lacked quality and belief, leading to another disappointing Premier League loss.

Speaking on Football on TNT Sports on X (27 February), the former Celtic manager criticized Leicester’s performance.

“Yeah, very much so [Leicester threw in the towel]. I hate to say that about any group of players, but it’s really hard to defend them tonight based on what we saw.

West Ham didn’t even need to be at their best to win comfortably.

“I thought Leicester were very passive in the first half. They showed some fight in the second half, but there was zero quality and zero belief in their approach. The game just seemed to pass them by.”

Potter’s Tactical Setup Proves Effective

While Leicester struggled, Potter deserves credit for setting up West Ham effectively and ensuring they took all three points.

His tactical approach stifled Leicester, allowing his side to control the game with relative ease.

The English manager appears to be on the right track, having also masterminded a 1-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday (22 February).

Next up, the Hammers face Newcastle United in the Premier League on 10 March.

With a brief break before that fixture, Potter has the opportunity to fine-tune his plans and reinforce his team’s momentum.

The former Chelsea boss has endured a hectic period since taking over from Julen Lopetegui at the London Stadium.

The winter transfer window brought uncertainty and speculation, but things now appear to be settling for the East London club.

Meanwhile, Leicester’s poor form continues, with this latest result marking their 11th defeat in the last 12 Premier League matches.

Their struggles have been evident, and the lack of fight against West Ham only amplified their issues.

For Potter, this win was essential. Dropping points against such an out-of-form side would have been concerning.

Now, with Leicester out of the way, the focus shifts to finishing the season as strongly as possible.