Dean Smith: Ndidi, Iheanacho 'demoralised'

Everton manager Dean Smith has said that Super Eagles duo of Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho as well as other Leicester City's players are "demoralised" after back-to-back defeats left them deep in relegation trouble, says manager Dean Smith.

The Foxes will be relegated if they lose at Newcastle on Monday and Everton win at Wolves on Saturday.

Defeats away to Fulham and at home to Liverpool have left the Foxes, Premier League champions in 2016, two points from safety with two games left.

"We've conceded too many and have had a defensive fragility," said Smith.

"The goals we've given away in the last two games haven't been good enough.

"They've been demoralised by the last couple of results."

Leicester have won one out of six since Smith was appointed in April until the end of the season, after Brendan Rodgers was sacked.

The Foxes are 19th in the table on 30 points, one place and one point behind Leeds, while Everton, in 17th, are on 32 points.

While Leicester do not play until Monday, Everton are at Wolves on Saturday and Leeds are at West Ham on Sunday).

Leicester's players were booed by their own fans during last Monday's 3-0 home loss to Liverpool. Smith said the team needed the supporters to stick by them and insisted his players were working hard to avoid relegation.

"We need our supporters," he added. "The fans are the most important part of the club.

"I can openly criticise the players if I need to, I don't think I need to and I choose not to because the work ethic I see is there.

"The numbers I get from my performance department prove to me it's there. The thing which is missing is keeping clean sheets and making fewer mistakes in the defensive third."