Thursday 20 October 2016 07:29, UK
Danny Simpson insists Leicester are capable of recreating last season's stunning form after a poor start to their Premier League title defence.
The Foxes maintained their fine start in the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Copenhagen on Tuesday, but trail Manchester City by 11 points domestically and held a squad meeting after they were accused of lacking fight following Saturday's 3-0 loss at Chelsea.
That was their fourth defeat of the season after only losing three times during the whole of last term's shock title-winning campaign but Simpson remains confident they can compete on both fronts, with Claudio Ranieri's side on the brink of reaching the Champions League second round.
"Listen, this side can go like last season's side can go," he said. "We've signed a load of new players - we can go where we want. We've just got to do it in both competitions.
"The record we've got in the Champions League is great, but we've got to make sure we replicate that in the league and we need to push up the table.
"We don't listen to what's said out there. We're a group. We have our meetings, we speak among ourselves - we're an honest group of lads and we don't like losing no matter what competition it is.
"It's pride. Especially after last season when you just get used to winning games and then you take a couple of heavy defeats, it hurts. You go home after the game and that's all you think about.
"We are going to away grounds and we are the champions. People want to beat us more and more. We need to deal with that, give that extra per cent. Last season was amazing but we kind of need to forget that now."
Riyad Mahrez's winner secured the points over Copenhagen and Leicester will reach the second round with a win in Denmark in two weeks, with the Foxes five points clear in Group G after a 100 per cent start.
Ranieri's side are yet to concede in Europe this season, but Simpson is baffled as to why they have leaked 14 goals in the league.
He added: "I'm not sure. The games where we've conceded have been [Manchester] United, Liverpool and Chelsea away. We just need to take that fighting spirit and togetherness that we showed on Tuesday and be like that."
