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Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri: Everything is wrong with us

SUNDERLAND LEICESTER CITY
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(Robert Huth 64-og, Jermain Defoe 77) (Shinji Okazaki 80)

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri has admitted "everything" is wrong with the English Premier League champions' title defence after seeing them slump to defeat by lowly Sunderland on Saturday.

The Black Cats climbed off the bottom of the table and into 18th place as a result of their 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light, just one point from safety and only one more adrift of the Foxes, who have now managed a single draw from seven games on the road.

Asked what is missing, Ranieri said: "It's difficult. We miss everything. Everything last season was right, starting with luck; this season, everything is wrong.

"But we must continue to work hard and maintain the right balance in ourselves, believe in ourselves. The battle is long, but that's football, sport.

"There are good moments, bad moments and, in the bad moments, we must stay together as we are.

"We play at the same level in the Champions League and the Premier League but, in the Premier League, the first opportunity for the opponents, they score a goal and we have missed chances.

"In the Champions League, it is different. Maybe the opponents miss a chance and we score a goal.

"It's difficult to explain, but it's the reality because our strength, our efforts are the same."

Much of Leicester's success last season was based on Jamie Vardy's goals and the striker has now gone 16 games for the club, 10 of them in the league, without finding the back of the net, although his manager is not unduly concerned.

Ranieri said: "Look, for me, Vardy works well, hard.

"Of course the goals are important, but I believe in him and sooner or later, he will start to score goals."

Opposite number David Moyes was thrilled by both his side's third league win in four attempts - with Robert Huth's own goal and Jermain Defoe's eighth of the season eclipsing Shinji Okazaki's strike.

Moyes said: "We all know we have got a long way to go, but you can only win the games that are put in front of you and, at the moment, we are winning them, we are playing better, the team are getting better." - PA SPORT

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