Gary McAllister recalls Leeds’ nightmare season to inspire Leicester

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Gary McAllister hopes former club Leicester beat the drop

Leicester, shock Premier League winners last season, are just a point above the relegation zone with their title defence in tatters.

It mirrors Leeds' 1992-93 season after McAllister helped them win the old First Division in 1992, only to finish 17th the following campaign.

In comparison, Leicester are two places above the relegation zone, yet to win on the road and sold star man N'Golo Kante to Chelsea for £32million in the summer.

Leeds beat the drop by two points and McAllister, who moved to Elland Road in 1990 after five years with the Foxes, wants Claudio Ranieri's side to repeat the feat after last season's title triumph.

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Gary McAllister helped Leeds to safety after disastrous title defence

"[Relegation] would waste the story. It would be a better story if they won the league and just survived this season," McAllister said.

"I would hate to see them get relegated. It would be horrendous, for all that good work of last year, the fairytale. Leicester gave me my chance in England and I owe them a lot.

"At Leeds we were reacting to bad results away from home because we kept winning at home but it wasn't good enough.

"Leeds had only been up in the top division a couple of years after a spell in the old second division – like Leicester – but every performance was analysed.

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"The only thing I think back on is how special other teams were. The great Liverpool sides or the Manchester United teams which dominated. Once one is won that's pushed away and it's about winning again.

"[Leicester players] can say 'I don't like being under the microscope' but it's part of being a champion.

"I can remember people saying 'Leeds aren't doing what they did last year' and that's exactly what they're saying about Leicester now.

"People will say 'they're too good to go down' but they can't sit on that.

"Every time Claudio Ranieri picks the side they have to go out and fight, run, bite and scratch like they did when they were winning games."

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