Sacked Taylor vows to return

Taylor - determined to prove Leicester's Elsom wrong

Peter Taylor has pledged to prove Leicester City's board were wrong to sack him as Filbert Street boss.

Leicester ended weeks of speculation by finally sacking Taylor after a poor start to the season culminated in the 2-0 defeat at Charlton on Saturday.

But Taylor - who has gone from England caretaker coach to dismissal inside 12 months - is promising to return to haunt the Leicester board that sacked him.

He said: "I was told to my face before the Ipswich game that if we didn't win that it could be curtains. It's hard for players to be put under that pressure.

"I do think the club could have put a stop to it all earlier, either by saying I had longer here or doing something in the summer.

"My argument is that if I could have put out my best team for even half of the games then I could have lived with it the sacking.

"But to have had the injuries we have had - the worst I have known in all my time in football - has made it very difficult, and I even signed off with two more at Charlton.

"It hasn't come as that much of a surprise. But I am that determined that I will prove them - the people who have sacked me - wrong. I intend to do that. I really think they have made the wrong decision.

"I'm not angry. I'm frustrated. I know I would have got it right. If everyone was fit then this squad is good enough to be at least half-way up the Premiership - but young players had to come in quicker than I intended."

Taylor is adamant bad luck rather than bad management has cost him his job.

"The players were with me, and I would have turned things around. I am frustrated because I will not have the opportunity. I feel I have been unlucky," he said.

I am that determined that I will prove them - the people who have sacked me - wrong. I intend to do that because I really think they have made the wrong decision

Peter Taylor

"The board are looking at five points from eight matches. But my argument is the reason for it - those injuries.

"It also did not help that the players were put under pressure too early. They were going into matches thinking every game might be my last, and that was no good to them."

Taylor has come under criticism from some supporters over the quality of his signings following the departure of Emile Heskey to Liverpool and then Neil Lennon to Celtic.

But he insisted: "No manager alive gets it 100% right with signings, but I think that most of the players I have signed have been successful.

"I think it was money well spent. I think if you put the players up for sale that I had bought at the price I bought them, you would sell most of them."

Taylor admits the chances of a return to the England set-up are minimal, after he relinquished his involvement in the summer.

He said: "They know my feelings. I would only go back if I could do what I was doing before, and that role is filled.

"I have no regrets about leaving the England set-up in the summer because I wanted to be a success at Leicester and I am disappointed to be leaving when we are bottom of the Premiership.

"It's been a hard few weeks. But as far as I am concerned I do not need a break and if possible I would like to be working again straightaway. We will have to see what happens."