Elliott: 'We can beat drop'

Elliott believes team spirit is still strong

Leicester City skipper Matt Elliott insists the club can avoid relegation.

After eight games of the Premiership season, which saw the Foxes slump to the foot of the table, Peter Taylor paid the price by losing his job as manager.

Gary Parker has taken temporary charge of the team with goalkeeper Tim Flowers acting as his assistant.

Taylor departed insisting he could have turned things around in time and Elliott also maintains they will recover.

"We need a change of results and we need to do that quickly," said the Scotland central defender.

"As it stands at the moment there is not too much of a gap between us and respectability in the table.

"The situation can be turned around as it is still early in the season. It is not over by any means.

Resistance

"The players know they have to regroup and a couple of wins will get us back up the table.

"I would like to believe the team spirit is still good - the lads get on well together."

Elliott was one of a deputation of players who recently met with Leicester chairman John Elsom to express support for Taylor.

Smith claims there was unrest at Filbert Street

However former Leicester striker Alan Smith believes Taylor's tactics met with dressing room resistance at Filbert Street.

Smith, in the Daily Telegraph, said: "His ideas on how the game should be played did require some persuasion, meeting with some resistance from a group of players who had seen (Martin) O'Neill's methods thrive.

"Taylor was keen to alternate systems, playing four in defence at home and five at the back on the road.

"Dissenting voices were met with stoney resolve - 'do it my way or not at all' came the stubborn response."

Smith also feels Taylor suffered by comparison to his predecessor O'Neill, who has gone on to further success with Celtic and is "virtually without equal in the sphere of man-management".