Champions League will not affect Leicester's Premier League survival fight, says Craig Shakespeare
Friday 17 March 2017 15:27, UK
Craig Shakespeare has dismissed any fears that Leicester will get caught up in their Champions League euphoria.
The Foxes were drawn against Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals on Friday, having become the only Premier League club left in the competition.
But they go to West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday only three points above the drop zone and without an away win the league this season - a run stretching back 11 months.
Foxes boss Shakespeare said: "The talk straight after the game was to improve the away record. I haven't banned talk of the Champions League but after the game the focus has been on West Ham, which I wanted.
"We're in a professional industry and the players know it's my job, and the job of the staff, to make sure the focus is there. To a man that's what they have concentrated on.
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"It's not hard. There are good memories and nice memories, but that's what they are. The sole aim is the next Premier League game, as it's been mentioned we have a poor away record. The players are aware of it.
"It's very hard to put your finger on why [we have struggled away]. We want to move away from [the relegation zone] because it is tight down there, but we can't look too far ahead. We're solely focused on each game as it comes."
Shakespeare also vowed to continue to play on the front foot, a policy which caught Sevilla cold as they failed to deal with Leicester's intensity.
He said: "That's what we hope. That is what is expected. We are at our best when we do that.
"You saw results in terms of the performances against Liverpool and Hull, and now Sevilla. The players think that's when they are at their best so that's what we'll encourage them to do."
