Remi Garde has told his struggling Aston Villa players to use Leicester's stunning survival story as inspiration to avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League.
Villa are bottom of the table and 10 points from safety, having won just once this season, ahead of Saturday's visit of West Ham.
Leicester beat the drop despite being rooted to the foot of the standings at Christmas last season and have gone from strength to strength under Claudio Ranieri this term, with the Foxes remarkably two points clear at the top of the table.
The Foxes - who were six points from safety on Boxing Day last year - won seven of their final nine games to stay up.
"It's quite private what I tell the players but this is one of the points that I said to try and motivate them," said Garde. "The manager's job is not only about having boots, a whistle and the training session.
"I am fully aware that football has changed, individual behaviour can be very helpful for the team. But for the team you cannot ignore that.
"You have to know that your 25 players, some can be in a bad mood because of many reasons.
"You cannot ignore that. To have to try and resolve the problem but it's a lot of work."
Villa face fellow strugglers Norwich on Monday and then Sunderland on January 2 in must-win games following their Hammers clash.
But Garde ruled out using a sports psychologist to help Villa in their battle against the drop.
He said: "I didn't bring one in, I am interested in psychology but not to bring in someone within in the group, it's very particular, football is something very different.
"But individual and group psychology is very important, I've got experience around me of that, we talk a lot about that. Training is not only running and kicking the ball."
Source: PA
