Leicester emerged with three points after a thrilling 4-2 home win over Watford, but boss Sven-Goran Eriksson conceded it is unlikely they will claim a play-off place. But Eriksson also revealed he had already started making plans with the club's wealthy Thai backers for a shot at the Premier League next campaign.
The Swede said: "The defeat against Nottingham Forest was more or less our last chance to make the play-offs, but I must say the players have been fantastic today.
"We owed our fans something like that because they are excellent home and away.
"But I'm extremely proud and pleased with the players. They were perfect mentally, physically and technically.
"I have had a meeting with the owners before the game today and we have got started. There will probably be many meetings and, unfortunately, we can probably forget the Premier League this season. But we are going to start to look at what we need."
Eriksson added that he was disappointed that it looked as though Leicester were set to end the season in mid-table.
He said: "If you had asked me mid-February, I would have been sure of at least a play-off place, but we have made too many mistakes and that has cost us seven or eight points."
Watford chief Malky Mackay was disappointed to lose a game that his side had led twice.
He added: "I was delighted at half-time and, in the second half, we survived the initial onslaught that we knew was coming and missed a chance to go 3-1 up.
"We then gifted them a goal through dreadful defending and it allowed them back into a game that was slipping away from them.
"We had the potential to come here and win and it was in the palm of our hand."
Mackay said injuries meant he would have to start naming youth team players on the bench.
He added: "We are playing youngsters, some of whom have probably seen the Walkers Stadium for the first time in their career today.
"With that, we have got great potential, but they can also be affected by inconsistency.
"However, we have a team that will try to take the game to the opposition home and away and that sweats for the Watford jersey and I hope the fans see that."
