peter henry
It seemed like it had been in the post for a while, so it was no great shock when Claude Puel was sacked as Leicester City boss yesterday, after a torrid run of form in 2019.
Regardless of whether you think the French coach was at times harshly treated at the King Power, when it’s blatantly obvious your own fans and several of your players aren’t too keen, it won’t be long before your joining the dole queue.
Despite their current struggles Leicester remain in 12th place in the table and are in no danger of being dragged into a relegation battle. The Foxes also have one of the most talented squads outside the top six and the clubs board have shown themselves willing to back their managers in the transfer market, so, all in all, it looks like a pretty decent opportunity for ambitious coaches.
With that in mind we’ve decided to take a look at the five favourites to replace the unpopular Frenchman in the King Power dugout, and for those of you who like a bet make sure to check out freetips.com.
Mike Stowell 12/1
Former Wolves goalkeeper Stowell is currently in caretaker charge of the Foxes, which is the fifth time the long-serving coach has been asked to take temporary charge of the club since 2007.
The 53-year-old is a hugely popular figure behind the scenes at the King Power, but it would be a massive gamble for the club’s hierarchy to give a man with no top-flight managerial experience the job on a full-time basis.
Stowell will be in charge for Leicester’s home Premier League fixture with Brighton tomorrow, and has suggested that Leicester have a top seven squad ahead of the clash.
Neil Lennon 12/1
Lennon is currently out of work, so it only makes sense that he is high up the bookies’ list to replace Puel as Leicester boss.
The Northern Irishman man was a hugely popular figure with the Foxes support during his four seasons at the Old Filbert Street, winning two League Cups and making 155 Premier League appearances as a tenacious central midfielder.
He impressed during his first spell in management with Celtic, lifting the Scottish League title three times, and securing a famous win over Barcelona in the Champions League. However, his subsequent spells at a financially stricken Bolton and Hibernian have not gone so well, and he left Easter Road at the end of January amid an alleged falling out with club staff.
Again, he probably lacks the pedigree to manage a top half Premier League side, but would definitely be up for a few Skittles Vodkas around Jamie Vardy’s gaff.
David Wagner 10/1
Former Borussia Dortmund second team coach and Jurgen Klopp’s best mate David Wagner is a man heavily linked with taking over at the King Power.
The 47-year-old impressed massively during his time as Huddersfield boss, winning promotion to the Premier League with an unfancied Terriers side and then keeping the small Yorkshire club in the top flight last season, although he quit his post last month with his side rooted to the foot of the table.
Many believe Wagner would thrive at a club with greater resources than Huddersfield, and as a disciple of geggenpressing, he certainly wouldn’t produce the type of turgid football Puel’s Leicester regularly displayed.
Sean Dyche 8/1
It’s a testament to the job the Ginger Mourinho has done at Burnley that he is linked with managerial jobs at clubs like Everton, West Ham, and Leicester whenever these clubs seem to inevitably sack their coach every 12 months or so.
Dyche and his beautifully gravelly voice has worked wonder at Turf Moor since taking over as manager in 2012, and the Clarets now look all but certain of securing a third successive season of top-flight football on a fraction of the budget other teams in the division operate on.
The 47-year-old’s achievement of guiding Burnley to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season is truly remarkable, and will probably never be matched unless the club is bought by a Saudi Prince.
However, Dyche has had the most success when using a more old school, direct approach to the game, something that wouldn’t really suit this current Leicester squad.
Brendan Rodgers 3/10
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is the overwhelming favourite to replace Puel and is thought to be Chairman Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha’s first choice.
Rodgers does talk a lot of nonsense, but he is undoubtedly a hugely talented coach, who demands his sides play attractive attacking football – something Foxes fans are crying out for after Puel’s reign.
The Northern Irishman took Liverpool within a whisker of winning their first Premier League in 2013/14, but eventually left Anfield under a cloud in October 2015.
He has since rebuilt his reputation north of the border with Celtic, winning two consecutive trebles, and he is rumoured to be keen to become the first manager to guide Celtic to a record 10 consecutive league titles, with the club having won the last seven Scottish Premiership trophies.
At 45-years-old he remains a baby in managerial terms and seems like a good fit for this talented Leicester squad. Rodgers is clearly a coach capable of thriving in the English top flight and is surely keen to return to the Premier League to silence his doubters sooner rather than later?