Brendan Rodgers is traversing thin ice at Leicester – and the re-emergence of Rafael Benitez looks like very bad news for a manager under heavy pressure.
Leicester are deeply reluctant to sack Rodgers, who delivered successive top-five finishes and the FA Cup before a comfortable eighth place last season. But there is an increasing acceptance that a disastrous start leaves them in danger of slipping into a relegation battle to stay in a league they won in 2016.
Rodgers’ position is hardly helped by a plethora of possible candidates to succeed him, from those in jobs to some managerial big hitters without an assignment who would be keen to take on the challenge of squeezing more out of a talented but demoralised squad.
i understands that Brentford would resist Leicester’s overtures to Thomas Frank, who has a sizeable influence over recruitment and strategy. Any compensation payment would be huge and the Dane is wedded to the project.
More from Football
5 things we learned in De Zerbi's unveiling, from Guardiola talks to Brighton's transfer plans20 September, 2022
Dier claims fan behaviour is a 'huge problem' and credits 'Godfather' Conte for England recall20 September, 2022
Gareth Southgate has 180 minutes to answer five key questions about his England World Cup squad20 September, 2022That likely leaves one of the guns for hire waiting to step back onto the managerial merry-go-round, with Sean Dyche and Benitez the two that stand out.
Dyche has his advocates and his CV includes keeping Burnley in the Premier League for five consecutive seasons with a side inferior to this Foxes crop.
But Benitez feels like the compelling candidate, not least for the fact he ran Rodgers a close second for the job in 2019. Benitez was Newcastle manager but aware that his vision did not align with Mike Ashley’s and resigned to exiting in the summer.
Many inside Newcastle thought it was inevitable that he would be appointed but Leicester’s owners opted to take Rodgers from Celtic instead.
Next Leicester City manager odds
- Sean Dyche 5-2
- Mauricio Pochettino 9-2
- Rafa Benitez 6-1
- Marcelo Bielsa 17-2
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 12-1
- Dean Smith 14-1
- Nathan Jones 16-1
- Kasper Hjulmand 16-1
- Roy Hodgson 16-1
- Ruben Amorim 20-1
Odds via Oddschecker
Benitez’s stock has fallen since. He departed England for China and what he believed was a long-term, lucrative project with Dalian Pro before the pandemic disrupted those plans.
He was waiting for the Saudi takeover of Newcastle to materialise to join Amanda Staveley at St James’ Park but lost patience in 2021 and opted to join Everton. It was a disastrous move, which he acknowledged on Tuesday morning, claiming his history prevented him from being a success.
That is perhaps a selective interpretation of events but there is no doubt his past alliegances turned a slump into a death spiral quickly at Goodison Park. Privately, he insists he still has much to give in the Premier League.
That Benitez is back in the conversation is an indication that he is ready to resume work in England. And Benitez – the savviest of operators – will be all too aware that Leicester are contemplating a change.
It is a role that he would relish and given Leicester’s biggest problems is a lack of defensive organisation, it would play to Benitez’s strengths to be handed the job of correcting the problems.
He is among the favourites for the Leicester job if Rodgers departs. It looks like a smart bet.
There is no reason to keep Rodgers at Leicester
By Daniel Storey, i chief football writer
Much has been made of Leicester’s summer inactivity, and you can make a case in Rodgers’ defence about not replacing Schmeichel. But Leicester only lost two first-team players over the summer and the other was Wesley Fofana.
Fofana only played seven league games last season when Leicester finished eighth and they only kept one clean sheet in his last 15 league appearances for the club (and conceded six in two games this season). This goes beyond the loss of two players.
If that inactivity did make a difference to the morale of the squad (and it is perfectly reasonable to think that it might have), it was on Rodgers to solve the problem.
That is what he is paid so much to do; he is one of the highest-paid managers in the division. You earn your money through an ability to sidestep issues and create a team that continues to perform above – or at least to the level – of its potential.
It’s not just that Leicester are bad; it’s that we have known for so long why Leicester are bad and so have every team they face.
Rodgers overperformed during the first half of his tenure, but they have dropped away so much and so quickly that there is no obvious case for keeping him in charge. Leicester are bottom of the table, winless and have conceded more goals in their first seven matches than any other top-flight team since 1965. It would be better for everyone if this relationship ended now.
from Football | News and analysis from the Premier League and beyond | iNews https://ift.tt/Bq96GYR
Post a Comment