Sport
Leicester City have a decision to make – is it time to sack Brendan Rodgers?
Leicester City have never qualified for the Champions League under Brendan Rodgers, but the fact the Foxes were firmly in the discussion to finish in the top four in back-to-back seasons said a lot about how the King Power Stadium outfit overachieved under the Northern Irishman. The outlook isn’t so positive now.
While Leicester City once had a reputation for being among the best run clubs in the Premier League, they have struggled to meet the standard they set for themselves over the last 12 months. As things stand, Rodgers is the favourite to win the Premier League’s sack race as the first manager in the division to lose their job this season.
Results have been poor and performances haven’t been much better. Saturday’s defeat at home to Southampton leaves Leicester City still searching for their first win of the season with Rodgers’ team just one place off the foot of the table on one point. No team has conceded more goals than the Foxes after three fixtures (eight).
Just one week of the summer transfer window remains, yet Leicester City have still to make a single new addition. They are the only Premier League club not to have made a new signing this summer with Rodgers chasing to focus on this inactivity when asked to explain the poor results registered by his team.
“Let’s see where we’re at in a few weeks when we’re into early September,” said the Northern Irishman after the defeat to Southampton which saw Leicester City let a 1-0 lead slip through their fingers. “For me, we’ll wait to see where we are when the window ends. What I do know is that I’ve got a group of players that are so keen to learn.
“I love working with them. It’s the longest I’ve ever been at a club, which tells you how much I love working with the players here and being involved with the football club. My ambition is to always improve and develop and that’s what we’ll look to do again this year. If we don’t have these resources to improve and develop, then we have to try to find other ways to be able to do that.”
The situation could get even worse for Rodgers with Wesley Fofana, James Maddison and Youri Tielemens all the subject of intense interest from other clubs. All three players are central figures for Leicester City and so Rodgers’ squad could be weaker, not stronger, by the time the summer transfer window closes.
Leicester might feel that Rodgers should be getting more out of the group of players he still has. There is a growing sense that a decision is required on the 49-year-old’s future at the King Power Stadium. The longer Leicester City drift like this, the more likely the club will look to make a change in the dugout.
While Rodgers achieved success during managerial spells at Celtic and Liverpool, his teams faded after two seasons. It could be that history is repeating itself for the Northern Irishman who has seen the intensity of his Leicester City team dramatically fall over the last year. A similar thing happened in his last two jobs.
Of course, Leicester City’s decision could depend on the prospective replacements available at the time. Not so long ago, Graham Potter might have seen a move to the King Power Stadium as a step up, but Brighton finished ahead of the Foxes last season and are a good bet to repeat that feat again this season. If, however, Leicester feel they can do better than Rodgers, that could signify trouble for the 49-year-old because he’s not making much of a case for himself right now.
