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We all know that bookies do not have the answers for Leicester’s manager appointments. They simply base their odds on assumptions from media and people previously in jobs being available. The fact that they have been linked before also build attention.
There could be many different types to consider. At the moment we are uncertain of what type of direction this football club will take with their next appointment. The salad of play this season was a messy mix of everything coming out in clear daylight when things had to be done instinct rather than planned on the tactical board. Different manager solutions on how to play football, makes it difficult for players. It all looked as a box of grey chocolate out on date.
We have drawn up a list of candidates we would consider as potential candidates to take on the role. What we experienced with Nigel Pearson must be something to avoid. He is the only benchmark at this point, taking Leicester up from this basement in the first attempt. Then he took Leicester to the play-off’s in the first season back in the EFL Championships, but decided to speak to Hull, based on assumptions he would be sacked. Pearson said: “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out what’s happening” – suggesting the club did not want to keep him. He left Leicester to take the job at Hull and Paulo Sousa was later appointed as his successor.
There is a lot to discuss about who will be the next manager of this football club. Fans often suggest the no-nonsense approach when they witness unrest, relegations, and poor results. One candidate in this type of category is Damien Duff. He led Shelbourne from the lower leagues in Ireland to top-flight champions in four years. He is said to be hard as a nail and currently available.
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Scott Parker is our favourite man on the list. He has the right experience from his playing days as a professional in the Premier League and as an England international. He has a strong record in promoting teams from the EFL Championship. Leicester could be a great opportunity for him, too good to pass up. Believe he has previously been interviewed for this position when it was vacant in recent years.
Neil Lennon is currently doing miracle work at Dunfirmline Athletic. Last season he saved this club from relegation and in this campaign progressing in the play-off’s. He is a former player at Leicester and his background in management is one to recognize. He had his best days in management with Celtic, leading them in two seperate periods. One short stint in England before, struggling at Championship level with Bolton, having major financial issues to struggle with at the time. He returned to Scotland taking over Hibernian, promoting them to the top flight. Neil Lennon is one to be curious about, we all know him well as a player, but as a manager he could deserve this chance south of the border.
Will Still is another candidate on the odds list that would be one to talk up. He started the change at Southampton, but was not able to fulfill it. Sacked early on this season, having a difficult time with The Saints at the time. His assistant took over, and guided this club to a FA Cup semi-final as well as a place in the EFL Championship play off’s. His brother Ed is also vacant, being dismissed by Watford after a short spell in charge. The duo has worked together before, and could look at Leicester as a fascinating project to explore.
Jimmy Thelin stepped down from his position at Aberdeen in January. Thelin’s start to his Aberdeen tenure began positively with Aberdeen winning 10 out of 11 games in the league but then Aberdeen would only go on to win 5 out of the remaining 27 games of the season, finishing 5th in the 2024–25 season. Thelin was awarded August’s Scottish Premiership’s Manager of the Month. He also guided Aberdeen to the 2024–25 Scottish Cup beating Celtic in the final. It was the club’s first major honour in 11 years and their first Scottish Cup triumph since the 1989–90 season. Thelin was previously with Swedish club Elfsborg, ending runners-up in the 2023 season of the Swedish Allsvenskan. He was said to have been interviewed for the manager position at Leicester when Gary Rowett took charge.
Danny Cowley is the manager of Colchester United. Richard Scudamore is often talked up as the one making most success at Lincoln, and absolutely the leading man at the moment. The job Danny Cowley and his brother Nicky did while being in charge of The Red Imps must never be forgotten. They are highly considered some of the most hard working men in this trade and has a special and analytical approach to this type of job. Their campaign in League Two with Colchester has not been the most impressive, but different circumtances should be taken into the picture.
Current Chelsea caretaker manager Calum McFarlane is a name that should looked at. The 40 year old has been in charge of The Blues in different settings. His results in charge of Chelsea are amazing and he is a clever man with a very interesting background. He has the correct profile of a man that could bring certain youth players into the first team frame in a correct manner. His background from Southampton and Man City as an academy coach is also interesting aspects.
We have mentioned Ben Wilkinson on many previous occassions. He is still at Man City and in charge of Man City EDS. His background and upbringing should be the ideal set up for a club trying to bring the life of youth in to a context of a full and reliable professional. He does have a spider net of connections all over the world and will be one very interesting move if it was happening.
Per Mertesacker is the head of academy football at Arsenal. He has no previous experience from football management at any senior level. But his perspective on football and his life inside a competitive environment at this football club could be seen as a major consideration when Leicester are out to find their next man to lead this club out of the mess they are in at the moment. Those connections to Arsenal could also bring in certain ideas of how you can rebuild Leicester to again be the club they should be.
Italian, Massimiliano Farris is a name to recognize. He is one of the most trusted assistant managers in the trade. Being with Simone Inzaghi at Inter and followed him to Al-Hilal. He is a great tactician and one that would fit the bill at Leicester, but still a tall order to get him in, if possible. At the age of 55 he could be tempted to have his own project, in a similar manner as Enzo Maresca. He has previously worked in leading manager roles at Italian Serie C and D level. He has also had roles in interim management with Lazio. An interesting profile and special person.
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