Leicester have appointed Brendan Rodgers to succeed Claude Puel as the club’s new manager.
Puel was sacked on Sunday after the Foxes lost at home to Crystal Palace – a sixth defeat in their last seven games.
That run has seen Leicester knocked out of the FA Cup by Newport and drop down to 12th in the Premier League and eight points above the relegation zone.
Press Association Sport looks at what the Northern Irishman needs to do at the King Power Stadium.
Make Vardy feel loved again
Against the Seagulls earlier this season ⚽️➡️🥅— Leicester City (@LCFC) February 26, 2019
See more
The noises coming from Vardy’s camp this season have painted a picture of a striker who was unhappy with life under Puel. He was rested several times and also admitted the Frenchman’s tactics did not suit his style of play. But the former England international still had a fine strike rate under Puel and will be an asset again.
Convince the fans
Puel never had the full backing of Leicester supporters who were wary of his conservative style from the off. Leicester’s owners knew what they were getting though and while he has nurtured and trusted young talent, fans’ frustration came as no surprise. The football was dull, a far cry from the swashbuckling style of the 2016 title win, and despite being as high as seventh in the table supporters were never happy.
Avoid the slow starts
Wolves’ Ryan Bennett celebrates an early goal against Leicester (Mike Egerton/PA)
Leicester have conceded the first goal 20 times this season in what has become a worryingly predictable trait. They have won a league-high 13 points coming from behind but defeats against Cardiff, Southampton, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace (twice) and Wolves played a part in Puel losing his job. Preparation has been undermined by slow starts and that must now change.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Resolve contract issues
Wes Morgan is out of contract at the end of the season (Mike Egerton/PA)
Title winners Wes Morgan, Shinji Okazaki, Christian Fuchs and Danny Simpson are out of contract at the end of the season. Puel had dodged questions surrounding their futures but all are able to speak to foreign clubs and sign pre-contract agreements. Leicester have been careful to honour their 2016 heroes and while they will not hand out deals for sentiment’s sake, there needs to be some clarity.
Expectation levels have risen since the shock title win almost three years ago and while there is realism at the club, it does not dampen their ambition. Under Puel, Leicester blew their chances of silverware – losing to Newport in the FA Cup and fielding weakened teams in the Carabao Cup when Manchester City were twice there for the taking. Winning the Premier League is extremely unlikely to happen again but the cup competitions should not be out of reach.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.
