Leicester City's fear of relegation saw Brendan Rodgers axed – just like Ranieri
Brendan Rodgers' tenure at Leicester City is over with the club taking drastic action in a bid to halt their slide into the relegation zone
By John Percy
2 April 2023 • 5:06pm
Brendan Rodgers at Selhurst Park - Leicester City's fear of relegation saw Brendan Rodgers axed – just like Ranieri
When Leicester City axed Claudio Ranieri nine months after winning the Premier League title, the decision was made amid fears the club were heading for inevitable relegation.
A little over six years later, history has repeated itself. Leicester have been left with no alternative but to part company with Brendan Rodgers because they are convinced the alarming nosedive in results will end with the drop.
Rodgers’ departure by mutual agreement is only a surprise in the timing, with 10 games remaining to save the club from relegation to the Championship.
Supporters have been demanding change for over 18 months, and it is probably the Europa League defeat by struggling Legia Warsaw in Sept 2021 that can now be regarded as the turning point.
Leicester did try to give Rodgers time to turn the situation around. Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the chairman, has come under scrutiny for his delay in taking action, but the truth is that he still had faith in Rodgers. He felt the risk in making a change was too great and could have a detrimental effect.
That faith finally disappeared after Leicester’s late defeat at Crystal Palace, and Rodgers was summoned for talks before a recovery session on Sunday.
Leicester City were on the ropes in the Europa League after a feeble defeat to Legia Warsaw in
The last 12 months or so have been excruciating. Rodgers had frequently spoken of his desire for a “healthy shake-up” of the squad, but funds were limited in the summer amid fears over Financial Fair Play breaches.
Leicester also adopted the stance that Rodgers had been generously backed in the summer of 2021. They could not risk signing two or three more players last year who turn out to be bad buys, while also adding to an already bloated squad.
Though Leicester signed Wout Faes for £15m, after the sale of Wesley Fofana to Chelsea, Rodgers’ mood was dark on deadline day.
After the home defeat by Manchester United his comments over a lack of backing angered the hierarchy.
They argued that Rodgers should be doing better with the team he had available. In their view, it was not a set of players that should be anywhere near the bottom of the table, and that remains the view now.
It was a tricky position for Rodgers to be in: he had made it quite clear that he wanted new signings but had to rely on players that he did not rate. Caglar Soyuncu and Boubakary Soumare were two players he did not want in his squad.
The departure of Kasper Schmeichel to Nice left Rodgers with Wales international goalkeeper Danny Ward, who is not good enough at this level.
Rodgers was backed in January with the funds generated from Fofana’s sale, but despite an initial uplift in form Leicester have gone seven games without a win.
It has only seemed a matter of time for weeks. Rodgers has appeared frequently downbeat, and negative in interviews. Team selection has been unpredictable. Training sessions are alleged to have been repetitive and boring with some players.
Rodgers' decision to give the squad last week off, in the first week of the international break, was a huge surprise to many senior officials at the club, considering the perilous position.
Many supporters have always felt convinced that Rodgers was only using Leicester as a stepping stone to a bigger club. There has never seemed any real affection between him and the fanbase, despite the exhilarating football in his first two full seasons.
This season, Rodgers has looked as if he wanted putting out of his misery. There is a reasonable argument that most managers have a life-span of three years until players need a new voice and direction.
To complete four years at this level, as I wrote in February, is an achievement that cannot be overestimated.
He has been isolated at times, and the lone voice. Srivaddhanaprabha writes a column in the programme but chief executive Susan Whelan and director of football Jon Rudkin have not spoken with the English press since Claudio Ranieri’s unveiling in July 2015.
There will be many pundits and neutrals who repeat the old tropes of ‘be careful for what you wish for’ and ‘it’s only Leicester, what do they expect’?
These should be ignored, for the people who actually pay the money to watch games have been frustrated for months, or longer.
Perhaps Rodgers should have gone earlier, for it has to be remembered that those first two and a half years were special. He did not deserve the situation to become so toxic.
He will return, most probably in the Premier League, and the chance to recharge will be good for him.
Now the change has come and Leicester are locked in a 10-game shootout for survival.
The prospect of Championship football does not bear thinking about.
Brendan Rodgers' tenure at Leicester City is over with the club taking drastic action in a bid to halt their slide into the relegation zone
By John Percy
2 April 2023 • 5:06pm
Brendan Rodgers at Selhurst Park - Leicester City's fear of relegation saw Brendan Rodgers axed – just like Ranieri
When Leicester City axed Claudio Ranieri nine months after winning the Premier League title, the decision was made amid fears the club were heading for inevitable relegation.
A little over six years later, history has repeated itself. Leicester have been left with no alternative but to part company with Brendan Rodgers because they are convinced the alarming nosedive in results will end with the drop.
Rodgers’ departure by mutual agreement is only a surprise in the timing, with 10 games remaining to save the club from relegation to the Championship.
Supporters have been demanding change for over 18 months, and it is probably the Europa League defeat by struggling Legia Warsaw in Sept 2021 that can now be regarded as the turning point.
Leicester did try to give Rodgers time to turn the situation around. Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the chairman, has come under scrutiny for his delay in taking action, but the truth is that he still had faith in Rodgers. He felt the risk in making a change was too great and could have a detrimental effect.
That faith finally disappeared after Leicester’s late defeat at Crystal Palace, and Rodgers was summoned for talks before a recovery session on Sunday.
Leicester City were on the ropes in the Europa League after a feeble defeat to Legia Warsaw in
The last 12 months or so have been excruciating. Rodgers had frequently spoken of his desire for a “healthy shake-up” of the squad, but funds were limited in the summer amid fears over Financial Fair Play breaches.
Leicester also adopted the stance that Rodgers had been generously backed in the summer of 2021. They could not risk signing two or three more players last year who turn out to be bad buys, while also adding to an already bloated squad.
Though Leicester signed Wout Faes for £15m, after the sale of Wesley Fofana to Chelsea, Rodgers’ mood was dark on deadline day.
After the home defeat by Manchester United his comments over a lack of backing angered the hierarchy.
They argued that Rodgers should be doing better with the team he had available. In their view, it was not a set of players that should be anywhere near the bottom of the table, and that remains the view now.
It was a tricky position for Rodgers to be in: he had made it quite clear that he wanted new signings but had to rely on players that he did not rate. Caglar Soyuncu and Boubakary Soumare were two players he did not want in his squad.
The departure of Kasper Schmeichel to Nice left Rodgers with Wales international goalkeeper Danny Ward, who is not good enough at this level.
Rodgers was backed in January with the funds generated from Fofana’s sale, but despite an initial uplift in form Leicester have gone seven games without a win.
It has only seemed a matter of time for weeks. Rodgers has appeared frequently downbeat, and negative in interviews. Team selection has been unpredictable. Training sessions are alleged to have been repetitive and boring with some players.
Rodgers' decision to give the squad last week off, in the first week of the international break, was a huge surprise to many senior officials at the club, considering the perilous position.
Many supporters have always felt convinced that Rodgers was only using Leicester as a stepping stone to a bigger club. There has never seemed any real affection between him and the fanbase, despite the exhilarating football in his first two full seasons.
This season, Rodgers has looked as if he wanted putting out of his misery. There is a reasonable argument that most managers have a life-span of three years until players need a new voice and direction.
To complete four years at this level, as I wrote in February, is an achievement that cannot be overestimated.
He has been isolated at times, and the lone voice. Srivaddhanaprabha writes a column in the programme but chief executive Susan Whelan and director of football Jon Rudkin have not spoken with the English press since Claudio Ranieri’s unveiling in July 2015.
There will be many pundits and neutrals who repeat the old tropes of ‘be careful for what you wish for’ and ‘it’s only Leicester, what do they expect’?
These should be ignored, for the people who actually pay the money to watch games have been frustrated for months, or longer.
Perhaps Rodgers should have gone earlier, for it has to be remembered that those first two and a half years were special. He did not deserve the situation to become so toxic.
He will return, most probably in the Premier League, and the chance to recharge will be good for him.
Now the change has come and Leicester are locked in a 10-game shootout for survival.
The prospect of Championship football does not bear thinking about.