Potter heads field to fill hole left by Rodgers exit at Leicester
Published:
Next Leicester manager odds: Benitez second in the betting
Struggling Leicester parted company with manager Brendan Rodgers following Saturdayโs defeat at Crystal Palace.
The Foxes sit in the relegation zone with 10 games to play after taking just one point from a possible 18.
Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell will take first-team training for now, but here we look at some potential contenders to succeed the Northern Irishman on a permanent basis, starting with 5/4 favourite Graham Potter.
Graham Potter
Potterโs dismissal by Chelsea just a few hours after Rodgers was shown the door has led to the former Brighton boss being installed as odds-on favourite for the Leicester vacancy.
His reputation was enhanced by a spell in Sweden where he took Ostersunds from the fourth division to the Europa League group stage in seven years.
Potter spent a season with Swansea before the Seagulls came calling in 2019 and almost three-and-a-half-years later he was coaching one of the biggest clubs in the world, but injuries to key Chelsea players and an influx of expensive recruits in January proved too much to handle.
Rafa Benitez
Champions League winner Benitez is still seeking a new opportunity after he was sacked by Everton in January 2022.
Following successful spells with Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle earlier in his career, the Spaniard may be seen as a safe pair of hands who could get the best out of the Foxesโ underperforming players.
He stayed with Newcastle after he failed to keep them in the Premier League in 2016 and led them straight back to the top tier.
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Former Newcastle striker Tomasson has made quite an impression in his debut season with Blackburn, who are in the play-off spots with eight games remaining.
๐ฃ๏ธ "๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข, ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฎ-๐ค๐๐๐จ."
Jon Dahl Tomasson says his side are 'ahead of schedule' this season, but wants to capitalise on the opportunity in front of them.#Rovers ๐ตโช๏ธ pic.twitter.com/H0hzsti0aT
โ Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) March 31, 2023
The Dane was recruited by Rovers after winning the Swedish title with Malmo in his first season with the club and a year later they were playing in the group stage of the Champions League, before the club retained the Allsvenskan trophy at the end of December 2021.
Ange Postecoglou
The former Australia boss won the Scottish Premiership in his first season in charge of Celtic who remain on course to retain their title, holding a nine-point lead over arch rivals Rangers with eight games left.
Astute signings from Japan like Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate have proved a massive hit with Hoops fans, who are dreaming of another treble after winning the League Cup against arch rivals Rangers in February.
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Former Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is among the favourites to replace Rodgers.
Though the Austrian was sacked following an abysmal start to Southamptonโs campaign this term, he is no stranger to a relegation battle, having guided Saints out of danger following his December 2018 appointment before he ensured their survival in every subsequent season.
Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool legend prevented Celtic from winning the Scottish Premiership title for a 10th successive season in 2021 as Rangers boss, a feat which saw him replace Dean Smith as Aston Villa manager in November of the same year.
Results were mixed under his leadership as Villa ended the campaign in 14th spot, three places below where they had finished in the previous season.
However, two wins from the first 12 games of this season resulted in his dismissal and he was replaced by Unai Emery.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino gained extensive Premier League experience at Southampton and Tottenham and is still available after leaving Paris St Germain last summer.
Attracting the Argentinian would be a real coup and no doubt excite City supporters.
Yet, following a stint managing Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and with his stock still high, he may well prefer to hold on for a so-called bigger club and has been linked with a return to managerless Spurs this summer.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
