Brendan Rodgers: Pressure on Leicester boss nears breaking point as owners make big decision
Brendan Rodgers is facing one of the most important matches of his managerial career on Monday after the Leicester owner reportedly decided to fly in and watch the game.
Rodgers is under intense pressure following Leicester’s shocking start to the campaign. They have lost six of their seven Premier League games so far, and only managed to draw the other. This puts them at the bottom of the table, already 10 points behind the top six.
Rodgers has plenty of credit in the bank at Leicester after guiding them to the FA Cup in 2020-21. This saw the Foxes end their hoodoo in the competition as they lifted the trophy for the first time.
The Northern Irishman has also helped Leicester break into the top six, as they qualified for the Europa League twice between 2019 and 2021.
Leicester’s standards dropped last season and they slipped down to eighth. But things have gone from bad to worse this term, with the side conceding 22 goals in just seven outings.
They can end their winless league run on Monday when they come up against East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest at the King Power.
It looks set to be a fixture which will decide Rodgers’ future as Leicester boss. That’s because The Telegraph journalist John Percy claims Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, Leicester’s owner, has chosen to fly to England and watch the game.
It will be the chief’s first time attending a Leicester game in over six weeks. Presumably, the main thought on his mind will be whether to sack Rodgers or keep him at the helm.
Brendan Rodgers and Leicester to be watched by club chief
Percy claims Srivaddhanaprabha still supports Rodgers, partly because of all he has done for the club. Srivaddhanaprabha also thinks the 49-year-old has the ability to turn things around and make Leicester competitive again.
However, these thoughts will change if Leicester struggle against Forest and fail to pick up a win. Percy states the performance and crowd reaction will be ‘significant’ in affecting Rodgers’ future.
The coach is lucky as this should not be one of the hardest league games this season. Forest are in the relegation spot above Leicester after winning just once this season. They have also conceded 17 goals.
Having said that, no Prem match is easy and Forest will still put up a serious fight, especially as it’s a form of local derby.
Leicester officials are reportedly eyeing up Brentford boss Thomas Frank and former Burnley manager Sean Dyche if they let Rodgers go.
However, it will be a costly decision. Rodgers apparently has a £10m severance clause as part of his Leicester contract, which runs until 2025.
Plus, Leicester would have to pay Brentford compensation if they want to release Frank from his deal there.
Meanwhile, Danny Murphy has explained why Leicester’s James Maddison would be a brilliant signing for Newcastle.
