Leicester loss paves way for O'Neill return
Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric was quick to dismiss the rumours that first broke on Monday evening that the Foxes' new Thai owners were keen to persuade popular former manager Martin O'Neill to return to the club.
However, there's even more pressure on underachieving boss Paulo Sousa than there was then after the midlanders suffered their sixth Championship defeat of the campaign away to Norwich last night, while fellow slow starters Preston and Portsmouth both won.
Supporters, having no doubt expected another play-off challenge after marking their second tier comeback last season with a fifth-place finish, are rapidly losing faith in the Portuguese tactician and talk of a reunion with O'Neill, no matter how ambitious and unlikely, isn't helping him at all.
Leicester host Scunthorpe on Saturday and, given that they are [1.87] favourites, it's reasonable to suggest that - regardless of Mandaric's talk of long-term plans - Sousa will struggle to survive the two-week international break that follows if they end up with anything other than three points.
But would O'Neill seriously consider dropping down a division if it meant going back to the club where he made his name in the Premier League? Tell us what you think below...
Published: 29 Sep 2010
Steve Morris (September 29, 2010 5:05 PM) said:
But would O'Neill seriously consider dropping down a division if it meant going back to the club where he made his name in the Premier League?
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We won't know if we don't ask!
Chris Moore (September 29, 2010 5:57 PM) said:
It may be a pipedream but if the new owners are bold enough maybe he might consider it especially if he is assured that he would be given sufficient money to get us back to the topflight, & establish Leicester as a club regularly challenging for European football . He always said that if he could have kept the side spearheaded by Collymore & Heskey together he thought he would have been able to challenge the upper reaches of the Premier League.
I can't think any Leicester fan wouldn't be delighted to see Martin return, he still has cult status here - Not many managers get to acheive that.
Betfair Football (September 29, 2010 10:10 PM) said:
It's great to have some comments from Leicester fans, many thanks.
While you're here, we'd love to know your views on Paulo Sousa. How has a man whose managerial reputation was earned by making Swansea so hard to break down managed to turn another team who had a decent defensive record last season into one capable of leaking ten goals in two games? Have you any faith in his ability to turn things around, or is his departure an inevitability at this point?
Shelley (September 30, 2010 11:10 AM) said:
It is a bit ambitious to say that Martin O'Neill will come back to Leicester, but he is a legend at the club and no manager has achieved what he achieved since he left. The next best thing to him was Nigel Pearson who decided to leave us. When Paulo Sousa was bought in by Milan, I though that he could of chosen better, but considering how well he did with Swansea last season, I thought that it weren't an extremeley bad decision. However, I don't think that the syle of play he wants to use is any good for Leicester. Our defence last season were one of the best in the Championship, how can he of changed that so much to concede 10 goals in 2 games. I lost faith in Sousa after the first couple of games in the Championship. I don't think it will be long before he is gone.
John (September 30, 2010 1:14 PM) said:
I think the trouble with Sousa is that he came into the job at Swansea after Martinez left. Martinez played the passing game similar to how Sousa wanted. However, coming to Leicester and succeeding Pearson is a totally different thing. Pearsons team were not the best passing side and tended to grind out teams with hard work. For Sousa to inherit these players means that he has a much bigger job here at Leicester to change the style of play. I for one have not given up on him. There are glimpses of good and despite reults certain periods of games we have played the best I have seen us in some years. He needs time and that unfortunately is not something easy to come by as a manager in this era. Lets not forget for Martin ONeills first 10 games we saw some of the worst football ever yet look how that chapter of our history turned out.
Leicester fans should forget about the possibility of MON coming back. He would be mad to even consider it. Give paulo some time and lets stop this stupid Merry go round of Leicester managers which is what caused us to be relegated in the first place.
I still have the faith!