Is Graham Potter closing on a return to management with Leicester after more than 18 months out of work?
A 2-1 home loss to Chelsea on Saturday proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back for Leicester. The Foxes opted to relieve Steve Cooper of his duties on Sunday afternoon with the Midlands side now mired on a four-game winless run in England’s top tier after the weekend defeat to the Blues.
Cooper was never a popular appointment in the first place given his history with Nottingham Forest. He leaves the club two points above the drop zone having collected two wins from the opening 12 matches.
The 44-year-old had big boots to fill at the King Power Stadium following Enzo Maresca’s title success last season, and in truth; he ranked relatively low on supporters’ wishlist when it became clear the Italian would depart for Chelsea earlier in the year.
Only Wolves (28) and Southampton (24) have conceded more goals than the Foxes (23) under Cooper in the Premier League this season, while Brentford (19.2) and Saints (17.8) are giving up more chances than the Foxes (17.6).
Having overperformed their xG by 1.28, the second biggest overperformance in the Premier League this season, suggests Leicester are performing better in front of goal than they should be, which didn’t bode well for a 38-game campaign under Cooper.
Attention now turns to Cooper’s successor in the next Leicester manager odds market.
With the games coming thick and fast, many are perplexed as to why they didn’t axe the former Forest boss during the November international break.
Who is the favourite to be next Leicester manager?
Graham Potter heads the betting in the next Leicester manager odds market (7/4 best price on BetVictor) after Ruud van Nistelrooy had emerged as the early favourite.
The Dutchman, who twice beat Leicester during his interim spell as Manchester United boss, opened at 10/11 on Sky Bet but is now out to a best price 4/1.
Potter, meanwhile, started at 6/1 but is now as short as 5/4 on Paddy Power. He has taken 25% of all the bets in the Leicester manager market through oddschecker since the Cooper news broke.
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Other names in the hat at this early stage include former Coventry boss Mark Robins (16/1), while Lee Carsley - who guided England to five wins from six Nations League matches during his short stint as the international boss - is a matched 25/1 chance with West Brom's Carlos Corberan.
The new man at the King Power helm will need time to get their ideas across over the coming months, though there is a solid foundation in place to succeed in the Midlands.
Priority will be to tighten up at the back, but with the likes of Facundo Buonanotte, Jamie Vardy, Patson Daka and Stephy Mavididi all options on the frontline; an attack-minded manager should be able to help guide Leicester away from danger.
Next Leicester Manager Odds
| Next Leicester Manager | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Graham Potter | 7/4 | 36% |
| David Moyes | 9/4 | 31% |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | 4/1 | 20% |
| Mark Robins | 16/1 | 6% |
| Carlos Corberan | 25/1 | 4% |
