Leicester City legend Gary Lineker has had his say on who he would like to take over from Steve Cooper.
After a run of five winless games in the Premier League, Leicester City have decided to part ways with Steve Cooper, who left the side in 16th position in the table.
There were many problems that arose during the very short tenure for Cooper, including being unable to convince the top players in the side with his tactics, as well as the strange decisions to put very little faith in top pros at the club, from Ricardo Pereira to Jannik Vestergaard.
Since his dismissal from the role, Leicester City have wasted no time in scouting out their successor, including Graham Potter’s named being mentioned. Despite the names with Premier League pedigree popping up, Gary Lineker believes that the Foxes should go down an alternative route with a former England manager.
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Gary Lineker suggests Lee Carsley as ideal Steve Cooper replacement at Leicester City
There will be many options open to Leicester at this moment in time, including a few that have recently left roles elsewhere, including Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Mark Robins, however Lineker believes that the Foxes could and potentially should eye up Lee Carsley.
The England U21 boss took on the first team for a brief period of time following the departure of Gareth Southgate, and managed to steady the ship prior to Thomas Tuchel’s appointment.
Via The Rest Is Football on Spotify, Lineker suggested that: “I’d go with Lee Carsley.”
It was a suggestion that Micah Richards fully agreed with, suggesting that it was ‘a great shout’.
Lineker continued dissecting the option of Carsley, to which he said: “I think he’s really got something, and I think there’s a little bit of a reluctance in the Premier League, opposed to perhaps other leagues, and I think with possible exceptions, Brentford and Brighton, who have brought in young managers that they think have got something about them.
“They’ve got a coaching ability that is there, you take a bit of a punt.
“Now, it’s difficult with a club that’s obviously going to be fighting relegation. It’ll be a tough first managerial job in terms of the club side for Carsley, but the way that England players responded to him, you could tell that they respected him as a coach, that they thought he had good ideas, we thought he was really imaginative and brave.
“If it was down to me, which it is categorically not, I would think of someone like that, if they don’t go down the tried and trusted route for someone like David Moyes.”
- READ MORE: Leicester City already have perfect replacement for Steve Cooper, they wanted him this summer
Leicester must be aware of huge risk that potential Lee Carsley appointment holds
Whilst Carsley at this moment in time isn’t a top priority for the role, or being suggested as the most likely candidate to take over from Cooper, there is no doubt that he should be getting suggested at this moment in time.
However, at a crucial point in the 2024/25 Premier League season, where the Foxes will be hoping that they aren’t dragged into the relegation spots by Christmas, they will likely go with a safe option and appoint someone with top-tier experience when managing, at least in a deal until the end of the campaign.
Carsley would certainly make a top coach in a long-term project, but relying on a man with no experience in club football to prevent the rot would be quite a task, and arguably too much of a risk.