Leicester City owner admitted sacking manager to ‘protect Premier League status,’ but it proved to be a costly mistake – Opinion.

After securing promotion in the 2023/24 season, few would have expected Leicester City to struggle so dramatically.

However, the club now finds itself in one of the most challenging periods in its recent history.

With the FA Cup providing them a temporary break, Leicester will soon return to Premier League action, facing an uphill battle to avoid relegation.

Their current situation is dire, and the man tasked with keeping them in the top flight since November is Ruud van Nistelrooy.

However, with 11 defeats in their last 12 league matches, frustration among fans has reached a boiling point, with many calling for Van Nistelrooy’s dismissal.

The club’s predicament is alarming, and some argue it could have been avoided had owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha not made a crucial error in the past.

Leicester City’s Managerial Decisions Prove Costly

While survival is still mathematically possible, Leicester’s form and fixture list suggest they are heading toward another relegation.

If they do go down, it will be their second demotion in just three seasons.

Their previous relegation occurred in the 2022/23 campaign, during which Brendan Rodgers managed the team for most of the season.

A poor run of five defeats in six games saw Leicester slip into the relegation zone, leading to Rodgers’ dismissal in April 2023.

At the time, Srivaddhanaprabha released a statement, explaining the club’s decision.

According to BBC Sport, he acknowledged Rodgers’ past success but justified the sacking by emphasizing the need to take action with 10 games remaining.

He stated:

“It had been our belief that continuity and stability would be key to correcting our course, particularly given our previous achievements under Brendan’s management.

Regrettably, the desired improvement has not been forthcoming and, with 10 games of the season remaining, the board is compelled to take alternative action to protect our Premier League status.

The task ahead of us in our final 10 games is clear. We now need to come together – fans, players, and staff – and show the poise, quality, and fight to secure our position as a Premier League club.”

Was Sacking Brendan Rodgers a Mistake?

Rodgers’ tenure at Leicester saw the club win the FA Cup and Community Shield, marking a successful era. While the 2022/23 season was disappointing, dismissing him proved to be a costly error.

In his place, Leicester appointed Dean Smith for the remainder of the campaign. However, despite his best efforts, Smith was unable to prevent relegation.

Many believe he was not as capable a manager as Rodgers, making the decision to part ways with the Northern Irishman all the more questionable.

Since then, Leicester has struggled to recover. Meanwhile, Rodgers has returned to Celtic, where he is once again thriving.

In contrast, Leicester City faces the grim prospect of yet another relegation, a situation that stems from a series of managerial missteps.