Could Graham Potter replace Brendan Rodgers at Leicester?

Time Stamp: February 10, 2022 9:50 AM

graham potter leicester

With Brendan Rodgers suffering his first serious crisis at Leicester City, could Graham Potter be the man to replace him at the King Power Stadium?

 

 

Not so long ago, Leicester City were widely considered the best run club in the Premier League and with good reason too. The Foxes punched well above their weight as they challenged for a place in the top four, with Brendan Rodgers’ side falling just short of achieving Champions League qualification in successive seasons.

The picture at the King Power Stadium looks rather bleaker now. Indeed, Leicester City are a long, long way from the top four with Rodgers’ team also out of the FA Cup after a shock fourth round defeat to Nottingham Forest. At this point, a top half finish in the Premier League table might be the best the Foxes can hope for this season.

Leicester City’s decline has been so dramatic that Rodgers’ position could now be at risk. The King Power Stadium outfit have previosly been ruthless in their dismissal of managers and they might be forced to make a difficult decision on the future of their Northern Irish boss should their poor form continue much longer.

Fortunately for Leicester there is a manager out there who would be perfect to replace Rodgers in Graham Potter. Potter has earned himself many admirers at Brighton but the 46-year-old has limited resources to work with on the south coast. The Seagulls are an established Premier League club known for their attractive style of play, yet there is a ceiling to what they can achieve.

The Brighton boss would almost certainly look to build on what Rodgers has put in place at the King Power Stadium rather than start from scratch. Leicester City would give Graham Potter a good chance of continuing his upward trajectory by competing for European qualification and challenging for silverware.

Of course, Potter might prefer to wait for an opportunity higher up the Premier League ladder. The Englishman is reportedly highly thought of by Manchester City who might have to devise a succession plan for Pep Guardiola in the next few years. Potter was also previously linked with Tottenham Hotspur before they opted for Antonio Conte instead.

Dan Ashworth, who worked with Potter as Brighton’s Director of Football, has recently made the move to Newcastle United where there is certainly no shortage of resources. Eddie Howe is currently in place at St James’ Park but it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that the Newcastle job could come up again. Potter would surely be a name on Ashworth’s shortlist.

While he might be an idealist as a coach, Graham Potter is a pragmatistic as a character and so he might view Leicester City as a more natural next step than a ‘Big Six’ club or the club with more money than any other in the world. There, he might not be so easily crushed under the weight of expectation.

Brighton fans might feel Potter can still achieve more at their club. The Seagulls currently sit above Leicester City in the Premier League table and are just six points off Arsenal in sixth. Potter might feel he can drive Brighton into the top eight, maybe even the top six, with another signing or two.

However, Potter must be wary of becoming the next Howe. Once linked with top level jobs, Howe’s stock stagnated the longer he stayed at Bournemouth to the point fans and pundits started to take for granted what he had achieved at the Vitality Stadium. He was somewhat fortunate to be given the opportunity at Newcastle United.

There’s still a chance that Rodgers will turn things around for the Foxes. The King Power Stadium club could be forgiven if they have started to cast glances elsewhere. Personal ambition may not be a guiding light for Graham Potter, but a vacancy at Leicester City would present him with a career crossroads.

 

 

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