Leicester v Sheffield United: Is manager sacking a boost?

Leicester City cross swords with the Blades on Sunday but developments on Friday seem to suggest long serving Manager Chris Wilder will no longer be in charge of Sheffield United. It is unclear if Wilder has been sacked or if he is stepping down on his own terms.

What we do know is the Foxes will be the first side in 5 years to face a Sheffield United without Wilder at the helm as under 21s coach Paul Heckingbottom accepts the caretaker duties. The question that will undoubtedly be on the minds of Leicester fans is how will this effect Sunday game?

The “new manager bounce” theory has been around for years, the idea being that sacking a manager jolts a team back into form whether it be due to added motivation or players fearing losing a once secure spot in the side is. This is of course something Rodger’s will not want to deal with in such a crucial game for Leicester.

But can we apply this theory to Sheffield United? Leicester would have spent the week preparing to face Wilder’s team, formation and system so a change in tactics could ruin any plans the Foxes have made for the game. Fortunately Heckingbottom has been running the exact same formation as Wilder with the under 21s so we should see Sheffield United line up in a familiar shape.

In terms of added motivation it would be a surprise if the departure of Wilder provided the Blades with any kind of lift as he was so well respected by players and staff alike. The Foxes will need to take charge of the game early and try to take the lead rather than fall behind to cheap goals like they did against Burnley and Brighton.

Clearly the King Power team needs to avoid giving the Yorkshire side anything to hang on to as you would expect them to be full of fight with places now up for grabs and a new Manager on the way that they will need to impress.

The return of Evans, Praet and Perez should give Leicester a much needed boost of their own and I do expect Brendan’s men to have enough quality to claim another vital three points against rock bottom Sheffield United especially with Wednesday fan Jamie Vardy due a goal.