Ranking every manager of Leicester City’s King Power era

The King Power era came as a blessing for Leicester City at the right time when they were fleeing the struggles from the depths of the third tier of the English Football League.

It’s only fair that we take a look back in retrospect to weigh over the managers that served their purpose to put the East Midlanders back on the global map. We won’t be looking at those who resumed the role of an interim manager to keep it concise.

6) Claude Puel
P-67 W-23 D-18 L-26 Win %-34.33

The only French manager in the club’s history came in the form of Claude Puel on 25 October 2017. He was replacing the recently sacked Craig Shakespeare, who had left the club in a compromising position. The appointment received criticism as Puel failed to replicate the methods that earned him success previously on English soil at Southampton.

From 31 January 2018 until the end of the season, Leicester recorded only three wins from 14 league games. Such a dismal run that saw Puel accused of negative football. The Frenchman joined Leicester in 13th place and helped the club climb up the table to finish in the 9th position.

Furthermore, his decision to block Riyad Mahrez’s move to Manchester City on the deadline day and to leave Adrien Silva out of the first team changed the players’ outlook toward the manager.
The questionable decisions continued into the new season as Puel fielded an understrength side only to get eliminated from the third round of the FA Cup at the hands of League Two club Newport County. After six league games without a win, Puel was sacked by Leicester on 24 February 2019, following a defeat at home to Crystal Palace the previous day.

5) Craig Shakespeare
P-26 W-11 D-6 L-9 Win %-42.31

Shakespeare took over as caretaker manager when Ranieri was sacked on 23 February 2017. Soon enough, by 12 March, his record earned him a promotion as he became the permanent manager of the outfit. In his brief spell, Shakespeare became the first Premier League manager ever to achieve three goals per game in his first three matches in charge.

Then on 1 April, he became the only English manager to win his first four league matches. On 8 June, Shakespeare signed a 3-year deal to be the permanent manager for Leicester City, but on 17 October 2017, he was gone after poor performances left the club in the bottom three of the Premier League.

4) Sven-Göran Eriksson
P-55 W-24 D-14 L-17 Win %-43.64

When the King Power group, led by Thai businessman Vichai and his son Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, decided to purchase the club from Milan Mandarić, the Foxes sat in the relegation zone of the Championship. The first manager that the new ownership pursued looked like an overambitious one. Sven-Göran Eriksson, the former manager of the English national team, took over to aspire for a promotion.

The King Power side soon made improvements under the Swede, and the outfit gradually began to climb the table. Consistency was a reoccurring issue under Eriksson, as the Foxes came short when they were near the play-off spots. The manager spent big in a bid for promotion in 2011 but left the club by mutual consent after 13 league matches.

During Eriksson’s time, he purchased several key players like Kasper Schmeichel, David Nugent, and Paul Konchesky. These players later became a part of the Leicester team that won the 2013–14 Championship and survived relegation from the 2014–15 Premier League under Nigel Pearson.

3) Brendan Rodgers
P-169 W-81 D-37 L-51 Win %-47.92

Rodgers arrived at a sensitive time in February 2019, when the supporters felt dejected after Puel’s tenure. In his first full season, the Northern Irishman guided Leicester to fifth place and qualified for the UEFA Europa League group stage. Leicester City was looking strong coming into the 2020/21 season.

Starting off the season strongly, the Foxes defeated Manchester City 5–2 away from home. Rodgers became the first manager whose team scored five goals against a team managed by Pep Guardiola. The Foxes cruised through the Europa League group stages but fell short when the knockouts came.

Like last season, the side could not get over the line on the final day of the season- finishing fifth again, with better chances than last time. But Rodgers ended his second season on an all-time high by leading the side to clinch their first-ever FA Cup title. Then he followed it up by winning the Community Shield.

The highs of the previous seasons couldn’t be replicated as both defensive alongside injury woes continued keeping the side from reaching their full potential. Rodgers looks forward to getting a promised rebuild underway for the upcoming season.

2) Nigel Pearson
P-175 W-80 D-37 L-58 Win %-45.71

Pearson is often considered to be the catalyst that instigated the winning underdog mentality that helped the side to clinch their maiden Premier League trophy. During the 2012-13 season, the side came close but was thwarted by Watford’s last-second efforts.

The 2013–14 season saw Leicester City recover from their play-off defeat of the previous season, starting well and sitting in first place at Christmas. The King Power side ended the season strong as champions, winning promotion to the Premier League.

In the top-tier English football pyramid, a dismal run of form saw the team slip to the bottom of the league table with only 19 points from 29 matches. By 3 April 2015, they were seven points adrift from safety. It could have brought a sudden end to City’s seven-year rise, but seven wins from their final nine league matches meant the Foxes finished the season 14th with 41 points. The upturn was hailed as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever escapes from relegation.

On 30 June 2015, however, Pearson was sacked, with the club stating that “the working relationship between Nigel and the Board was no longer viable.” The sacking was due to the actions of three City players in Thailand during a post-season tour.

1) Claudio Ranieri
P-81 W-36 D-22 L-23 Win %-44.44

The Italian was appointed with skepticism around the league, but what followed not only gave Leicester City their due respect in modern football but also cement a legacy- one that will be etched in our memory forever.

The Tinkerman focused on team building, unlike any other we have witnessed before. From treating them in a pizza-making exercise after securing a clean sheet to giving them inspiration from the rock band Kasabian.

Those things worked as the club remained astonishingly at the top of the Premier League at Christmas, having scored in each of their first 17 games. Remarkably, Leicester City defied the odds of 5000-1 to win the most challenging league in Europe. It was crazy, it was astonishing, it was magical. The story of an underdog team with unproven talents and misfits eventually became the most celebrated story in any sporting history.

Of course, the second season would always have been difficult as Ranieri suffered from his own brilliance. Eventually, he was sacked as he paid the price for a poor season. However, what he did in that one season would never be replicated.