Different manager, same outcome
With Marti Cifuentes, and much of his coaching staff gone, the Charlton game offered the first opportunity to see how an Andy King-led Leicester would fare. Not much to go on, of course, but a useful exercise nonetheless.
Like many games this season, the Foxes would be expected to beat a side below them in the table but the Blue Army have had cause in this difficult campaign to regret such an assumption. Leicester fans' optimism was particularly constrained on Saturday given that, as a result of transfers and injuries, the City squad has been severely depleted. As the interim boss had hinted in his pre-match press conference, Harry Winks, who hadn't played since November after a falling-out with Cifuentes, was back in the squad and was needed very early on.
It is even more difficult to judge King on just one game because Leicester were down to 10 men early on when Caleb Okoli was sent off and, as is often the case, that transformed the game. Two quick Charlton goals before half time then put the game beyond the reach of the Foxes. Had Jordan Ayew converted a penalty (he hit the post) early in the second half it might have been a different matter but the game petered out and Charlton won a relatively easy three points.
This outcome was so frustrating not least because Charlton are a very limited team. Even down to 10 men there were stretches of the second half where the Foxes were by far the better side. The damsge, though, had already been done.
It appeared that Leicester played a slightly more direct game with fewer passes in their defensive area, and more long balls. Two points to make about that. One is that this tactic may have been forced on the team as a result of the sending off. Second, whether or not it was the intention, it played directly into Charlton's hands. As a tall and physical side, they were able to deal comfortably with long balls.
Brainless
Okoli has a lot to answer for. He was too easily muscled off the ball near the centre circle by Miles Leaburn and there was still a lot for the striker to do when he was hauled down by the Leicester centre back. It must be said that the substitute Olabade Aluko who came on after the sending off to play as Ben Nelson's partner looked more assured than the first choice defender.
King's chances
Even though the Foxes were beaten by Charlton, it remains an option to keep King in post at least until the end of the season. That is a risk, though, given that the Foxes look likely now - given the incoming points deduction - to be in a relegation dogfight.
In these circumstances, Leicester may go for an established manager to take full charge of the team now. A half-way house option is to appoint an experienced ‘old head’ who could help King out with the eventual outcome being that the Welshman would take full charge of the team. In this context, the names of Chris Coleman and Nigel Pearson have been mentioned. The fans’ choice would undoubtedly be the latter.
Whatever the choice, these are dark days for the Foxes. Relegation to League One is by no means out of the question and the consequences for the club of that would be devastating.