In all likelihood, Craig Shakespeare was never the man Leicester City’s owners wanted in charge of the club. He was the man who turned the club’s form around as interim manager following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, almost forcing their hand in offering him the job on a permanent basis. He was a short-term fix who somehow worked his way into a long-term vision.
Shakespeare’s time as Foxes manager came to an end earlier this week, with Monday night’s 1-1 draw against West Brom prompting Leicester’s owners to pull the trigger. Indeed, things aren’t going so well for Leicester early on this season, currently sitting third bottom of the Premier League table, but this was a decision that highlighted the delusions of grandeur that have taken grip at the King Power Stadium.
It would seem that Leicester City’s owners believe the club should be challenging higher up the table like they were the season they sensationally won the Premier League title. But they must recognise that this was the exception rather than the norm. The norm is what the Foxes are experiencing right now. Down near the bottom is where, on the basis of their squad and stature as a club, they should be.
The statement released to confirm Shakspeare’s exit failed to clarify the club’s official stance on things, only stating that “the early promise under Craig’s management has not been consistently evident in the months since” and that “a change is necessary to keep the club moving forward.” That lack of clarification was emblematic of a greater lack of direction from the club over the way forward.
What’s more, there appears to be no succession plan following the dismissal of Shakespeare. Press reports claimed that the club’s owners wanted to appoint a big name in the mould of Carlo Ancelotti. But the Italian has since distanced himself from the job, with the Premier League’s go-to-man for guaranteed security from relegation, Sam Allardyce, also less than warm on the prospect of taking over at the King Power Stadium. Roberto Mancini and Thomas Tuchel have similarly moved out of reach.
Now, the likes of Sean Dyche and David Wagner are being linked with the vacant position, and even then, there are suggestions that neither of those candidates will be interested in taking over, with compensation also an issue. It’s entirely feasible that Leicester could end up appointing a manager with a similar pedigree to Shakespeare.
This is the sign of a club that has lost sight of its place in the English football landscape. Leicester City’s Premier League triumph of 2015-16 was a tale for the ages, arguably the greatest sporting upset of all time, but it was an anomaly. It wasn’t an illustration of where the Foxes are as a club, or where they should be season after season.
Leicester City’s primary aim every season should be to avoid relegation, and their current position in the Premier League reflects that. The Foxes have faced a difficult start to the campaign, coming up against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in their opening eight fixtures, but that wasn’t taken into account, seemingly, when evaluating Shakespeare’s place.
This isn’t to say that clubs should aspire to bigger and better things, and having tasted this not so long ago, it’s somewhat understandable that Leicester’s judgement should be informed by that. But Shakespeare’s sacking highlights how the Foxes have lost their way. That could ultimately harm them if they fail to arm themselves for the fight they are fighting rather than the one they wish they were fighting.
