Leicester City told who to appoint out of Russell Martin and Rene Hake | OneFootball

Football League World's Leicester City fan pundit has discussed the club's manager search, which could be sealed by hiring Russell Martin or Rene Hake

Leicester City supporters are desperate for the club's managerial search to meet its conclusion, at which point preparations for the Foxes' second-ever season in League One can truly head underway following successive relegations in the last two campaigns.

Third-tier football has only ever been contested in this corner of the East Midlands all the way back in the 2008/09 season, and with Leicester having made an immediate return to the Championship as title-winners that term, the King Power Stadium faithful would love nothing more than for that feat to be replicated some 17 years on after suffering back-to-back relegations.

Leicester fell straight through the Championship last season as both Marti Cifuentes and later Gary Rowett failed to ever find their feet with the Foxes, with a huge rebuilding process now awaiting in the upcoming summer months.

City are, at this moment in time, managerless after Rowett's departure last month, although no shortage of names have been linked with the club's vacant hot-seat in recent times and it now appears as though the search for a new boss is intensifying.

As reported via X by John Percy of the Telegraph over the weekend, former Southampton and Rangers head coach Russell Martin is in "advanced talks" to be hired by Leicester after emerging as the Foxes' leading target, although there could be further twists to the tale.

That's because freshly-transpiring reports in the Netherlands have also linked departing Feyenoord coach Rene Hake with the job, and it now remains unclear exactly who Leicester will turn to in order to kick-start the club's League One rebuild - with Martin of reported interest to Burnley, too.

Leicester City told who to appoint out of Russell Martin and Rene Hake

Leicester's hierarchy have a huge decision to make, and it's one that needs to be reached rather swiftly in order to prevent the Foxes' much-drawn-out managerial search from toiling on even longer.

As such, Football League World asked our Leicester fan pundit - Jamie Preston - to identify who he would prefer to see appointed out of Martin and Hake.

It's Jamie's view that, despite hardly being sold on the idea of hiring Martin, the ex-Swansea City boss would represent a much stronger appointment than Hake owing to the Dutchman's lack of experience in English football.

Martin, who led MK Dons to the play-off semi-finals during the 2021/22 League One campaign before moving up to the Championship with Swansea and later winning promotion at Southampton, was actually in contention for the top job at the King Power Stadium last summer but has been out of work since October following a brief and dismal spell in charge of Rangers.

Hake, meanwhile, has accumulated a wealth of experience in the Netherlands, previously serving as head coach of FC Emmen, FC Twente, Cambuur, FC Utrecht and Go Ahead Eagles.

The 54-year-old has been assistant to Robin Van Persie at Feyenoord, having held the same role with Manchester United - to one-time Foxes boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, no less - along with Zwolle and Twente - but is expected to accompany the legendary former striker in leaving the club after his recent dismissal.

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When asked to pick between the two, Jamie explained: "Out of Russell Martin and Rene Hake, I would take Martin any day of the week even though he's not my choice as the new Leicester manager.

"Mainly because he's had experience in League One, the Championship and the Premier League, he knows the Football League inside out. As for Hake, a Johnny-come-lately from the Dutch league - nah you're alright!

"He might know Dutch and European football, but he doesn't know the Football League like Martin does.

"Martin isn't the fan's choice, but for me he would be the man over Hake even though I don't really want him - but we need a manager, and we need a manager soon."

Russell Martin appointment would be a serious coup for Leicester City

Few coaches throughout the EFL divide opinion in the way that Martin does, but there's little denying that the 40-year-old's potential hire would represent an inspired one at League One level.

His ability to elevate third-tier talent and implement his unwavering possession-based style while competing for promotion was proved for all to see at Stadium MK, but Martin's pedigree is above the division and has been honed through two impressive stints in the Championship.

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His coaching methods certainly aren't for everyone and can naturally frustrate when the results aren't there, which was his ultimate undoing last season with Rangers.

However, there's plentiful EFL evidence to suggest exactly how successful Martin could be at Leicester, and he may just be the best man to direct the Foxes' nervy new era - though Burnley may have something to say about that following new developments.