Leicester City urged to replace Marti Cifuentes with 'wildcard' option | OneFootball

FLW's Leicester City fan pundit has thrown Dave Challinor's name in the mix for managers he'd like to see replace Marti Cifuentes

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leicester City are on the hunt for a new manager after Marti Cifuentes was dismissed following the recent 2-1 home defeat against relegation-battling Oxford United.

There's plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Foxes currently, with reports stating that previous financial issues may result in a six to 10 point deduction, and ultimately, that could shape Leicester's aims for the rest of the campaign.

The reality currently is that Cifuentes has been sacked with the club just six points removed from the top six, and with still plenty of football to play, there'll be some hope and expectation that Leicester can catch up with those ahead. If they do, and no deduction comes, they could end up in the play-offs, but if one does, they'll finish comfortably in mid-table.

The Foxes have been woeful defensively this term, keeping just three clean sheets in 29 games and conceding the third-most goals in the Championship. Therefore, FLW's Leicester fan pundit, Louchlainn Martin, wants someone a little more pragmatic in charge - and a 'wildcard' option has been named.

Stockport County's Dave Challinor is at the top of his list, but he hasn't ruled out the current interim boss, Andy King, from taking charge if performances improve.

"Marti Cifuentes has finally been sacked by Leicester, and it comes as no real surprise," Martin opened.

"For some, it comes at the right time, and for others, it comes a little too late. But we still have a lot of the season to play, and Leicester have the chance to revive their campaign and rise somewhat up the table."

The fan pundit brought to light the wording in the official club statement detailing Cifuentes' departure, with Andy King said to be "taking charge of team preparations on an interim basis."

Because of this wording, placing the former Leicester midfielder as "interim" first-team manager, Martin feels that there could be a world where King sticks around until the end of the campaign, and maybe even longer if results improve between now and then.

"The wording of the Leicester statement...they don't usually say 'on an interim basis,' they usually just say that they'll take over first team duties until a new person comes in, so I think there's a chance that they'll stick with Andy King until the end of the season before appointing someone on a permanent deal," he explained.

"That permanent deal could be King, depending on results, too. They could also give King a few games and then decide after that, depending on performances and results."

If Andy King isn't the man that the higher-ups at the King Power Stadium opt for, Martin has put forward Dave Challinor's name, the current Stockport manager, who has overseen the Hatters' progression from the National League to where they are now as League One promotion contenders.

The fan pundit believes that he could be a little more organised than Cifuentes, and perhaps command a lot more respect than the former QPR boss could in a Leicester dressing room full of top talent.

"If I had to pick someone right now, it's a bit of a wildcard pick, but I'd say Dave Challinor," Martin said.

"He's a very good man manager, I think he's pragmatic, and that's not to say his teams can't play attractive football, but I think he'd get the team grafting finally, which is something we haven't had all season.

"Marti Cifuentes seemed a bit of a pushover, so the question would be whether he could command the respect of some of the players who appear to have attitude problems, but other than that, I can't think of anyone better suited.

"You look at the odds websites, and the options seem pretty bleak. There are managers on there who I don't think would take the job, and managers who I don't think Leicester would go for, including Russell Martin, who we were said to have pulled the plug on in the summer.

"So, personally, I think it'll be Andy King for a while, but Dave Challinor would be my pick if it were down to me."

Dave Challinor has proven ready for the step-up into the Championship

Some Stockport fans have been pleasantly surprised that Challinor hasn't been poached by a Championship club as yet, given the number of sackings in the division so far this season, given that the County boss has shown that he can make that step-up into the Championship over the last year and a half.

The Hatters are well-backed by owner Mark Stott, but his ability to coach teams to be competitive at different levels cannot be overlooked, and the future is bright for Challinor as and when he does end up moving into the second-tier.

The 50-year-old has an astonishing 14-year personal record in management, in which he hasn't finished outside the play-offs in any of his full seasons in charge of a club, and that includes immediate play-off finishes following promotion the year before at the likes of AFC Fylde and now at Stockport.

That record looks set to continue this year, too, if he finishes the campaign at Edgeley Park, and County fans will be hoping that he can make the step-up to the Championship with his current side.

For Stockport, they'll be hoping that he gets overlooked once again by a second-tier side. But, if Leicester come knocking, it may be difficult to hold Challinor back from making the move to the King Power Stadium.