Leicester City backed to appoint Nigel Pearson - 'it would unite a broken fanbase' | OneFootball

FLW's Leicester City fan pundit has given his verdict on who he would like as the club's new manager following the sacking of 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 currently on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Marti Cifuentes.

Cifuentes only took over at Leicester in the summer when he replaced Ruud van Nistelrooy following the club's relegation from the Premier League, but he was dismissed on Sunday after just over six months in charge.

A run of five defeats in eight games had seen the pressure mount on Cifuentes, and Saturday's 2-1 defeat to struggling Oxford United at the King Power Stadium proved to be the final straw for the Foxes hierarchy, with the Spaniard departing with the club sitting 14th in the table, six points from the play-off places.

As Leicester begin the search for a replacement for Cifuentes, a host of names have been linked with the vacancy in recent days, including the likes of Russell Martin, Gary Rowett, Derek McInnes and Chris Coleman.

Leicester City told to appoint Nigel Pearson or Dave Challinor following Marti Cifuentes exit

When asked who his first choice would be to replace Cifuentes, FLW's Leicester City fan pundit Louchlainn Martin urged the Foxes to bring former manager Nigel Pearson back to the club, while he also revealed that Stockport County boss Dave Challinor is high on his list of preferred candidates.

Pearson, who has been out of work since leaving Bristol City in October 2023, has previously had two spells in charge of Leicester, leading them to promotion from both League One and the Championship during those stints, while he also masterminded their great escape from relegation in the Premier League in the 2014-15 season.

Challinor has overseen Stockport's rise from the National League to League One since taking over at Edgeley Park in November 2021, and with the Hatters firmly in contention to achieve another promotion this season, Louchlainn claimed that he could be a strong option for the Foxes.

"My number one choice is Nigel Pearson, he is a legend around these parts," Louchlainn told FLW.

"I think him coming in alone would unite a broken fanbase.

"It doesn't matter what side of the spectrum you are on as a Leicester fan, you could be on the side where you want to play fancy, nice, tippy-tappy football like we did under Enzo Maresca or you could be on the other side where you want to play 4-4-2 and long ball.

"But if Nigel Pearson came into the club, every single person in that stadium would unite, and the atmosphere would be incredible, I can promise you that.

"I think that's what Leicester need, a whole fanbase and a whole club pulling in one direction.

"That's not happening at the moment, but I think Nigel Pearson would bring that.

"However, it's rumoured that Nigel Pearson isn't on the best of terms with Jon Rudkin, so I don't think it will happen.

"The realistic option I would go for is Dave Challinor, the current manager of Stockport.

"He has a really impressive lower league managerial record, with I think six or seven promotions in his career so far.

"He probably brings the type of football and the no-nonsense attitude we need right now, similar to what Nigel Pearson would bring.

"In the summer we were linked with managers like Graham Potter and Russell Martin, but I don't think they are the type of manager we need, they are project managers.

"At the minute, we need someone who is going to come in and stabilise the club, stabilise what's happening on the pitch and get some results because the threat of relegation to League One is seriously there if a points deduction comes.

"I think a Dave Challinor, Gary Rowett or Nigel Pearson would be much better than a Russell Martin."

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The return of Pearson would likely have a galvanising effect on Leicester supporters, but he has not managed for over two years since his exit from Bristol City, and if there are tensions between him and Rudkin, it could create further division at a time when the club is desperate for unity.

While Pearson would be a risky appointment for the Foxes, Challinor could prove to be an exciting choice, with the 50-year-old boasting an impressive record of never finishing outside the play-off places with any of his respective teams during his 14 full seasons as a manager.

With Stockport currently challenging for promotion to the Championship, it remains to be seen if Challinor could be tempted away from Edgeley Park at this point, but he has certainly earned the opportunity to manage at a higher level.