Pro and cons of five coaches to take over from Pearson at Leicester

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Nigel Pearson keeping Leicester City in the Premier League this past season has not been enough to save him from the sack. As a result of his axing by the Foxes’ wealthy Oriental owners, Coral football experts look at who could succeed him as boss of the East Midlands outfit, and we weigh up the pros and cons of these names.

An early 3/1 favourite for the post, Big Sam left West Ham United as his relationship with club chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan deteriorated. Content to let his contract run down at the Hammers, this may yet prove to be a mistake.

Allardyce showed at Upton Park that he was willing to shed the stereotypical image of long ball tactics that has followed him throughout his coaching career. Having just worked for one set of demanding owners, will he be willing to take the plunge again so soon in his native Midlands?

Neil Lennon
From one former Bolton Wanderers boss to the current Trotters top dog; Lennon is just behind Big Sam in the betting at 5/1, and was a huge part of Leicester’s successful end to the 1990s when he played in midfield during two League Cup triumphs.

An ex-Celtic captain and coach, Lennon will have a tough time mounting a promotion push with Wanderers, so could be forgiven for jumping ship in favour of a return to the Foxes. Appointing a club cult hero would be a smart move from the owners to appease fans left confused by Pearson’s firing.

We can’t resist talking up Argentine veteran Cambiasso as a player-coach. At 7/1, it’s perfectly possible this magnificent midfield general could go from engine room to dugout.

Trophy laden spells with River Plate, Real Madrid and Inter Milan mean Cambiasso is used to pressure cooker situations, and he added to those accolades by being named as Leicester’s Player of the Year for 2014/15. He’s a complete coaching novice, though.

Harry Redknapp
We’re talking about the most high-profile English manager available in Redknapp, yet he is a relative outsider to the above names at 16/1. Taking Portsmouth from relegation scrappers to European football, that track record would appeal to Leicester’s ambitious Asian owners.

Redknapp is 68, however, and thus could never be a long-term appointment. He’s also never coached a club north of London, so it’s hard to see him moving to the Midlands.

Cambiasso’s old Argentina boss Bielsa reportedly got down to the final two in the race to succeed Allardyce at West Ham. ‘El Loco’ lost out to former Hammers defender Slaven Bilic, however, but still looks set to become of the exodus from Marseille.

Pearson got plenty of joy playing with three central defenders and wing backs; these are similar tactics to how Bielsa has set up his recent teams. Compatriot Leonardo Ulloa would be the perfect centre forward to spearhead the awesomely attacking and unorthodox 3-3-3-1 set-up employed by this fiery coach, who would expect to be backed by the Foxes owners and is 20/1 to take charge.

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