Seven Candidates for Foxes Hotseat

Though there is some kind of urgency to get someone in to the hotseat, the sense that we take the time to consider the options both available and unavailable has never been more important, with the right man a necessity for the sake of the club and its short-term future.

With Andy King in temporary charge, we explored the possibility of him taking over for the remainder of the season yesterday, and today we look at seven possible candidates the Foxes could consider both short-term and long-term.

And no... Russell Martin isn't there!

1. The short-term, let's wait and see candidate - Gary Rowett

It would be ironic if the man who lost his job recently at Oxford United, who were the ones to finish former boss Marti Cifuentes off, was the one to get the Leicester job, but it could well happen, and he does have a connection with the club having served the club for just over a season at the turn of the millennium.

The former defender has carved out a fairly successful career in and around the Championship at clubs like Oxford, Millwall, Birmingham City and East Midlands rivals Derby County. The only long-term appointment has been at Millwall where he spent four years but he is available, has pedigree within the league and may well steady the ship.

Long-term there remains a question mark as he has yet to add a promotion to his CV, so a spell as interim could suit both parties, putting himself back in the shop window for another job with a Championship club, whilst the Foxes search for a better long-term fit.

Pros: available, former Fox, Championship pedigree

Cons: recently sacked, shorter spells, lack of honours

2. The fiery, kick the proverbial butt candidate - Neil Lennon

The former Foxes favourite has only spent a small amount of time managing in England, but he is best known for his time at Celtic, where he won five Premiership titles across two spells and was known for his fiery encounters with many adversaries north of the border.

He is back in Scottish football with Dunfermline Athletic in the Championship, rebuilding his career after a disappointing couple of spells abroad. There is little doubt that he would come in and try to kick the squad into shape and seriously challenge them in terms of creating a culture and identity.

His lack of prowess in English football would be a question mark, but as a former Fox, he would likely get time from the fanbase to implement a style that could work in the short and long term.

Pros: former Fox, multiple honours, strong character

Cons: currently working, lack of English football pedigree, recent managerial failures

3. The sensible, available and safe candidate - Tony Mowbray

The former central defender has carved out a successful career on the whole, largely across the Championship over the last couple of decades, with a mixture of medium to long-term spells.

Wherever he has been, he has generally presided over sides that need a strong head to steady the ship, without many honours across spells. Whilst his lack of honours could be red flags, he might be right up the Foxes' alley when it comes to getting them organised, and could quite possibly work alongside Andy King, teaching him the ropes to pass on down the line.

With his health seemingly on the mend and him being available, the opportunity to start the rebuild at the King Power Stadium might be the right option and also the safe option for those wanting sustained experience and know-how.

Pros: very experienced in the Championship, safe pair of hands, available

Cons: old-school, long-term averse, health issues

4. The out-there, wildcard candidate - Robbie Keane

Now this is the one that comes from left-field and is definitely a punt, but he has caught the eye and he's riding high in the betting stakes. He obviously had a very good career as a player and he's served his time as assistant at a number of clubs and in the international game, too.

He has taken his talent abroad recently, first to Israel before the geopolitical issues reared their ugly head, and now he is in Hungary at Ferencvaros, where he won the league and is well in the mix for a second successive title.

His lack of experience as a manager in England is a negative and he is certainly nothing more than a punt, but one that could be an exciting and long-term option.

Pros: exciting potential, serving his apprenticeship, decorated footballer

Cons: Championship inexperience, early in his career, big punt

5. The glamorous and elite candidate - Steven Gerrard

It's the most unlikely of options if you look at it quickly, but if you actually dig down into this option, it may well be more believable than you think. If it was a short-term appointment, it could well be an option that could excite the club, players and fanbase and the connotations are nothing but positive.

The downside to appointing one of the greatest players in England's history, is that he will likely have his eye on a job in the Premier League and he would likely see the club as a stepping stone.

He did very well at Rangers but struggled at Aston Villa, so he has something to prove in England. Like his midfield partner from his England days, Frank Lampard, he may well need to drop down and prove himself before getting a gig at a bigger club in the Premier League.

Pros: available, good connections, decorated footballer

Cons: inconsistent, short-term option, stepping stone

6. The status quo foreign candidate - Ralph Hasenhuttl

The former Southampton manager is the candidate that likely comes across as the status quo option, keeping with a similar style that we currently employ and that he was successful with at the Saints.

He spent a decent amount of time on the south coast and other than a couple of horrendous 9-0 drubbings, one from the Foxes, he managed to keep the Saints in the Premier League.

He would eventually lose his job but by that time had earned a decent reputation, and would be an option if the club remained insistent on playing the brand of football they have 'tried' to employ for the past few seasons.

He is available after a short and fairly unsuccessful spell in the Bundesliga with VfL Wolfsburg.

Pros: style of football, English knowledge, resilient

Cons: wild results, style of football, recent struggles

7. The ideal but likely unavailable candidate - Mark Robins

Out of all of the options, if the Foxes wanted a ready-made manager who can move the club forward, build a culture and identity and has the knowledge of the English game, former Foxes striker Mark Robins is the ideal medium-term candidate.

Question marks revolve around taking that next step up, should we manage to rebuild the club from top to bottom. His managerial career has been one of consistency, often working on small budgets but gradually improving sides bit by bit.

His experience in building a side that can compete would be good for the short to medium-term outlook of the Foxes, and he'll get the backing of the fanbase, despite his affinity with M69 rivals Coventry City in the past.

One problem: he looks entrenched at Stoke City for the foreseeable future. His head could get turned, but it will no doubt cost the Foxes a fair bit in compensation, which would be a problem with our money issues.

Pros: former Fox, Championship pedigree, long-term option

Cons: compensation, rival affinity, Premier League question marks

I'm sure there will be plenty more names bandies around over the next week, or we could quite easily see Andy King get a result on Saturday and the club goes with him until the end of the season.

Some fans believe there isn't much around and that's true if we won't pay a club for the services of a candidate. However, if that option is open to us, there are plenty that might well look at the state of the club, think we are at rock-bottom and the only way is up.

If that's the case, we become an attractive option, a sleeping giant once more and one that could quite easily and quickly turn back to success.

Personally, the thought of a Neil Lennon or Mark Robins type fits the best for me. Robbie Keane intrigues me, Steven Gerrard would excite me.

I'd be happy with any of them. But that's the beauty of this wonderful yet frustrating love we have for the game - anything could happen and likely will!

Let us know on X who you want and who you realistically think might come into the club!