How Leicester City could look if Liam Manning is appointed - 2 changes are likely | OneFootball

Liam Manning has been linked with the Leicester City job after his fine work at Bristol City.

Leicester City have endured a miserable season which has resulted in relegation back to the Championship.

As well as the disappointment of going down, fans are unhappy at the way the club is operating, with director of football Jon Rudkin receiving a lot of criticism.

One of the reasons for the anger towards Rudkin and the board has been the managerial appointments this season, with Ruud van Nistelrooy replacing Steve Cooper, but he failed to make a positive impact.

Liam Manning emerges as Leicester City target

Therefore, there has been plenty of talk suggesting the Dutchman could leave, and a host of managers have already been linked with the vacancy.

The latest name in the frame, according to Ben Jacobs, is Liam Manning, who is currently in charge of Bristol City.

He has done an excellent job at Ashton Gate, leading the Robins to a top-six finish, and they will be dreaming of reaching the top-flight through the play-offs over the next few weeks.

If they do win promotion, a move for Manning seems highly unlikely, but Leicester could be an attractive option to the ex-Oxford United chief if the two clubs are in the same league.

With that in mind, we look at TWO changes Manning could make to Leicester if he arrived in the East Midlands…

Adaptable with his formation

Manning’s success at Bristol City has been built on a back three formation, which has made the team difficult to beat.

So, you would expect him to adopt a similar strategy at Leicester, and it could benefit the likes of Conor Coady in defence, as well as giving whoever is at wing-back more license to get forward.

But, unlike some other managers, Manning isn’t set to one formation, and he has proven himself to be adaptable over the years, which includes often playing with a back four at previous clubs.

That willingness to change and to pick a style that suits the group could appeal to Leicester, not only next season, but also in the long-term. The aim is to get back to the Premier League straight away, and a more pragmatic approach may be required if they do win promotion - and Manning has shown he will mix it up.

High pressing is encouraged

Even though he does adapt, Manning does have some core principles he wants from the team no matter how they are set up.

One of those, as his teams at MK Dons, Oxford and Bristol City have shown, is winning the ball back high up the pitch if it’s possible.

A key trait of this Robins side is that they are difficult to play against, and that’s because of the energy and hunger they play with.

That is reflected in the stats, with Bristol City third in the entire league when it comes to possession won in the final third per match.

Leicester fans have felt their side have lacked the basics when it comes to application and endeavour this season, but it wouldn’t be an issue under Manning, who will demand that the side are on the front foot, even without the ball.