Claudio Ranieri Sacked by Leicester: The Big Questions Answered

Leicester City's sacking of Claudio Ranieri sent shock waves throughout the football world, so now is the time to analyse exactly what went wrong.

Just nine months after lifting the Premier League trophy, the Foxes are searching for a new manager to save them from the threat of relegation.

B/R Football Insider Dean Jones will now guide you through the fall-out from one of the biggest stories in world football...

When Did the Mood Start to Turn?

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The first signs of unrest at Leicester can be tracked back to a November defeat at Watford.

Goals from Etienne Capoue and Roberto Pereyra condemned the Foxes to a 2-1 defeat, leaving them with a record of one point from their opening seven away matches.

The display that afternoon showed little signs of the football we had seen prove so successful the previous season, and importantly, it started to become clear that the mindset of the players had also changed.

By the new year, tactics were changing regularly, and players, who had been talking among themselves, suggested to Ranieri that they wanted a return to the style they had been so comfortable with previously.

Things steadily got worse as Ranieri became at odds with backroom staff as well as certain players, and over the past couple of months, there have been whispers that Ranieri had lost the dressing room.

What Have Been Ranieri's Biggest Faults?

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Winning the Premier League gave Leicester a golden ticket, the chance to build on their success to potentially become part of the division's elite.

In order to do that, they had to recruit well, but it seems to be an area in which they fell down.

Ranieri spent around £60 million on the signings of Nampalys Mendy from Nice, Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow and Sporting CP forward Islam Slimani. 

None of them had any Premier League experience, and none of them have influenced the side in any notable way. He should also have bought a proven centre-half. It was an area he tried to strengthen but could have insisted upon.

The sale of N'Golo Kante had an obvious impact on the side's style of play, but—as referred to in the previous section—Ranieri also angered players with some of his decisions in terms of team selection and tactics.

Why Sack Him Midway Through a Champions League Tie?

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This is the most bizarre segment of all, but it seems the Champions League performance at Sevilla did not have much sway on Ranieri's fate.

The result alone was enough to convince Leicester's decision-makers to pull the trigger, but importantly, it possibly proves that Premier League survival is far more crucial to the club than any European adventure.

Owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha had recently given Ranieri a vote of confidence, but I understand his feelings towards the situation changed quite drastically since that statement on February 7.

After spending more time around the team and getting a better idea of the feeling around the squad, it became clear the club was not a happy camp.

In hindsight, Srivaddhanaprabha will regret saying he had faith in Ranieri. But at the time, he was trying to do the right thing.

Did Player Power Really Cost Him His Job?

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There is no doubt Ranieri lost the dressing room some time ago, but the final straw came when senior players were specifically asked how they felt about the way the club was being run.

Certain names did not hold back. They made it clear Ranieri was to blame for much of the unrest within the ranks.

Think back to what happened at Chelsea the previous season. Key names did not perform because they no longer held then-manager Jose Mourinho in the high regard that was required.

Ranieri's situation was similar. He lost respect within the dressing room and could no longer motivate his top players to reach the high standards previously reached.

How Does This Reflect on the Team?

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Badly. One huge aspect of this situation that remains uncomfortable is that Ranieri lost his job because players underperformed.

They failed to live up to the standards they had set themselves, and ultimately those players now need to rise to the pressure and start producing results to lift Leicester up the Premier League table.

Ranieri played his part in this decline of the champions, but can these players really look in the mirror and say they are not to blame, too?

Jamie Vardy started this campaign with three goals in five matches but then went on a 16-game stretch between September and December in which he failed to find the net. 

Riyad Mahrez was being linked with moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid last summer but has not produced a goal or assist in the last eight matches, a time when his club needed him to step up.

Leicester's defence conceded 36 goals in the league last season. This season, they have already conceded 43.

If they think Ranieri was solely to blame, there can no longer be an excuse.

Is Mancini Going to Become the Next Boss?

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It is rare when a manager loses his job that a club do not already have a new man in mind.

Leicester immediately set Roberto Mancini, 52, as the man they would like to take over and will now push forward by making contact, to discover whether the appointment will be possible. Mancini has been out of work since leaving Inter Milan last year.

In any case like this, clubs also sound out back-up options, and Guus Hiddink is a name being discussed as having the potential to lift the club in terms of league position and morale.

Nigel Pearson has been mentioned for a possible return, but my information is that would be hugely unlikely. His departure from the club was controversial, high profile and dragged-out.

Craig Shakespeare, who worked as Ranieri's assistant, remains at the club and will take charge for the fixture against Liverpool on Monday.

What Will Happen If Leicester Are Relegated?

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A mass exodus could be on the cards at the King Power Stadium if Leicester fail to stay up despite ditching Ranieri.

Vardy, Mahrez, Kasper Schmeichel, Wes Morgan and Danny Drinkwater all signed improved contracts in reward for their 2015-16 success, and that means the club now have a hefty wage bill to manage.

Vardy and Mahrez collect in the region of £100,000 per week.

One source has mentioned to me there is no clause within those deals that would mean their pay will drop if Leicester fall into the Championship. If that proves to be the case, there is no way they will all remain on board.

Another concern is a valuation drop for every member of the squad. Mahrez was valued at £50 million by Leicester last summer but would command nowhere near that figure based on this season's disaster.