Who will be the next Leicester City manager?

With Craig Shakespeare sacked today by club chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the Foxes are once again hunting for a new manager. The early odds have many familiar names on the list, a few surprises, and, of course, Sam Allardyce.

The Apparent Favourite?

Thomas Tuchel

Current club: None

Points per match: 1.72

The former Borussia Dortmund manager is rumoured to be the first choice in the early stages of the search to replace Craig Shakespeare. He would fit the pattern of the last decade, which has seen City alternate between English managers (Pearson, Pearson again, and Shakespeare) and continental gaffers (Sousa, Eriksson, and Ranieri). Tuchel replaced Jürgen Klopp at Dortmund after four strong years at Mainz.

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He’s regarded as a strong tactician who likes for his teams to attack at pace. If he’s interested in the job, he seems like a strong candidate and a bold choice for the club.

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The Leicester Connections

Several managers with strong ties to the Foxes have been linked with the job. Would it be sensible or sentimental to bring one of them to the King Power?

Nigel Pearson

Current club: Oud Heverlee Leuven

Points per match: 1.57

We know what we'd be getting with Nigel. Pearson would be ruthless with underperforming stars, demand hard work from all 11 men on the pitch, and give the most baffling post-match interviews you're likely to hear. It's possible that resistance from the reporters following the club would be enough to prevent him from returning for a third stint at the King Power.

Michael Appleton

Current club: Leicester City

Points per match: 1.44

One of the shortest resumes of any manager on this list, Appleton has done well enough in the lower divisions to merit a long look. Speaking of long looks, he's got a stare that would cause Vinny Jones to think twice before squaring up against him.

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I doubt the chairman will be looking to promote another assistant this time, but I’ve no doubt Appleton will manage a team in the top flight before long.

Roberto Mancini

Current club: Zenit St. Petersburg

Points per match: 1.92

This one's not going to happen. Leicester fans have fond memories of Mancini's brief spell in the East Midlands at the end of his playing career. His time at Manchester City proved he could manage at this level, but his current club are in fine form domestically and in Europe.

Neil Lennon

Current club: Hibernian

Points per match: 1.91

Lennon's a tough one to figure. He struggled badly at Bolton, but he's been absolutely aces in Scotland with Celtic and Hibs. For a player who was known for his tough tackling and strong defensive contribution, Lennon’s teams play a very aggressive attacking style that works well north of the border, but does he have the tactical nous to succeed in the Premier League?

Martin O'Neill

Current club: Republic of Ireland

Points per match: 1.77

Martin O'Neill is god. This cannot be disputed. Whether or not he'd be successful coming back to Filbert St..er, The King Power, is a different proposition. As much as I’d love to see a triumphant return by Leicester City’s greatest manager, it’s hard to see him as a good match in 2017.

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The Usual Suspects

These gents will be mentioned every time there is a managerial opening in the Premiership. No club’s supporters ever want these managers, but they can all do the job of keeping you in the league.

Sam Allardyce

Current club: None

Points per match: 1.43

The former England manager has bags of experience at small and mid-sized clubs where he's won more than he's lost. Allardyce is the very definition of a "safe pick." He'll keep your club up, he'll beat the drop, and he'll...well, no that's about it, isn't it? Is that enough for him to get the job?

Alan Pardew

Current club: None

Points per match: 1.50

If we wanted a controversial, hard-nosed former Premier League manager but didn't want to bring Nigel Pearson back, Pardew would be our man. Hard-nosed, prickly, and intermittently successful, the former Palace manager would be a decent pick for the short run.

David Moyes

Current club: None

Points per match: 1.53

I doubt anyone is excited to see Moyes' name on this list, but in fairness, there are probably worse choices. He was quite successful at Everton and his time at Manchester United wasn't nearly as disastrous as was often claimed. If you’re excited about the prospect of seeing Moyes on the sideline on Saturdays, raise your hand. I didn’t think so.

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Chris Coleman

Current club: Wales

Points per match: 1.31

Coleman's contract with Wales expires at the end of this year and his position is far from safe. He's still relatively young at 47 and he worked wonders with limited resources during his time at Fulham, but success has been harder to come by since them, as evidenced by his relatively low point rate.

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The New Guard

They’ve succeeded in bringing their clubs into the top flight. Are they eager to prove they can continue thrive with the greater resources and expectations at Leicester?

Sean Dyche

Current club: Burnley

Points per match: 1.47

Of the current Premier League managers, The Ginger Mourinho strikes me as the most likely to consider a move to the King Power. He's been up and down and back up again with Burnley and it may be the right time for him to jump to a larger club.

David Wagner

Current club: Huddersfield Town

Points per match: 1.38

Perhaps I'm putting too much stock in the impressive performance the Terriers put on in their draw against Leicester, but I would absolutely love to steal him away from Huddersfield. Wagner's teams are organized both in defense and attack, even when they may lack a bit in quality.

Eddie Howe

Current club: Bournemouth

Points per match: 1.54

No one expected the Cherries to survive their first year in the top flight. Howe deserves a great deal of credit for the fact that they’ve done more than just survive. His direct, combative style would be popular with City fans, but is it a good fit for our current squad? More to the point, why would he want to leave Bournemouth?

Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images

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The Long Shots

Carlo Ancelotti

Current club: None

Points per match: 2.00

This strikes me as wishful thinking, but stranger things have happened. Ancelotti's pedigree, his experience, and his results all suggest that he should be managing a side that will challenge for the title in Europe. If he really wants to go from Bayern to Leicester, then I'm all for it. I'm not holding my breath.

Ronald Koeman

Current club: Everton

Points per match: 1.83

This one's completely out of left field but Koeman's enduring a difficult spell at Everton that may see his head on the chopping block sooner rather than later. The folks over at the Royal Blue Mersey page are looking at Craig Shakespeare as a potential replacement for Koeman. That strikes me as daft as I rate Koeman much, much more highly than I do Shakey. When is the last time two clubs essentially swapped managers?

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So who will it be? If I were to be perfectly honest, I’d guess that there’s only a 50/50 chance the next Leicester manager isn’t even on this list. What do you think? Do you see anyone on this list who you’d like to see become the next Leicester manager? If not, who would you want?