LEICESTER have started drawing up a list of potential candidates to replace Craig Shakespeare as manager.
Despite speculation, Press Association Sport understands the club do not have a successor lined up to replace Shakespeare, who was sacked on Tuesday afternoon just four months into a three-year contract he signed in the summer.
However, conversations have taken place between Leicester’s Thai owners and club officials here in England about what direction the club should take.
Managers currently in jobs and bosses out of work are expected to be under consideration with the likes of Guus Hiddink, Carlo Ancelotti, both of whom have been unsuccessfully targeted in the past, Chris Coleman and Sean Dyche having already been linked with the position.
Michael Appleton, who will face the media on Thursday, has been installed as caretaker manager for the Premier League game away at Swansea on Saturday.
He might remain in charge for the Carabao Cup tie at home to Leeds but Leicester will hope to have their new manager in place for Everton’s visit to the King Power Stadium on October 29.
Shakespeare was assistant manager to Nigel Pearson and Claudio Ranieri and was an extremely popular figure at Leicester.
The 53-year-old replaced Ranieri on a caretaker basis in February but was given the job on a permanent deal after keeping the 2015-16 champions in the Premier League and guiding the club to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
However, Leicester have won only one league match this season and sit in the bottom three of the table after Monday night’s 1-1 home draw with West Brom extended their winless run to six Premier League games – the same as when Ranieri was sacked earlier this year.
Shakespeare was given around £60million to spend on players in the summer transfer window, including £25million for striker Kelechi Iheanacho, £17million for centre-half Harry Maguire and £15million on midfielder Vicente Iborra.
Leicester’s only Premier League win came against newly-promoted Brighton in August and their other points have been picked up in draws against Huddersfield, Bournemouth and West Brom. Shakespeare also oversaw wins against Sheffield United and Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
However, it was not thought that Shakespeare’s job was under immediate threat following a difficult start to the season which brought fixtures against Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.
Shakespeare said last week that he felt the forthcoming run of games before the next international break in November provided an opportunity to put points on the board and climb away from the bottom end of the Premier League table.
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