If you had to bring back a past Leicester manager as they are now to manage the team, who would you choose?
Ian Hollo… nope. I can’t even type that with a straight face. Strange as it may sound, I’d give Paulo Sousa the nod.
The results back in 2010 were dire, but the football wasn’t alway so bad on the eye. And he’d now be armed with a squad far more accustomed to playing his brand of football.
His CV reads like a hipster’s Football Manager save. That eclectic experience has got to count for something, right? Yep, that’s it, I’ve convinced myself. If it’s all gone pear-shaped for Brendan come Christmas, give it the silver-haired Portuguese Fox ‘til the end of the season.
Charlie Carmichael
Slim pickings, really, but would anyone really go for someone other than Nigel Pearson?
I've heard a lot of people say they'd have Paulo Sousa back. He was a disaster then and, having watched his Poland side for a year before he fled at the first sign of interest from Flamengo, he'd be a disaster now.
His appointment at the time was questionable, and in the job he won just six from 15 games - a figure bloated by the fact they all came against either Albania, Andorra or San Marino. Inexplicably he played Robert Lewandowski against Andorra and left him out in the defeat to Hungary which cost the Poles a chance to be seeded in the play-offs.
He got sacked from the Flamengo job after six months, too.
Ryan Hubbard
It would be hard not to pick Nigel Pearson.
In my twenty-five years, it's a pretty compact shortlist of managers for whom you can look back on with pretty fond memories. Three spring to mind immediately, Martin O'Neill, Claudio Ranieri (we'll just ignore the second season) and Pearson.
O'Neill was my first Foxes manager - a pretty high bar to start off with considering some of the years that followed. However, despite what he did and the players he brought in, twenty-five years in football is a long time. His approach would likely be outdated now and we're a very different club to the one he managed. Claudio has to be on the list just because of that season and the warmth between the club, the fanbase and him but his jobs since us haven't inspired, even if his return to Roma was emotional.
Nigel may not have been a dream for the media, although he made their lives more interesting, but he revolutionised the club. The fact that his legacy, through staff among the club, remains in place is impressive and with Nigel you always knew what you were getting. Perhaps I'm even more biased this week seeing that he's making Andy King one of his coaches. Now if you asked me which player you'd love to see manage Leicester one day, that's an easy answer!
Helen Nutter
As much as I want to bring back Nigel Pearson to get stuck into the squad or Claude Puel just to ruffle a few fans’ feathers, I’d bring back Martin O’Neill.
Despite his age, O’Neill still has an amazing footballing mind. Having had the chance to speak to him a few months ago, it was clear to see he still holds Leicester in high regard and has kept up to date on the club’s progress in recent years.
With some of his interesting insights and many experiences of the ups and downs of the sport, I think he would be able to come and do a job even at the age of 70.
Jack Johnson
It’s Nigel Pearson for me.
Things haven’t gone swimmingly since his most recent departure from Leicester City but he proved you can come back to the club as a success and be even better second time around, so a third time wouldn’t worry him. I imagine few things worry him.
He was also seemingly sacked and decided to turn up the next day as if nothing had happened. If you’ve heard of George Costanza then you’ll appreciate that approach to life.
Plus a few of our players could do with some home truths from a man who has rebuilt our squad twice to win promotion.
David Bevan
In the spirit of rehashing things we said on Twitter, my choice is Claude Puel.
This is in part a reflection of the other options, and in part a reflection of the fact that Brendan Rodgers has essentially become Claude over the past year so we wouldn't be any worse off.
On a vaguely serious note, Claude laid the foundation for the side that went on to challenge the top four and win the cup. The team he took over was packed with the title winners; he lost Mahrez and had to oversee a genuine rebuild. The team he left is virtually the same as now.
Admittedly, it did not go well for him at Saint Etienne, but the options are pretty thin on the ground. The next best option is Paulo Sousa, a man whose Wikipedia page includes a section literally entitled "five clubs in seven years".
James Knight