Russell Martin could be saved from Leicester City sack by ‘one thing’
Leicester City manager Russell Martin could potentially have his job saved by the fact that the club are up for sale at the moment.
That is according to former Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that King Power will be hugely reluctant to sack a manager during the sale process.
Martin is under ever-increasing pressure from the Foxes fans, with the team sitting 17th in League One in only their second ever third-tier campaign.
Wyness believes that King Power will only feel “forced” into sacking the boss if they start to believe the club is being “damaged” as an asset.
The Thai owners are looking to find an exit route at the moment, with several parties having already expressed an interest in a potential takeover in the coming months.
Matters on the pitch continue to go from bad to worse for Leicester, and there is already major speculation over how long Martin has left in the job.
Russell Martin gaining ‘track record’
Villa’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Villa Park between 2016 and 2018 and now runs a consultancy business advising elite clubs – believes that Martin is beginning to gain a “track record” for his fixed style of football.
He also pointed towards concerns surrounding the 40-year-old’s ability to retain the respect of the dressing room, after issues quickly emerged during his time at Rangers last season.
Nevertheless, speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness outlined the fact that the takeover situation at Leicester could continue to provide a “reprieve” for him.
“Well, look, there are a few factors in this one. The promotion window in that league is normally effectively resolved before Christmas, and it's looking as though they may miss that window,” he said.
“Of course, the present owners wouldn't want to have a manager sacking while they've got the club on the market. That may be the one thing that gives Russell a reprieve right now.
“Otherwise, if this rot continues, then they're going to start damaging the asset in terms of what they've got for sale. So they might have to be forced into a very tough decision. And again, the next November international break is going to be the crucial time.
“That's when I'd expect any decision to be made. He's really got to get a couple of quick results. The fans have turned against him. He's starting to get a bit of a track record for a fixed style, and also losing the dressing room under pressure.
“Look there's no doubt that the backdrop there, with the instability with the ownership, is also not a great help. The whole club's unstable, but this is where he had a chance to be a leader, and it hasn't happened so far.”
Leicester owners asking for ‘ridiculous’ valuation
Wyness previously told Football Insider back in September that King Power’s £222million valuation is Leicester is “ridiculous” for a League One club.
The Scottish businessman is adamant that the current owners should instead be prepared to accept anything close to the £100m mark while the team are in the third tier.
Wyness also made it clear that any takeover is likely to be completed away from the glare of the media, rather than through someone like Neil Lal, who has been very public with his interest.
He expects the club to be sold in the coming months, but feels that something may have to give in terms of the asking price moving forward.