adminLeicester City are facing another period of uncertainty after their disastrous start to life in League One was made even worse by Saturday’s humiliating 4–0 defeat to Oxford United at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes had finally recorded their first league victory of the season against Plymouth Argyle earlier in the week, raising hopes that Russell Martin’s side could begin turning their campaign around.
Instead, Oxford United exposed Leicester’s weaknesses in brutal fashion.
Two goals from Mark Harris, alongside strikes from Mo Missanga and Jamie McDonnell, condemned Leicester to their heaviest defeat of the season and left them sitting 17th in League One with just five points from their opening five matches.
The result has inevitably intensified the pressure on Martin.
But the anger surrounding Leicester City goes beyond the manager.
Supporters have increasingly questioned the club’s wider football structure and the decisions being made at executive level, with Jon Rudkin once again finding himself under scrutiny.
Rudkin is currently Leicester City’s Chief Football Officer, with the club’s current senior management structure placing him in charge of football matters.
And there is now a major reason why his position is attracting even more attention.
Leicester have previously outlined plans for an evolved leadership structure, with greater footballing expertise being brought into the club and a technical director role created to strengthen the football operation.
The changes were designed to give the club greater expertise and clearer responsibility across its football and business operations.
But following the 4–0 collapse against Oxford, supporters are inevitably looking at the structure again and asking whether further changes are required.
The pressure on the hierarchy is hardly surprising.
Leicester have gone from Premier League champions in 2016 to a club now competing in England’s third tier, with the Oxford defeat providing another painful reminder of how far the club has fallen.
Rudkin has been a major figure at Leicester throughout much of that journey.
He was part of the club during its extraordinary rise, including the Premier League title triumph, FA Cup success and Champions League campaign.
That history is one reason the debate around his position remains so complicated.
Owner Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha has previously defended Rudkin against criticism while also acknowledging the need to change the structure around him.
Speaking about the scrutiny Rudkin has faced, Khun Top said:
«“Jon is [seen as] like a bad cop. When we won the Premier League, it was because of Jon too, but nobody talks about that anymore.”»
He also explained why changes were being considered within the football department.
«“I think he needs support and that is why I’ve come to my decision to change the structure to make sure everything is in the right way going forward.”»
Those comments are now particularly relevant after the latest crisis.
Because Leicester’s problems have moved beyond questions about one manager.
Martin was brought in to lead the club’s rebuilding project, and the club’s summer recruitment saw 14 new faces arrive before the transfer window closed.
Yet after five league matches, Leicester have only one victory.
The latest defeat was particularly damaging because of how it happened.
Oxford scored after just eight minutes before adding three more goals after half-time, with Leicester unable to produce the response expected from a club desperate to challenge for promotion.
Martin himself admitted afterwards that Leicester “have to be so much better”, while accepting that his team paid the price for its performance.
Supporters, meanwhile, made their feelings clear inside the stadium, with chants calling for Martin to be sacked.
Sacking Martin after only five league games would represent a major decision, particularly after handing him a three-year contract in June.
But allowing the situation to deteriorate further could also carry significant consequences for a club whose immediate priority should be securing promotion back to the Championship.
That leaves Rudkin and the rest of Leicester’s football leadership facing difficult questions.
The club has already been forced to rethink its structure.
Abdulhafiz Teslim
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