SO Brendan Rodgers now has four games to save our season from the snakes.Manchester United on Tuesday, Chelsea in the FA Cup final, Chelsea again in the league and Tottenham on the final day.
Leicester’s record vs the Big Six in the league this season
If his Leicester side, spooked by the possibility of a second successive late-season collapse, cannot win any of those fixtures against Super League separatists, then we are likely to see England’s ‘slippery six’ sweeping the board — claiming every trophy and every Champions League place.
Liverpool can sneak into fourth place, with Manchester City and Chelsea carving up all of the major trophies, except for the Europa League, which United ought to win.
Leicester are not done yet, especially with the prospect of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fielding a weakened United side against the Foxes tonight, then a stronger one against Liverpool on Thursday.
It is a neat piece of snake-on-snake action which could stitch up Jurgen Klopp’s men.
And if Leicester were to slip out of the top four and lose Saturday’s Cup final, the verdict on Rodgers and his team will surely not be too harsh.
Like fellow Champions League contenders West Ham, they simply do not have the squad depth of the established elite and key injuries have cost them dearly.
So if the nightmare scenario occurs, and there is a rapidly-increasing prospect of that after the damaging home thrashing by Newcastle on Friday, what then for Rodgers?
What then, when there is a managerial vacancy at Tottenham and when there could well be another at Arsenal, while Rodgers may regard himself as bashing his head against a glass ceiling at Leicester?
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Tottenham could make their move for Brendan Rodgers at the end of the seasonCredit: PA
Daniel Levy is a keen admirer of Leicester’s Northern Irish managerCredit: PA
We know Spurs would love to lure the Northern Irishman and if they have any sense — which is a big ‘if’ — then surely Arsenal would, too.
Tottenham are adamant they have their foot on the ball regarding Jose Mourinho’s successor, pleading patience when many might detect panic.
Julian Nagelsmann was certainly their first choice but the German has opted for Bayern Munich.
Spurs do not believe Rodgers is out of the question, especially if Leicester miss out on Champions League football again.
Chairman Daniel Levy has targeted Rodgers several times over the years and he is firmly on the radar now. But should Arsenal recognise the risk of continuing to back Mikel Arteta — with no past or present evidence of managerial excellence — then Rodgers would surely be a leading contender for that position, too.
If the ruling Kroenke family truly are determined not to sell up, then a positive managerial change might buy them time to stave off a full-scale supporters’ revolt.
So should Rodgers get the choice, which North London club would be the more attractive proposition? Or more to the point, which club is in the greater mess?
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is under immense pressure after a disastrous campaignCredit: Reuters
With Spurs on course to finish above Arsenal for a fifth successive season, you would imagine them to be the more desirable option.
But with Harry Kane unsettled, Dele Alli in need of a full-on reboot and Tottenham’s defence an unmitigated shambles, that job has a poisoned-chalice feel about it.
At Arsenal, where the slump has been longer and deeper, there may be greater appetite for a genuine long-term overhaul.
And Rodgers might fancy working with an exceptional group of youngsters, including Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli and Joe Willock, who has enjoyed an excellent loan spell at Newcastle.
He would also relish the prospect of a reunion with former Celtic protege Kieran Tierney — an Arsenal captain of the near future, if the club are serious about a team re-built around youth, hunger and honesty.
By losing last week’s Europa League semi-final to Villarreal — managed by Arteta’s failed Arsenal predecessor, Unai Emery — Arsenal confirmed their worst campaign since the early 1980s.
If the Kroenkes believe the Spaniard deserves another stab next season, then they possess a faith in the intangible which is almost religious.
Yes, there are very many ifs, buts and maybes at play here — yet Rodgers for Arsenal could well make sense for both sides.
He would not come cheap, with a contract at the King Power running until 2025.
But Rodgers has done more than any other manager to disrupt the insufferable six in the last few seasons.
And if everything goes to pot over the next 12 days, Rodgers might be seduced by the belief that if you can’t beat them, join them.
In the meantime, may I just park journalistic impartiality for a moment and yell out: ‘Come on Leicester!’
MASON’S NOT TOO GREEN
WE’VE said it here before but it’s worth stating again, after another excellent strike at Aston Villa — Mason Greenwood should be in England’s Euros squad.
That’s seven goals in ten appearances for the Manchester United ace, 19, and if England are level or one-down in a knockout match, Gareth Southgate will need players who can turn a match with a moment of genius.
And we do not have enough footballing geniuses to ignore Greenwood.
Mason Greenwood is playing himself into Southgate’s Euros squadCredit: Reuters
AGUERO TO PAY PENALTY
ONE quality that Pep Guardiola is rarely credited with is his ruthlessness.
But like Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester City manager can be necessarily brutal with great players who have passed their peak.
Many wondered why Guardiola was willing to allow Sergio Aguero to leave this summer, especially when he does not see Gabriel Jesus as a regular starting No 9. But the Argentinian striker proved his manager’s decision correct in the space of two minutes against Chelsea on Saturday.
First squandering a goal-scoring chance, snapped up by team-mate Raheem Sterling, then botching a comedic Panenka penalty.
Pep the Genius, Pep the Saint, Pep the High Priest of Pure Football, yeah, we know all that.
But Pep the Ruthless B*****d is an important facet too.
Sergio Aguero’s paneka penalty spectacularly backfiredCredit: Getty
DO IT FOR FANS
WHEN many of us suggested that the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City should be moved from Covid-stricken Istanbul, we were accused of being Little Englanders.
Partly because when Arsenal met Chelsea in the Europa League final in 2019, we made similar appeals.
Yet anyone who tried to get flights in and out of Baku that week will have realised the Azerbaijani capital did not possess the infrastructure to host that event.
If this year’s showpiece is at Wembley or Lisbon, then many Chelsea and City fans will be able to attend.
And after 14 months of behind-closed-doors misery, why would anyone deny them that?
This year’s Champions League final could be moved to WembleyCredit: PA
BRUCE IS NO HAS BEN
FULL credit to Steve Bruce for presiding over Newcastle’s surge to safety when many of us felt he was holding his team back a few weeks ago.
If Newcastle defeat Sheffield United and Fulham in their final two games, as they should, Bruce will have achieved points totals of 45 and 44 in his two seasons in charge.
The points tallies of Rafa Benitez in two full seasons at St James’ Park? 44 and 45. But they won’t want to hear that stat on Tyneside.
Steve Bruce deserves credit for Newcastle’s surge to safetyCredit: Ryan Browne-The Times
NO FUN & GAMES
THE joy of attending an Olympic Games is the knowledge that you are at the world’s greatest melting pot — with athletes, spectators and media from across the planet mingling for a sporting carnival.
There can be no appetite for melting pots during a pandemic, so there can be no joy.
With foreign fans already banned and every other attendee placed under severe restrictions during their stay in Tokyo, these Olympics will be a miserable event staged to appease TV companies and sponsors, and little else.
Leicester’s amazing new world-class £100m training ground More
