Why would Roberto Mancini dance with Leicester City now their glory days are gone?

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Here is the problem with Leicester: the greatest day in the history of the club is almost certainly gone.

What could Roberto Mancini, or any successor to Claudio Ranieri, achieve that would match the euphoria of last year? What prospect is there of Champions League football, beyond this season — a campaign that may have one match to run?

Indeed, how likely are Leicester to be in Europe in the foreseeable future, considering their previous appearance was roughly 17 years ago and lasted one first-round tie with Red Star Belgrade? 

Ex-Manchester City and Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini is in with a chance of Leicester job

Mancini appeared on 'Ballando con le stelle', the Italian equivalent of 'Dancing with the Stars'

There will be praise if a new manager keeps them up — although Leicester were not in the bottom three at any time this season, before sacking Ranieri — but how can it match the achievement of winning the league?

There will be no fans travelling from Italy and Portugal just to be part of the street scenes, as there were on May 7, 2016. The lad who bangs the drum in the stand won't be taking midnight calls from breakfast TV in New Zealand, as he was a year ago. Leicester stay up? Well, whoop-de-do. They'll probably go down next year instead. After all, it's Leicester.

That is what will be on Mancini's mind, which is why his enthusiasm for the job is said to have cooled. Leicester could be in their natural habitat right now. The home game against Sevilla may be the last gasp of a little moment in time that already feels remote with the heartless sacking of Ranieri.

And what if he doesn't keep them up? What if the dismal form this season is not because Ranieri suddenly forgot how to manage, but because the players who drew so much confidence from his leadership last season were not world-beaters after all?

Jamie Vardy has had one outstanding season in the Premier League and six when he was either outside it or struggling for form. What is more likely to be the anomaly? Is it feasible that the rest of football called every one of Leicester's players wrong? From Sir Alex Ferguson, to Jose Mourinho, from Mark Hughes to Paul Lambert: all wrong.

The last club to win the Premier League, and have a city or town to itself, was Blackburn, and their manager was so thrilled at the prospect of following that, he stood down. 

The Leicester players, who have underwhelmed this season, face Liverpool on Monday night  

Here is the problem: the greatest day in the history of Leicester is almost certainly gone

Kenny Dalglish has always insisted he was exhausted by the seven-day intensity of management and Ray Harford, his assistant, was a brilliant coach who deserved his opportunity to manage. Dalglish's intention was to support him as Blackburn's director of football. Yet, undoubtedly, it was also going to be hard to match, or maintain, his success.

Jack Walker, Blackburn's owner, had achieved the dream of a lifetime. He had returned to his hometown club, bought it, and won the title. The Champions League did not drive him the same way. Walker was now talking about running Blackburn sustainably. Just as their rivals were starting to invest heavily, Blackburn were winding down.

When Jason Wilcox, whose place on the left wing formed a vital part of Blackburn's strategy, suffered a significant injury, Walker was reluctant to let Harford sign a replacement. He wanted to stay loyal to a player who had been on the books since 16 — but also didn't fancy committing to an expensive signing when Wilcox would one day be fit again. Blackburn had changed. Maybe Dalglish grew disillusioned with that, too.

Equally, Leicester have altered. Despite making £157million from their title-winning season, they could not persuade N'Golo Kante to stay, and their subsequent investment did not meet the demands of the next stage of development.

Walker may have considered his work done; but Leicester, despite breaking their transfer record three times, underestimated the rigours of this season. Nampalys Mendy (£13m), Ahmed Musa (£16m) and Islam Slimani (£29m) were all record signings, but as Kante was sold for £32m, the net investment was not great for a club taking such a giant step. 

Claudio Ranieri leaves Leicester's training ground at Belvoir Drive for the last time on Saturday 

A smiling Ranieri as he drives out of Leicester's training ground following his sacking

And while it may have been almost impossible to replace Kante — and he had a release clause in his contract, making keeping him doubly difficult — losing Steve Walsh, the head of recruitment, to Everton so soon after he had signed a new contract was a significant error.

Leicester's buying has been inadequate. Musa is arguably the biggest disappointment, and he was a target during Walsh's time, but to fail to provide adequate cover for central defenders Wes Morgan and Robert Huth was a huge mistake.

Equally, Slimani arrived after the season began and was already committed to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria.

Mendy, Kante's replacement, missed three months through injury, which is simply rotten luck. 

Kenny Dalglish (centre) stepped down as Blackburn manager after winning top-flight title

Jack Walker (left), Blackburn's owner, had achieved the dream of a lifetime by winning league

Yet Ranieri wanted more players and stronger competition for places. Mancini, or any new manager — even Nigel Pearson or Guus Hiddink — is unlikely to be much different.

Take Martin O'Neill, who swiftly ruled out a return to the club where he won the League Cup twice and is rightly viewed as a hero. Given that it would be hard for him to repeat his own achievements — he accounts for half of the major trophies Leicester have won in their 133-year history — what chance is there of matching Ranieri? No wonder he has little enthusiasm for a comeback.

Mere survival is not the most appealing target for any manager of ambition, and events of the last week indicate that is what matters most to Leicester's owners.

There are clubs out there who still have it all to do. Leicester did it and weren't satisfied.

If the greatest year in English football history was not enough, how can Leicester's new manager impress?

N'Golo Kante, a key part of title-winning squad, left for league leaders Chelsea last summer

Losing Steve Walsh to Everton so soon after he had signed a new deal was a significant error 

Good guys to bad 

One further point for Leicester fans to consider. The Carlos Tevez scandal in 2007 changed the wider perception of West Ham.

There was, for a time, a reputational backlash because supporters of other clubs thought West Ham had got away with illegal behaviour and should have been relegated.

They went from being quite a common 'second' or 'soft spot' club, to the one everybody wanted to fall. Leicester have existed for quite some time now with the love of the common people. 

The Carlos Tevez (right) scandal in 2007 changed the wider perception of West Ham

Supporters of other clubs thought West Ham had got away with illegal behaviour

Every fan outside the elite — and quite a few inside it — shared in last season's triumph.

They were the most popular title-winners the Premier League has ever had.

Now, many of the same people are revolted by the sacking of Claudio Ranieri who was the gentlemanly face of that success.

Overnight, Leicester are the bad guys, with plenty willing them to lose. Sometimes that works to unite a team, sometimes it crushes them. The pressure will be every bit as great as last year's title run, and it starts against Liverpool on Monday night.

Overnight, Wes Morgan (left) and Co are the bad guys, with plenty willing them to lose

Video can curb horror tackles

Premier League managers are in favour of retrospective action against players who dive. A survey conducted by the League Managers' Association found that the majority supported a review panel to target the cheats, using video evidence. The day this is introduced, diving will as good as disappear from our game.

It should be widened to cover the worst foul tackles, too. A statutory three-match ban is simply not enough. UEFA's system seems weak but may be better, allowing more flexibility to make the punishment fit the crime.

The basic ban is one game, but rises in severity according to the challenge. Dele Alli, whose tackle on Brecht Dejaegere of Gent was quite horrendous, might get four matches. A standard single game suspension seems wishy-washy at first, but UEFA at least have the freedom to give the worst offenders what they deserve.

If Alli missed four games in Europe next season he could not complain. Diving is bad, but it has never ended a career.

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli was dismissed for a horror tackle against Gent last Thursday

TV's Shreeves shows pie bet is no joking matter

By pure coincidence, Sutton were in need of a reserve keeper on Saturday, but for those still struggling with the significance of Piegate, allow Geoff Shreeves to explain.

In the wake of Wayne Shaw's unusual behaviour during Sutton's match with Arsenal last week, Shreeves, who asks the questions for Sky at all the big matches, revealed his own experience with the novelty betting market.

Shreeves said that during Roberto Mancini's time as manager of Manchester City, he was contacted through email by a very high profile firm of bookmakers. They wanted him to ask Mancini a particular question at the next match, because they were making a market on it.

The price, they said, would be 28-1, and Geoff and his mates could all have a flutter. But he had to ask the question. 

Wayne Shaw resigned from Sutton United after a series of controversies during Arsenal tie

Shaw's exit came, in part, after he was photographed eating a pie on the bench during a game

Geoff Shreeves pictured at Stamford Bridge

Shreeves says he was shocked, and not a little worried — he could easily have lost his job had he complied —so deleted the email without replying. He does not even know whether the market was made. But let's not pretend all novelty bets are innocent. At best, they are dubious ploys to attract publicity and at worst they have a potentially harmful influence — Shaw hunting for a pie at half-time to set up the stunt when, as Sutton's reserve goalkeeper, he should have been in the dressing room listening to his manager.

Equally, a company that thinks it can influence the Sky broadcast is not a thousand miles away from believing it could direct the real action, too.

Corruption, in any form, rarely starts big. It grows, as the corrupters become confident and their influence increases. The reason the Gambling Commission are investigating Sun Bets over the supposed trivia of 8-1 laid on Shaw eating a pie, is not because they feel the crime of the century has been committed, but because the integrity of the industry is at stake.

They need to be convinced the bookmaker was not in control of the bet — because, as Shreeves' story indicates, it wouldn't be unheard of and, if suspected, must be stopped at the earliest opportunity.

It doesn't add up

Sam Allardyce has a very hot tip, and as usual, it's for himself. He is exasperated that some Crystal Palace players are not heeding his advice.

'My experience comes from talking to players at this top level and being able to produce a team that wins matches,' he said. 'I'm trying to pass that on.'

Among Allardyce's assertions is that he improves players by two per cent — equating, he says, to a total of '22 per cent'. Not exactly. If every player improves by 2/100, then the overall improvements is 22/1,100 — or two per cent.

It is good for Allardyce that communication is his calling, because maths does seem to be taking something of a beating.

Sam Allardyce is exasperated that some Crystal Palace players are not heeding his advice

It is a very strange concept but in radio those in front of the microphones are known as the talent. It is almost as if producing, editing, any technical role, requires no skill. Maybe football feels that way, too.

While Sunderland's underachieving players headed off on a team bonding trip to New York, the staff back home were told they would face redundancy in the event of relegation. Many will be performing far better in their roles than the players are, but it is so often the way.

Everyone from the ticket office to the laundry room lives in fear of the sack if the team go down, yet the players sail on. Football always finds a way to look after its talent.

Feel free to add air quotes where appropriate.

Sunderland staff told they would face redundancy if club is relegated under David Moyes

Following the withdrawal of Budapest, for the first time since 1981 there will only be two cities competing to host the Olympic Games. Back then it was Seoul in South Korea and Nagoya in Japan, bidding for the 1988 event.

Similarly, hosting the 2024 Olympics is a two-horse race between Paris and Los Angeles. As International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach wants to award the 2028 Games this time, too, it may turn into a one-horse race — with each city winning a turn as hosts.

What a sad indictment of the modern Olympic movement this process has become; and what an indictment of Bach that the rejection of sport's greatest show has happened on his brief but blighted watch.