‘Ruud van Nistelrooy to be sacked: Gamble fails as Leicester linked with Sean Dyche’
Leicester look destined for a swift return to the Championship as Ruud van Nistelrooy’s time in charge after replacing Steve Cooper won’t last long.
Van Nistelrooy was hired as Leicester manager in November, following a stint as Man United‘s caretaker boss.
Steve Cooper was let go just five months after his arrival, with Leicester sat 16th in the Premier League table.
The Englishman had been brought in, following a successful promotion campaign by Enzo Maresca, to ensure the Foxes safety in the Premier League.
Despite being above the relegation zone, many players were frustrated at the tactical set-up, with a senior player letting it be known that the manager’s tactics were a “[expletive] disgrace”, after a 2-1 loss to Chelsea, Cooper’s final game in charge.
Since then, the Foxes have plummeted down the Premier League table, winning two, drawing one, and losing 10 with the Dutchman at the helm.
Sean Dyche leads an uninspiring list of potential new Leicester managers
Where Leicester go from here is unclear, with the club looking worse week-on-week.
Looking at the bookies odds, Sean Dyche leads the way as the favourite to replace Van Nistelrooy, should Leicester part ways with the former Real Madrid striker.
Following the former Everton manager is Steven Gerrard having recently departed his post as Al-Ettifaq manager, Southampton’s former manager Russell Martin, and Lee Carsley.
| Next Leicester manager | Bookies odds |
| Sean Dyche | 5/6 |
| Steven Gerrard | 4/1 |
| Russell Martin | 5/1 |
| Lee Carsley | 9/1 |
| Andy King | 10/1 |
| Gareth Southgate | 12/1 |
Dyche was let go this season, and while the former Burnley manager deserves credit for keeping Everton up last season, his stock is as low as it has ever been.
The Englishman would likely be a step-up from Van Nistelrooy, but seeing how the Foxes’ playing staff responded to Cooper’s tactics, its unlikely they would take kindly to the hiring of Dyche.
While Martin leans towards a more offensive style of football, Southampton won one game under him in the Premier League.
Steve Cooper sacking a lesson for other newly-promoted sides
Cooper plays a style of football that is gritty, defensive, unspectacular to watch, but really importantly, one that wins football games.
In recent years, Burnley and Southampton have arrived in the Premier League with grand designs on the way they want to play football, only to be faced with the harsh reality that playing pretty football as a newly-promoted side is a sure-fire way to get yourself relegated.
It’s obvious that Leicester were going to struggle this season, having spent less than their promoted counterparts, and losing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, however, Cooper was doing a fantastic job keeping them above the relegation zone.
Sometimes in football, you have to accept your place in the world. As harsh as that may sound, to get to the level that Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest are now, you need a level of pragmatism.
Coaches like Andoni Iraola who is a Real Madrid target, thanks to the Cherries wonderful performances, and Nuno Espirito Santo are part of the evolution of a football club, you have to earn the right to play a certain type of football.
The managers that came before them laid the foundations of a team capable of staying up by winning football games, often in a less than beautiful manner.