Leicester are on the hunt for their third manager of 2024 following the dismissal of Steve Cooper but their attempts to replace him have proven to be more difficult than first thought
Leicester City’s monster gamble on Steve Cooper backfired – and now they face a bigger risk in appointing his successor.
Seventy two hours after the bombshell news that the Welshman was being kicked out of office due to player power and the Foxes are finding one of the oldest adages of a struggling football club is coming true. It might be tough to sack a manager – but if you haven’t got a replacement lined up, it can be devilishly difficult to find one.
And the knee-jerk decision to dispense with Cooper’s services has the unintended consequence of leaving a number of candidates either unable or unwilling to step into his shoes. Early frontrunners Graham Potter and David Moyes have been ruled out. Gareth Southgate has been mentioned but the former England boss appears set on a director of football role once he has decided upon a return.
West Brom’s Carlos Corberan is another name in the frame – but he is untested at Premier League level – and so is current favourite Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutch legend may have started his career with a bang at PSV Eindhoven – and he might well have had designs on a backroom place with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford after a successful run of games in the hot-seat at Old Trafford.
But handing the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker the chance to keep the Foxes in the top-flight of English football must be considered a long shot. Van Nistelrooy has no frontline experience in English football, save for three months working alongside Erik ten Hag before his compatriot was shown the door.
And he would be in charge of a squad that has been hastily assembled – and one that has won just two Premier League matches all season. Add to the mix that their main goalscorer, Jamie Vardy, turns 38 in less than two months’ time and that their other promising offensive threat, Abdul Fatawu, has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, and the size of the task at hand is evident.
Cooper gave an insight into the expectation levels at the King Power last week during what turned out to be his last pre-match press conference against Chelsea. “I knew how hard this challenge was going to be,” he said, “and that’s proved to be the case.
“We were fully aware of the environment that we’re working in. The league position is okay – and if it stayed like that, I think people would be happy.
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“But if we do have a couple of results that don’t go our way or performances that shouldn’t be where they are at, you shouldn’t lose sight of how tough this is going to be, going forward.”
The reasons why Potter and Moyes, two early favourites, have dropped out of the running have not been disclosed. However, there is a nagging doubt that the Profit and Sustainability row that dogged the club during the second half of their promotion-winning campaign – and which dragged into this season – has not entirely gone away.
A new set of figures needs to be lodged by the end of the year. If there are any problems, they could lead to a points deduction and a potential transfer embargo.
So, the reasons why any aspiring manager would take on Leicester City amounts to the fact that the club is in the Premier League and the accompanying seven-figure salary. As for the rest, it remains a tough sell – as the Foxes are finding out.
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