Leicester City owner clarifies stance on sacking Ruud van Nistelrooy in candid discussion with players.

Leicester City’s season got off to a disastrous start under Steve Cooper, who was appointed after the club faced key departures, including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Enzo Maresca.

Expectations were already low, but Cooper failed to meet even those minimal standards.

He managed just two wins in 12 Premier League games, leading to his dismissal by Leicester’s owner, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, who brought in Ruud van Nistelrooy as his replacement.

Van Nistelrooy’s managerial experience is limited, but his previous successes, including cup triumphs in the Eredivisie and positive results during his brief spell as interim Manchester United manager, gave hope that he could turn Leicester’s fortunes around.

However, under Van Nistelrooy, Leicester’s struggles have continued, and relegation now appears a real possibility.

Most recently, Leicester suffered a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace, further damaging their survival hopes.

Heading into the next round of Premier League fixtures, the Foxes sit 19th in the table, with just 14 points from 21 games.

They have gone seven matches without a win and have lost their last six league games, conceding at least two goals in each of those losses.

Given their perilous position, many fans expect Van Nistelrooy to be sacked if this poor form persists in the coming weeks.

Despite this, a report from The Telegraph in late November 2024 suggested that Van Nistelrooy would likely remain in charge regardless of results for the rest of the season.

According to the report, Leicester owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha addressed the players after Cooper’s sacking and Van Nistelrooy’s appointment.

Srivaddhanaprabha reportedly discussed the club’s financial difficulties, explaining that paying off another manager would strain the club’s finances and complicate their efforts to comply with Financial Fair Play (PSR) regulations.

Leicester now faces a critical match against Fulham on January 18th.

If they lose, they will have just 16 games left to secure 26 points and reach the 40-point mark typically required to avoid relegation. Currently, Leicester’s chances of survival are bleak.

According to Opta’s predicted Premier League table, Leicester has an 87.16% chance of being relegated, with only Southampton facing a higher likelihood of dropping down to the Championship at 99.75%.

Despite only taking charge of his first match on December 3rd, some Leicester fans have already begun to question Van Nistelrooy’s abilities.

Some argue that he is no better than Cooper, with one fan writing: “Cooper > Ruud,” and another stating, “After 10 games Leicester were 16th with 10 points. After 21 games they’re 19th with 14 points.

It’s a Ruud problem, it was never a Cooper problem. An owner should never listen to a player’s opinion regarding managers.”

Others have expressed frustration with Van Nistelrooy’s team selection and his understanding of the squad.

A fifth fan commented, “Ruud is worse, he doesn’t understand his team. Poor first 11 selection.”

With Leicester’s future uncertain, fans are growing increasingly impatient, and the pressure on Van Nistelrooy continues to mount.