‘In Hindsight’… Former Leicester Star Believes Owners Made the Wrong Decision Earlier This Season

Ruud van Nistelrooy took over as Leicester City manager in November 2024, with a clear brief: to lift team morale after a strained spell under Steve Cooper and to deliver better results.

However, neither objective has been achieved. In fact, Van Nistelrooy has collected fewer points than Cooper, despite managing six more Premier League matches.

The decision to replace Cooper is now being heavily scrutinized, with former Leicester defender Frank Sinclair suggesting the club may regret acting so swiftly.

Sinclair, who made nearly 200 appearances for the Foxes and remains a familiar face on the club’s media channels, believes the Welsh manager should have been given more time.

Speaking to Leicestershire Live, Sinclair reflected on both coaches’ time on the training ground and pointed out the lack of visible progress under Van Nistelrooy.

“In hindsight, you’d say Cooper deserved a bit more time to turn things around, given the managerial experience he has,” he said.

“Looking back, it feels like it was the wrong decision. But of course, the club had to act without knowing how things would unfold.”

Since his departure, Cooper has taken on work with UEFA while weighing up his next move in management.

Despite doubts over whether his appointment at Leicester—given his history with Nottingham Forest—was ever a good fit, Cooper has taken a measured approach to his next role.

Recent reports have linked him to the Southampton job, following the dismissal of Ivan Juric.

With both Leicester and Southampton potentially competing in the Championship next season, the stage could be set for Cooper to seek revenge.

If he takes the reins at St Mary’s, his mission will be clear: lead the Saints back to the Premier League, ideally at Leicester’s expense.

As the season nears its conclusion, the Foxes’ decision to part ways with Cooper could come back to haunt them, especially if their managerial gamble fails to pay off.