Simon Jordan Clarifies Position on Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Potential Sack Amid Leicester City’s Struggles
Leicester City in Relegation Zone as Ruud van Nistelrooy Struggles to Improve Club's Form
Simon Jordan acknowledges the frustration of Leicester City fans but argues that it is “too early” to consider replacing their manager for a second time this season.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Crystal Palace owner shared his thoughts after the Foxes’ 2-0 home loss to Fulham, which marked their seventh consecutive Premier League defeat, leaving them in the relegation zone.
The atmosphere at King Power Stadium soured as fans booed manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, particularly after he substituted Bilal El Knannouss in the second half.
However, Jordan believes that dismissing van Nistelrooy at this stage is premature.
He stated, “There’s a conventional wisdom that suggests Ruud van Nistelrooy would never have been given this opportunity without the boost from his time at Manchester United, where he had some positive moments.
However, I don’t entirely agree with that, and I never felt the ‘love-in’ surrounding his status as a former player was warranted.”
Jordan continued by referencing Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan, who had previously spoken highly of van Nistelrooy’s managerial potential.
Jordan acknowledged Leicester’s recent poor form, which has led to the fans’ discontent.
The team has struggled at home, losing 3-0 to Wolves, 2-0 to Manchester City, 2-0 to Crystal Palace, and 2-0 to Fulham.
While the Foxes did have a strong 6-2 victory over QPR in the FA Cup, these recent league results have understandably upset the supporters, who have seen similar issues with previous managers.
Despite this, Jordan maintained that it is too soon to dismiss van Nistelrooy, emphasizing that the current squad is not strong enough.
“They’re still in touch,” he said, pointing out that Leicester is only two points behind Wolves, who have also been struggling. “They’re not out of touch,” he concluded.
Jordan recognized that football fans will always be unhappy if their team fails to score and consistently concedes goals, but he believes the situation should be viewed in context and that it’s too early to make another managerial change.
