Why Sacking Ruud van Nistelrooy Could Backfire as Leicester City Eyes Liam Rosenior – Opinion
Ruud van Nistelrooy Faces Mounting Pressure at Leicester City.
Leicester City are enduring a dreadful run, having lost seven consecutive games without scoring.
They now sit nine points behind 17th-placed Wolves, teetering on the brink of a second relegation in just three seasons.
This decline has placed Jon Rudkin under intense scrutiny from supporters.
Despite the criticism, Rudkin appears set to stay and will likely lead the club’s summer rebuild.
Given the disastrous appointment of Steve Cooper last summer, he must ensure past mistakes aren’t repeated.
The Foxes have identified Liam Rosenior as a potential replacement for Ruud van Nistelrooy, but dismissing the Dutchman could prove to be a costly error.
Why sacking Van Nistelrooy could be a mistake
Leicester have been operating dangerously close to the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) limit, and the financial implications of sacking Steve Cooper were already significant.
If they were to dismiss Van Nistelrooy, they would need to pay another hefty compensation package, further straining their summer budget.
The club must assess whether replacing Van Nistelrooy is more beneficial than using those funds to sign additional players.
Losing a manager might hinder their transfer activity, ultimately affecting their chances of promotion next season.
Rather than making another managerial change, Leicester might be better off retaining the former PSV coach and equipping him with a competitive squad in the Championship.
Van Nistelrooy deserves a fair opportunity
While Van Nistelrooy’s tenure has been underwhelming, and he has made mistakes, he has yet to receive a genuine opportunity to prove himself.
He inherited a squad without having the chance to bring in his own players, nor was he given a full pre-season to implement his tactics effectively.
His transfer budget in January was limited to just £3 million, which was only enough to sign Woyo Coulibaly as a backup right-back for James Justin.
With the opportunity to build a squad suited to his style, Van Nistelrooy could yet succeed at the King Power.
Given Leicester’s financial situation, keeping faith in him might be the wiser course of action.
