The Leicester City board now have their eye on a 4-3-3 manager as they continue their search for a replacement for Steve Cooper, according to a new report.
The Foxes have made a stuttering start to life back in the Premier League, as they have won just two of their opening 12 games and have collected just 10 points altogether, leaving them a point above the relegation zone.
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Leicester City are in the market to find a replacement for Steve Cooper.
Graham Potter linked with Leicester City job
A 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Saturday lunchtime was the final straw for the club’s board, as they made the decision to sack Cooper, after he only joined the club in the summer as Enzo Maresca’s replacement. Cooper struggled to make a good impact at the King Power Stadium, as the Foxes conceded the third-highest number of goals in the league, behind just Southampton and Wolves, and they also conceded the opening goal in 10 of their 12 league games.
Now that Leicester have sacked Cooper, their search for a replacement has begun, and one manager who has been linked with the role for a while now is Graham Potter. The Englishman has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in 2023 and has been rumoured to be interested in the Leicester job.
However, BBC Sport reports that Potter is not currently under consideration to replace Cooper. Potter and the Leicester board have not spoken since the summer, when he held advanced talks over joining the club but was unable to agree to a deal. At this time, Potter isn’t under consideration, as Leicester have their eye on another manager who is out of work.
Leicester City now eyeing move for new 4-3-3 manager as Potter alternative
According to Football Insider, Ruud van Nistelrooy is on Leicester City’s managerial shortlist. The Foxes are back in action on Saturday, as they travel to London to face Brentford, and they will hope this week there can be significant movement in their search for a new manager.
Van Nistelrooy has just become unemployed, as he left Manchester United two weeks ago after joining the Red Devils in the summer as Erik ten Hag’s assistant and then taking over as caretaker manager when he was sacked. The Dutchman took interim charge of four United games, overseeing three wins and one draw, but Ruben Amorim made the decision to let Van Nistelrooy leave and not have him as part of his backroom team.
Now this report states that van Nistelrooy, who likes to operate a 4-3-3 as manager, is considered a “wildcard candidate” by Leicester, as he impressed in his short time in charge at United. As well as his spell at United, Nistelrooy also did very well in his time at PSV, where he won the Dutch Cup in his first season.
The 48-year-old faced the Foxes twice during his time in charge of the Red Devils and came out on top in a 5-2 win in the Carabao Cup, as well as a 3-0 win in the Premier League, in his last game in charge before his departure. Those results may have now put him on the Foxes’ radar, as unrest in the dressing room led to the departure of Cooper.
