Leicester City next manager LIVE - Ruud Van Nistelrooy imminent (2024)

Please join us for today's live blog

Today is the day Leicester City are expected to announce Ruud van Nistelrooy as their new manager.

City have been seeking a replacement since sacking Steve Cooper on Sunday and the Dutchman is the man they’re placing faith in. He will be tasked with ensuring the club’s Premier League survival.

You can follow all the updates HERE

Van Nistelrooy heading into unknown territory

As a distinguished player who spent his career at the top, and having coached at big clubs like PSV and Manchester United, Van Nistelrooy is not used to the relegation battle he's about to place himself into.

Does that matter? Or actually is it better that he will bring that necessity to win to City?

A look at the pros and risks of his imminent appointment here.

Dawson to take charge at Brentford

Van Nistelrooy's appoinment will not come in time for him to take charge of the team on Saturday.

First-team coach Dawson, who has been leading training since Tuesday, will be in the dugout alongside Hughes and Alcock at the Gtech Community Stadium.

He will take the pre-match press conference on Friday morning too.

More here.

Not hopeful

Paul Merson has dismissed Ruud van Nistelrooy’s prospects of saving Leicester City before he has even been appointed.

The pundit, who played for, among others, Aston Villa and Arsenal, has been reacting to the news the Foxes are close to naming the Manchester United favourite successor to Steve Cooper.

The former Forest manager was relieved of his duties after the home defeat to Chelsea and with City just one point above the Premier League drop zone.

They seem to have alighted on van Nistelrooy, who won three of his four games in interim charge of United, as the man to lead them away from the drop zone – but Merson has his doubts.

He told Sky Sports News: “He had three games, he beat Leicester twice so it’s not a bad audition is it? They probably thought he was the one that beat them and not Man United.

“It will be interesting, let’s be honest, if he wasn’t at Man Utd for those few games, he stayed on and did well, he wouldn’t be getting this job so hopefully he takes advantage of it."

READ MORE HERE

Van Nistelrooy must overcome City's 'sense of entitlement'

It's been tough in recent years for City managers to get total backing from supporters. Even Rodgers and Maresca, during periods the club were successful, didn't manage it.

One manager who did, O'Neill, believes a 'sense of entitlement' has grown at the club and knows incoming manager Van Nistelrooy must overcome it.

Read more here.

Transfer decision needed to unlock United talent pool

Van Nistelrooy was well-liked at United and there may be players there that are keen to link up with him again and that may not be in Amorim's plans.

A permanent transfer in January would be possible, but as of right now, a loan wouldn't. The Premier League's rules mean City would have to cancel one of their existing loan deals first.

More here.

Evans on Van Nistelrooy's 'obsession'

You might assume that Van Nistelrooy's career as one the best goalscorers of his generation would mean his focus as a manager is on attackers and forward play.

But former City skipper Evans says that, actually, his "obsession" is defensive structure. That will be music to the ears of City fans, who have seen their side concede the third-highest number of goals in the Premier League so far this season and only keep one clean sheet.

Read more from Evans and Maguire on Van Nistelrooy here.

When will the ink dry

It's very much expected that Ruud Van Nistelrooy wil be announced as the new Leicester City manager in what can arguably be considered a gamble by the City board with a manager with very little experience coming in.

It remains to be seen when the announcement will be made, but don't rule out something today.

Ruud boys...

Sky Sports helped break the news that the Dutchman had been offered the job and was set to accept it, and their pundits were quick to wade in with their views on the move.

Van Nistelrooy is expected to be in place for Leicester's trip to Brentford. Cooper, the man who led Forest back to the top-flight after a 23-year exile, was sacked after City's 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea after just 12 games in charge.

Paul Merson doubted that the Dutchman was qualified for the job, based on his time managing in Holland with PSV before coming in at Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag’s assistant. Gary Rowett, Jobi McAnuff and Michael Dawson also delivered their verdict on the Foxes' prospective new boss.

READ MORE HERE

RvN 'offer made'

Leicester City are reported to be closing in on a deal to appoint Ruud van Nistelrooy as their next manager.

The Telegraph claim this evening that the Manchester United legend and recent interim boss at Old Trafford has held talks with the Leicester board this week and is set to be confirmed as the replacement for Steve Cooper, who was sacked on Sunday.

Sky Sports later went further, claiming the Dutchman had been made an offer and was expected to be in charge for Saturday's 3pm kick-off at Brentford.

READ THE LATEST HERE

Chairman Top 'confronts players' over Copenhagen party

Reports coming in this evening say that City chairman Top was not best pleased with the images of the players partying in Copenhagen and that it belied the family image the club hopes to portray.

Read more here.

Uninspiring candidates list should force City change

Take a look at a list of available managers with Premier League experience, remove those who are unrealistic or who have already been ruled out, and it's not inspiring.

So maybe now's the time for Leicester to change their approach and do what they've never done before: appoint someone without experience of English football.

There are plenty of good candidates out there. Read more here.

How Van Nistelrooy's tactics compare

He's the odds-on favourite, so we've taken a closer look at Van Nistelrooy's tactics, track record, and what his former players have said about him.

Interestingly, his set-up for his one season at PSV saw him go for Maresca's system for the first half of the campaign, and then Cooper's for the second half.

Read more here.

City manager state of play

As we approach the 72-hour mark, here's where things stand.

Potter and Moyes are out of the running, leaving Van Nistelrooy as the odds-on favourite. He was not under consideration in the summer, but does now have a spot of Premier League experience.

He would also be cheaper than bringing in somebody from the Championship like Corberan, where a compensation payment would be required. That will be a factor for City now.

More details here.

Corberan discusses the job

West Brom's Corberan was a contender for the City job in the summer and is at pretty short odds with the bookies now.

But he was asked about the King Power Stadium vacancy last night and he said that he's "completely focused" on his work with the Baggies and he hopes their fanbase don't treat the links as a "lack of respect" because he can't control the "speculation".

Read more from Corberan here.

The Mirror's Neil Moxey writes

The knee-jerk decision to dispense with Cooper’s services has the unintended consequence of leaving a number of candidates either unable or unwilling to step into his shoes. Early frontrunners Graham Potter and David Moyes have been ruled out. Gareth Southgate has been mentioned but the former England boss appears set on a director of football role once he has decided upon a return.

West Brom’s Carlos Corberan is another name in the frame - but he is untested at Premier League level - and so is current favourite Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Dutch legend may have started his career with a bang at PSV Eindhoven - and he might well have had designs on a backroom place with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford after a successful run of games in the hot-seat at Old Trafford.

Out of the running

Gareth Southgate, the former England manager, has hinted that his career path may veer away from football following his departure from the national team role after the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain, and that means any chance at all of him being considered for the vacant Leicester City role are all but over.

Despite previously stating he wouldn't return to management this season, Southgate is now considering opportunities beyond the pitch.

In a detailed LinkedIn post, he shared insights into his current "period of exploration" The 54 year old wrote: "After eight years serving in one of the highest profile roles in world football, I’m consciously taking time to reflect on what I lived through and thinking deeply about what comes next."

He added, "This higher purpose kept me on track, gave me structure, made my life more fulfilling and is going to be extremely difficult to replicate."

Emphasising his openness to new challenges, he stated, "It’s why I’m not limiting my future options to remaining as a football coach."

Southgate expressed comfort with his exploratory phase, saying, "I’m comfortable with this period of ‘exploration’ and not having all the answers."

Acknowledging he's not alone in contemplating a mid-life career shift, he remarked, "I’m not the only 50something contemplating a change of direction."

The expert verdict on Ruud

Ruud Van Nistelrooy has hit the top of the bookmaker's lists to replace Steve Cooper at Leicester City -with the former Manchester United striker now the clear favourite for the vacant position.

As of Tuesday afternoon, he is the overwhelming 1/4 favourite to take over at the King Power Stadium, a position in the market only strengthened by the fact that Graham Potter and David Moyes - both of whom are understood to be out of the running - are currently second and third favourites respectively. After that come Championship managers Carlos Corberan and Michael Carrick, both highly valued by West Brom and Middlesbrough and who would cost.

We have spoken to our sister title the Manchester Evening News and their reporter George Smith to get the lowdown on what he could bring to the role and what City fans should expect if he does get the job.

Read what George has to say here

Middlesbrough confident in keeping Carrick

Insiders at Middlesbrough are said to be confident in keeping Michael Carrick amid reported interest from Leicester City.

Carrick has been one of the names mentioned to replace Steve Cooper at LE2. However, it's understood that Boro have not received any formal approach with sources suggesting a move has 'no chance of happening'.

Cooper did a 'great job' at Leicester

Jamie Carragher believes Stever Cooper still did a 'great job' at Leicester despite inheriting a squad that wasn't his when he first arrived.

Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher questioned City's decision to part ways with Cooper. Asked about what Leicester were expecting when they appointed Cooper, Carragher admitted: "I’m not quite sure really. There’s no doubt when Steve Cooper came up with Nottingham Forest he had probably similar thoughts - maybe ideas - not exactly like Enzo [Maresca].

"I know Steve Cooper really well, he’d been brought up through the FA, seeing him come through there was an influence of Barcelona at Liverpool’s academy, which I know was a huge influence on Cooper.

"He almost changed a bit, sort of became a bit pragmatic, which is something we ask of a lot of managers, certainly with teams who come up. There was a lot going on at Nottingham Forest that you can’t say publicly, but there was a lot going on at that club with players coming in and out - did he have a say? To actually manage that, manage all those nationalities and all those players he probably didn’t want but had to keep them part of the group, he’s done a great job there."

Read everything he said here

No taking the Michael for City

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick may be among the potential candidates being touted for the vacant position at Leicester City, but insiders at Middlesbrough are confident their man isn't going anywhere.

The Premier League club dismissed Steve Cooper on Sunday following a disappointing start to his tenure at the King Power Stadium. After succeeding Enzo Maresca in the summer, post-promotion to the top flight, Cooper only managed two victories from 12 league matches.

Carrick's name is circulating as a possible contender, but it's understood Boro have not received any formal approach, and sources suggest such a move has 'no chance of happening', say Teesside Live. Last season, Carrick would have certainly caught the eye of Leicester officials as he led Boro to a league double over the eventual champions.

READ MORE HERE

The very latest odds

Van Nistelrooy is now the overwhelming favourite for the job and is as short as 1/4 with Bet365 to succeed Cooper.

Bet365 spokesperson Steve Freeth told us: "It’s been one-way traffic for Ruud over the last 12 hours or so with his odds tumbling from 7/1 into 1/4 with punters still keen to take the odds-on about the Dutchman being appointed."

Latest betting: Van Nistelrooy 1/4, Graham Potter 6, David Moyes 12, Carlos Corberan 12, Michael Carrick 20, Mark Robins 33

Carrick a no go

Our Middlesbrough colleagues up at TeessideLive are reporting that Michael Carrick will be staying put at Boro, or at least club sources are communicating that there'll be 'no chance' of the former Manchester United midfielder leaving the Riverside this week.

The Boro story can be read here.

Market mover

Ruud van Nistelrooy has become the odds-on favourite to take the Leicester job. There has been a flurry of bets placed this morning on the Dutchman, who has now leapfrogged Messrs Moyes and Potter to top the market. With Bet365, he is as short as 1/2 to replace Steve Cooper at the helm.

Information obtained suggests that neither Potter or Moyes will be heading to the King Power Stadium and Van Nistelrooy would appear to be the most eligible candidate in that event. The Manchester United legend has intentions to manage in England having left Old Trafford where he was in interim charge - and during which time he beat Cooper's Foxes in the league and the cup - and, as a free agent, it would make the appointment process relatively swift and straightforward.

READ: Ruud the new favourite

Market movers

David Moyes and Graham Potter are riding high in the latest betting to replace Steve Cooper as manager of Leicester City - despite club sources playing down any interest.

Cooper was dismissed on Sunday afternoon after just 12 game in charge at the King Power Stadium, and both Moyes and Potter have remained stubbornly high in the Skybet next manager odds.

And with the club thought to be keen to have a new man in place before Saturday’s 3pm trip to west London to play Brentford, the pressure is on to name Cooper’s replacement. However, it is understood that neither Moyes nor Potter are thought to be in the running to take over.

READ: The very latest odds on the next Leicester manager

New manager state of play

After the first full day of the new manager search, the hunt remains wide open with a leading contender yet to emerge.

Potter and Moyes have been the bookmakers favourites, but right now they seem unlikely to be City's next manager.

Van Nistelrooy is a reported contender, while Corberan and Carrick are among the most notable names from the Championship.

Read more here.

Cooper's Foxes 'kicked lumps out of Chelsea'

A damning verdict has been delivered on Steve Cooper’s last game as Leicester City manager with his players accused of trying to “kick lumps out of Chelsea”.

The Foxes lost the game 2-1, and Cooper chose to use his post-match press conference to criticise referee Andy Madley for failing to award the hosts a penalty for a Wesley Fofana challenge on Stephy Mavididi while ignoring a nasty foul by Wilfred Ndidi on Cole Palmer that could have warranted a red card.

He was fired 24 hours later by a Leicester City hierarchy increasingly fearful of seeing their club relegated for a second season in three, but now the conduct of his team has been questioned while VAR has also been given another kicking.

READ MORE HERE

Preparations begin tomorrow

Work towards Brentford begins at Seagrave on Tuesday morning and City have a three-man coaching team leading the process.

Here's the lowdown on Dawson, Hughes, and Alcock, who will be in the dugout at the Gtech if City don't make an appointment over the next few days.

New favourite for Leicester City job emerges

Gary Lineker has delivered his verdict on a David Moyes appointment at Leicester City as the Scotsman’s odds on replacing Steve Cooper at the King Power Stadium shorten.

Graham Potter had been considered the big favourite to replace Cooper, who was sacked on Sunday. However, SkyBet are now reporting that Moyes is the main man in the betting at odds of 6/4, while Potters is marginally further back on 2/1. Next comes Manchester United legend and recent Old Trafford interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy (5/2), followed by West Brom’s Carlos Corberan (12/1).

Lineker, the former Leicester City player and Match of the Day presenter, discussed the sacking and Cooper’s potential replacement on his The Rest Is Football podcast.

READ MORE HERE

What Cooper's downfall says about City hierarchy

City may have learned their lesson in sacking Cooper early, giving a new manager time to turn the situation around. They didn't do that with Rodgers.

But in making that quick decision, it's also admission of a mistake on their part.

Here's the inside story of Cooper's tenure, how and why it went wrong, the rough hand he was dealt, and what the debacle says about the club's decision-makers.