It was a season-defining moment when Leicester City sacked Steve Cooper and replaced him with Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Leicester fans were never happy with the appointment of Steve Cooper in the summer and not just for the fact he’s previously managed Nottingham Forest.
Supporters didn’t like the style of the Welshman’s football, who compromised exciting, attacking play for a more solid defensive structure.
Although the football wasn’t easy on the eye, and the Foxes struggled in the opening stages of the campaign, Leicester sacked Cooper when they were two points above the relegation zone in November.
In hindsight, it was a disastrous decision to hire Ruud van Nistelrooy to replace the 45-year-old, with Jamie Carragher now sharing his verdict five months on.
- READ MORE: The unique Premier League record set by Jamie Vardy and Jeremy Monga during Leicester vs Newcastle
Jamie Carragher shares verdict on Steve Cooper sacking
Since being appointed manager, Van Nistelrooy has become arguably Leicester’s worst manager in modern history, overseeing a landslide towards relegation in the worst way possible.
Leicester haven’t scored at home since December 8th 2024 while the Foxes have also set multiple unwanted Premier League records along the way, becoming the first team in the history of the competition to lose eight in a row without scoring a goal.
Fans unsurprisingly wanted Van Nistelrooy sacked and the Dutchman is incredibly lucky to still be in a job, although the end of the road is near as Leicester continued to be linked with managers.
When discussing their disastrous run of form on Monday Night Football after Leicester’s 3-0 loss against Newcastle, Carragher spoke about Cooper in detail and claimed he could ‘understand’ the sacking but also touched on his experience at Forest.
“When the appointment was made and Steve Cooper lost his job, Cooper was an experienced manager, also kept Nottingham Forest up one season,” Carragher said.
“Came in, a difficult start but an expected start, a promoted team is not going to find it easy. They weren’t actually in the relegation zone when they changed manager, but I could understand it.”
How Cooper’s record compares to Ruud van Nistelrooy
Cooper wasn’t a popular figure at the King Power Stadium but with him in the dugout, there was every chance survival could have been achieved.
In the 2022/23 campaign, he miraculously kept Forest in the Premier League while building the foundations of their success under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Leicester just had to get the appointment right after sacking a top-flight proven manager and unfortunately, they couldn’t have got it any more wrong with Van Nistelrooy.
| Premier League records with Leicester | Steve Cooper | Ruud van Nistelrooy |
| Matches | 12 | 18 |
| Wins | 2 | 2 |
| Draws | 4 | 1 |
| Losses | 6 | 15 |
| Points | 10 | 7 |
| Goals scored | 15 | 9 |
| Goals against | 23 | 43 |
As demonstrated by the above table, Cooper did a miles better job than the man who replaced him, even if he won just two of his 12 league matches in charge.
Ultimately, the Foxes are paying the price for getting the appointment horribly wrong, with Van Nistelrooy continuing to embarrass himself.