Football writer Ben Bloom looks at the contenders to replace Steve Cooper as Leicester City manager, according to media reports.
Just 157 days after he was appointed on a three-year contract, Steve Cooper’s Leicester City reign ended prematurely when he was relieved of his duties on Sunday.
Taken only 12 matches into Leicester’s Premier League return, it was a decision that surprised many.
Cooper’s side had lost 2-1 against a Chelsea team managed by Leicester’s former boss Enzo Maresca a day earlier – a defeat that leaves them two places and one point above the relegation zone.
With only wins over AFC Bournemouth and Southampton during his tenure, that was enough for Leicester owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha to take the decision of making Cooper the second managerial casualty of the Premier League season, after Erik ten Hag lost his job at Manchester United.
What went wrong for Cooper?
For some Leicester supporters, Cooper was a controversial appointment in the first place.
The Welshman gained legendary status at the club’s East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest when guiding them to promotion from the Championship and then maintaining their Premier League status the following season.
Making the 22-mile journey from the City Ground to the King Power always made it more of a challenge for Cooper to win over a Leicester fanbase whose hearts lay with Maresca, who oversaw last season’s victorious Championship campaign.
That promotion was earned under Maresca’s adventurous style, but Cooper appeared to take a pragmatic view that such an approach was not prudent if Leicester were to avoid returning to the second tier.
Leicester did not struggle to score under Cooper, managing at least one goal in 11 of their 12 Premier League matches, despite registering fewer shots than any other club.
But they had only two wins to show for their efforts, having conceded 23 times – more than any other side except Wolverhampton Wanderers (28) and Southampton (24).
Their defensive issues ruined much of their joy at the other end of the pitch, keeping only one clean sheet and frequently putting the team at a disadvantage when conceding the opening goal in 10 of their 12 league matches.
While the club do not currently sit in the relegation zone, their points total of 10 is below what the hierarchy demanded, and they acted before any further downturn in results could have a terminal impact on their hopes of staying up.
It all added up to a hasty end to the tenure of a manager who accepted the role in the summer despite the club facing a potential points deduction under profit and sustainability rules (PSR). Confirmation that they had avoided that punishment came in September.
Who could replace Cooper?
David Moyes
Moyes has been out of work since leaving West Ham United in May, but has an abundance of Premier League experience under his belt, having overseen Everton, Manchester United, Sunderland and the Hammers (over two spells) in the top flight.
He has previously been linked with the Scotland job, but Steve Clarke is under contract until 2026 and recently guided the country to the UEFA Nations League playoffs, where they will face Greece.
The BBC have suggested Moyes will come into consideration for the Leicester position.
Moyes currently sits third on the all-time list of Premier League matches managed with 697, behind only Arsene Wenger (828) and Sir Alex Ferguson (810).
Graham Potter
According to the Guardian, Potter held advanced talks with Leicester before Cooper’s appointment in the summer, having also been on their radar when they dismissed Brendan Rodgers in 2023.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea manager has been out of work since April 2023, when he left Stamford Bridge less than seven months into the job.
Potter has been linked with a number of positions since, and would seem an obvious place for the Leicester hierarchy to start their hunt.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
The third name at the top of most lists of potential Cooper replacements is Van Nistelrooy who, according to the Daily Mail, pushed for the job last summer.
He recently stepped up from his position as Man Utd assistant manager when he took interim charge following Ten Hag’s exit.
He left the club with his reputation enhanced when Ruben Amorim arrived, having overseen three wins and one draw from four matches.
Having previously led PSV Eindhoven in his native Netherlands, Van Nistelrooy has spoken of his desire to return to a managerial position and has been linked with the vacant manager’s position at Coventry City.
