Ruud van Nistelrooy is likely to be dismissed by Leicester City at the end of the season after being unable to improve their performance since his appointment. This insight comes from former Manchester United and Blackburn scout Mick Brown, who remains closely connected to the football world. Brown revealed that the club has already started looking for potential replacements for the 48-year-old manager.
This news follows a disastrous streak of eight consecutive defeats for Leicester, during which they have scored just one goal and conceded 20, leaving them 15 points from safety. When Van Nistelrooy was hired, Brown had warned that the manager would face “major problems” at Leicester, who are now odds-on to be relegated. Since his arrival in November, the Foxes have won only three of their 19 matches, one of which was against Championship side QPR in the FA Cup.
With the team’s poor league form continuing, the manager is set to shoulder the blame, and the club plans to move in a new direction during the summer. Brown, who was instrumental in signing Van Nistelrooy for Manchester United in 2001, noted that the manager’s position has been under increasing pressure. He explained that a team near the relegation zone and still losing games would always face such scrutiny. Given Leicester’s woeful run, Brown expects Van Nistelrooy to be sacked by the end of the season, with the club already considering potential replacements.
Brown also pointed out that Van Nistelrooy wasn’t given the best resources when he arrived, with many of the players not being up to Premier League standards, which has become evident throughout the season. He emphasized that the recruitment department at Leicester has a major job ahead of them, as some players are aging, while others simply aren’t good enough. Despite this, Brown argued that no manager could have kept the team up under the current circumstances. While Van Nistelrooy will likely take the fall for the poor season, the deeper issues at the club extend beyond his tenure.
Meanwhile, Leicester’s off-field issues are expected to persist, as they face potential sanctions for breaching financial rules. Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson revealed that Leicester may be £100 million over their spending limit, after failing to meet the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) for the 2022-23 season. Although the club managed to avoid a points deduction by exploiting a loophole in the rules, the case remains ongoing, with both parties still in arbitration.
