Leicester City suffered a heavy 3-0 loss to Newcastle United on Monday night, leaving them virtually certain to be relegated.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s team now sit 15 points from safety with only seven matches remaining, making their survival hopes slim to none.
The Foxes also set an unwanted record, becoming the first club across England’s top four leagues to lose eight consecutive home games without scoring a single goal.
This disastrous run has put Van Nistelrooy under immense pressure, and when questioned about his future, the Dutchman gave a vague response:
“The most important thing is the club and these players, that’s what I would say for now.”
In light of this, Leicester City News spoke with journalist Graeme Bailey for an update on the manager’s situation.
Van Nistelrooy expected to depart Leicester
According to Bailey, while a final decision hasn’t yet been made, the expectation is that Van Nistelrooy will leave the King Power Stadium in the near future.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy’s future hasn’t been formally decided, but from what I’ve heard, it’s highly unlikely he stays on. Not impossible, but very unlikely,” Bailey said.
“He wasn’t backed during the January window, and some argue that his role became near impossible after that lack of support from the board. However, there’s also a sense in the squad that they underperformed.”
Van Nistelrooy signed a two-and-a-half-year deal in November, meaning Leicester will likely need to negotiate a settlement should they part ways.
Liam Rosenior a contender to take over
Bailey also revealed that Leicester’s board has already begun exploring potential replacements. Among the leading candidates is Strasbourg head coach Liam Rosenior, whose reputation has soared thanks to his impressive campaign in Ligue 1, where his side sits fourth.
“There’s definitely movement behind the scenes regarding potential successors. Rosenior is someone to watch—his reputation is growing fast. Southampton admire him, and it’s no surprise that Leicester would be interested too. That said, don’t rule out Chelsea’s BlueCo group locking him down with a long-term offer,” Bailey added.
Rosenior, formerly at Hull City, guided the Tigers to a seventh-place finish in the Championship last season, narrowly missing the playoffs.
A Hull insider told Leicester City News that Rosenior would likely be open to talks with Leicester if the club made an official approach.
