A lot has gone wrong for Leicester during the 2024-2025 campaign. Many would now have preferred to have kept Steve Cooper. For a moment, however, things were looking promising with Ruud van Nistelrooy in charge.
After all, he took over and led the Foxes to a win over West Ham and a draw against Brighton. From that match onward, though, there wasn't too much else to point to that would warrant further consideration with the club. RvN's best argument is that between the last Brighton fixture and the narrow Liverpool defeat, things are starting to turn around.
While briefly in charge of Manchester United, and initially at City, things were looking promising. As LCFC fans have since come to find out, being in control over a long stretch can quickly overshadow any initial success.
While speaking with BesteOnlineCasinoNederland, longtime Bayern Munich player and Dutch international Roy Makaay noted how van Nistelrooy appeared in command around that time frame. He recalled during his one-on-one interview:
"When Ruud was temporarily the interim manager at Manchester United, he did an incredible job. Then he got the chance at Leicester, who had some good results in the beginning."
During those weeks, particularly after the Brighton result, many were saying that United had made a grave mistake of letting go of their former player. Those same voices were praising City for having been on the better end of that managerial exchange.
Since then, while neither Ruben Amorim nor van Nistelrooy are looking good in their current situations, the Portuguese manager appears to have something resembling job security for the time being. Compared to the Dutchman, RvN is currently on borrowed time in Leicester.
Promising start with Leicester soon forgotten
What can partially explain the increase and then sudden dip in form is something simple. Often clubs will get a slight bump when the new boss comes into town. It's understandable. There is excitement with some change and the chance of being able to turn things around.
From there, the best coaches have to be able to adjust and overcome obstacles as they present themselves. The goodwill and energy from the change of scenery soon go away, and the reality of what ultimately led the club to the position of hiring someone in-season usually rears its head.
It's possible that van Nistelrooy will go on to prove that he can be a top manager for a Premier League side or in a different league. Like players, managers can learn and improve. For now, it looks like his taking over in the East Midlands was the wrong situation for him at the right time, despite what was initially a promising start.