Ruud van Nistelrooy at Leicester City: The Story So Far

How has van Nistelrooy fared in the KP dugout so far?

Ruud van Nistelrooy took over from Steve Cooper on November 29th, 2024, following a short spell as caretaker manager of Manchester United.  

The Dutchman came to Leicester with an excellent reputation following an impressive spell in charge of PSV Eindhoven and his time in Manchester United’s backroom staff, a club where he’s a true legend.

He started with a bang at the Foxes, securing a resounding 3-1 win at the KP Stadium against West Ham United. The honeymoon ended quickly though, as van Nistelrooy would have to wait until January 26th for Leicester’s next league win – an unexpected 2-1 triumph at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Barring a 6-2 thrashing of Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup, van Nistelrooy lost seven of his first ten matches in charge of the Foxes, with a solitary draw against Brighton & Hove Albion and the two wins mentioned above. His team won seven points from his first ten matches, giving the Dutchman a win percentage of 23%.

So, after ten PL games in charge, Ruud’s men sit in 17th place in the Premier League table with lots to do to retain their Premier League status next season. Leicester fans are still behind van Nistelrooy, but results must improve in the second half of the season if Leicester are to survive.

How does van Nistelrooy’s start compare to others?

Since Brendan Rodgers left the KP Stadium in April 2023, Leicester have had four managers. Let’s see how Ruud’s start compares to the other three men who have led the Foxes since Brendan’s departure:

Steve Cooper

Points from first ten games: 10  
Win percentage in first ten games: 33%

Many Foxes fans were surprised when Cooper was shown the door earlier this season. However, given the historic rivalry between the two clubs, the former Forest boss wasn’t hugely popular with large sections of the Leicester fanbase either.

In Cooper’s first ten league games at the start of the 2024/25 season in the Leicester City dugout, the Welsh manager oversaw two wins. Cooper’s victories came in a 1-0 win at home to Bournemouth and an incredible 3-2 victory at Southampton, which saw one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever turnarounds.

Cooper also managed four draws in his first ten league games in charge, taking points off Ipswich Town at Portman Road and in the opening day clash against Tottenham Hotspur. He also held Crystal Palace and Everton to draws in his first ten games.

In his first ten games, Cooper managed to secure ten points, three better than van Nistelrooy. However, the Dutchman has arguably faced the more difficult fixtures.

Enzo Marseca

Points from first ten games: 27  
Win percentage in first ten games: 90%

As Enzo Marseca led the Foxes to the 2023/24 Championship title, he oversaw a near-perfect start to the season. In his first ten matches, Maresca won nine and lost only once, a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Hull City at the KP Stadium.

This stunning run in Marseca’s first ten games in charge resulted in Leicester securing 27 of 30 points available, highlighting his position as one of the most successful Foxes bosses in recent history.

Of course, Maresca’s victories came in the Championship and not the Premier League, but you can only beat the teams in front of you, and his winning record speaks for itself.

Dean Smith

Points from first eight games: 9  
Win percentage in first eight games: 37%

When Rodgers was sacked as Leicester City head coach during the 2022/23 season, Dean Smith was appointed as caretaker manager to see out the rest of the season.

Smith arrived on April 10th 2023, with his first game in charge against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Leicester City lost 3-1.

To be fair to Smith, he only lost three of his eight games in charge, beating Wolves and West Ham United while drawing with Newcastle United, Leeds United, and Everton.

Though it wasn’t enough to give him the full-time job, Smith won nine points in his eight games in charge, a better record than Ruud van Nistelrooy at present.

How does van Nistelrooy compare to Leicester's last three managers?

Though there’s a long way to go, Ruud has the worst start among the Leicester City managers since Brendan Rodgers, as shown by the table below:

*Eight games for Dean Smith.

There have undoubtedly been positive signs at the KP Stadium since van Nistelrooy took over, and last weekend’s excellent win over Spurs showed what his team is capable of.

But as Cooper and Smith found out, football is a results-based business, and van Nistelrooy will need to improve his 23% win percentage to secure the Foxes’ Premier League status beyond this season.

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