Leicester City fans Kate Wattam and Jake Watson tell The Football News Show what qualities they want to see in the next Foxes manager - and why Ruud van Nistelrooy is top of their list
Image source, PA MediaBBC Sport senior football news reporter Nick Mashiter, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club about Leicester City's decision to sack manager Steve Cooper on Sunday:
"The board have put themselves under an awful lot of pressure now because they're now looking for their fourth manager in 19 months.
"Dean Smith replaced Brendan Rodgers last April and you could argue that wasn't an appointment that worked because they went down. They were heading down at the time but that didn't work.
"Enzo Maresca - of course that worked because he got them back up straight away.
"Steve Cooper has lasted 157 days.
"So the board have put themselves under an awful lot of pressure to get this right.
"There's not a point in going down the wrong road, if you feel you're going down that road, any longer. You should just nip it in the bud and make that decision, so in those terms I think they deserve credit for deciding that's the way they want to go, but I think there needs to be more spotlight on the board now in terms of how they've handled things and appointed their managers over the past 18 months."
Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Leicester City winger Matt Piper thinks it's a "strange" situation at the Foxes, with the timing of Steve Cooper's sacking and hopes the club resolves it soon.
Speaking on the latest BBC Radio Leicester When You're Smiling podcast, Piper said: "What I'm most shocked about is the really strange timing. The more I think of it, it's such strange timing, you get beat by Man Utd (3-0) and it's the worst performance of the season by a country mile - we just didn't turn up.
"Then you've got a two week international break, you leave the manager in, you get beat by Chelsea and then you sack him.
"It's strange timing - I can understand that timeline if they think 'right we've got to move Steve on' but they've spoken to someone else and they're ready to go - then it makes sense.
"But, the club have come out and said that's not the case. We did this before and it bit us on the backside.
"I hope they've not gone down that line again, because the last time we did that it didn't work out well at all."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Leicester City are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Steve Cooper after 12 league games.
Former Foxes defender Danny Simpson tells The Football News Show why their next few games will be pivotal to their season because it will have a bearing on who they will be able to attract in the January transfer window.
Fulham and Leicester City are eyeing a loan deal in January for Brighton's 20-year-old Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesGraham Potter is not currently under consideration to replace sacked Steve Cooper as Leicester City manager, sources have told BBC Sport.
The former Brighton and Chelsea head coach and the club have not spoken since the summer, sources said.
Potter was close to joining the Foxes before they appointed Cooper to replace Enzo Maresca in June, following the Championship title-winning manager's move to Stamford Bridge.
Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 and held advanced talks with the Foxes, only to be unable to agree a deal, but is not currently in contention this time.
Leicester are not commenting publicly on their search for a new manager but sources have told BBC Sport they would like to make an appointment before Saturday's trip to Brentford.
However, there is a recognition they need to get the appointment correct and will wait if it means finding the right candidate.
Potter's representatives have declined to comment.
David Moyes is another out of work former Premier League manager who is not expected to be among the contenders for the job at the King Power Stadium.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, available after leaving Manchester United's coaching staff following the appointment of Ruben Amorim this month, and West Brom's Carlos Corberan have been linked.
Another episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast is now available on BBC Sounds, as the Foxes' search for a successor to Steve Cooper goes on.
The team discuss how Graham Potter and David Moyes are not currently being considered by the hierarchy at King Power Stadium.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesSteve Cooper did have the buy-in from senior players at Leicester - including Jamie Vardy - but struggled to convince others in the squad.
The former Nottingham Forest boss was sacked on Sunday after just 15 games at King Power Stadium having replaced Enzo Maresca in the summer.
Maresca won the Championship title with the Foxes last season, taking them back to the Premier League at the first attempt, and was well liked by the team.
He had them well drilled, down to the smallest detail, the plan was clear and concise and some of the players had found it difficult to adapt to Cooper's style, which was less expansive with a desire to move the ball forward quicker.
There was a frustration from some in the squad of how much they were being asked to move away from what had brought them success last season.
Yet senior players, led by Vardy, were onside even if others were not, sources have told BBC Sport.
They continued to fall into the old ways requested by Maresca. Cooper was aware of that and was trying to change it - but he did not have the luxury of time without results.
His only pre-season target was survival and the Foxes spent less than the other promoted teams in Southampton and Ipswich.
Two wins from 12 Premier League games has them 16th and Leicester felt, while they wanted the appointment to work, there was too much to overcome.
Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesLeicester fans could not see beyond Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest past, according to Matt Davis, vice chairman of the Foxes Trust.
The 44-year-old was dismissed on Sunday after just 157 days in charge having replaced Enzo Maresca in the summer.
It was his first role since leaving Forest in December after just over two years at the City Ground.
Cooper took Forest back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years in 2022, keeping them up in 2022-23 before being replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo.
The ex-Swansea manager also accepts his relationship with the fans was not there because of his Forest background, sources have told BBC Sport, with Davis admitting it was a struggle from the start.
Davis said: "He would never win some fans over because of the Forest connection, others would give him less time because of the Forest connection and others didn’t think he had what it took.
"Events with Cooper had the focus and the vast majority of fans were pleased the decision was swiftly made.
"I couldn’t see success coming with Cooper."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Leicester City winger Matt Piper says "it would be a level of incompetence" if the Foxes "have sacked Steve Cooper without a replacement already lined up".
Sunday's dismissal of Cooper means they are back in the market for a manager, but who is available?
Early favourites are David Moyes, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Graham Potter, with the latter having been previously linked to the job in the summer.
"We know what happens when it goes a couple of games without someone coming in," said Piper on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast. "I am pretty positive that someone will have already been spoken to and accepted the terms of conditions.
"All three excite me but for different reasons. If you are going short term and to just get to the end of the season and keep us in the Premier League then David Moyes looks good. He is a strong candidate for that but I wouldn't really want him at the club long term.
"I like Ruud van Nistelrooy and I like what he did at PSV and in his cameo stint at Manchester United. He likes to play exciting, front-footed football and we have not had that for some time now.
"Graham Potter probably would have taken the job in the summer if it wasn't for the points deduction. He would have looked at the squad and thought he could have worked with it.
"He's a good young manager. Yes, he had a bit of a disastrous time at Chelsea but he is a good manager and he would also play exciting front-footed football.
"Potter is someone I would like to see at Leicester - if we can get him."
Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesLeicester City players have been criticised by supporters after going to Copenhagen for their Christmas party at the weekend.
The squad flew to Denmark immediately after Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea - 24 hours before former boss Steve Cooper was sacked.
It was their pre-planned Christmas party, signed off by the club, and Copenhagen has been a regular destination for the Foxes over the years. They had already held fancy dress parties in the city in 2015 and 2019.
A video has emerged on social media - which has not yet been verified by BBC Sport - of the squad partying in a Copenhagen club.
Someone appears to be holding a sign near the squad saying: 'Enzo I miss you', referencing former manager Enzo Maresca, who joined Chelsea in the summer.
It is not clear who put the sign up and whether the players were aware of it. BBC Sport has approached Leicester City and several player representatives for comment.
Matt Davis, vice chairman of the Foxes Trust, understands the need for players to let off steam but appreciated the optics looked bad.
"I think it is unwise. It is not helpful to be seen partying after another defeat," he said.
"From a fan's perspective, I didn't feel like doing anything on Saturday. I felt really dejected. That's because of the passion [I have] for the club. You would hope it's the same passion from the players.
"It doesn't forge good relations. It gives the impression of not caring – which I'm sure is not true – but I get they have a life outside of football.
"I don't think an apology is owed, but it is about drawing a line in the sand and galvanising for the next manager."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy says there needs to be a "balance" between good football and getting results after Leicester sacked boss Steve Cooper.
The ex-Nottingham Forest manager was a somewhat surprising appointment in the summer to replace outgoing Enzo Maresca after he joined Chelsea.
Despite sitting outside the relegation zone in 16th, the Foxes have struggled to find consistency in their performances and have regularly found themselves having to come from behind in games.
The final straw in Cooper's short reign came in Leicester's 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea on Saturday that left them one point above fellow promoted side Ipswich.
"To come up out of the Championship and be outside of the relegation zone after 12 games, I didn't think he would be getting the sack," Murphy said on BBC MOTD2.
"I know the football has not been amazingly good on the eye at times but you have to find a balance with the players you have got available.
"Try and build some confidence to stay in games and maybe win pragmatically.
"You can't always be pleasing on the eye and get good results. I think he was doing OK. But these days, it isn't just Leicester fans but so many fans want both. They want really attacking dynamic football and results."
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on who could succeed Steve Cooper in the Leicester hot seat.
Here are some of your thoughts:
Vin: Thought Cooper would get another three games but with the next few fixtures crucial Board thought pulling the trigger now was the right move. Potter, Van Nistelrooy or Moyes most likely. Just hope they’ve someone lined up to start before next weekend.
Tony: I see we are still trotting out the same old names like Graham Potter and David Moyes. While they could probably do a decent job we need to take a chance on somebody who can excite the fans and the team. Look what Maresca did last season. Now let's give Van Nistelroy a chance.
Stuart: Should have happened after that poor display against Man Utd. No passion, no direction, no spirit, no idea. Need someone the players and fans respect and who will enthuse them - Roberto Mancini for me!
Raj: I really think finally the board have woken up. Cooper was not inspiring his players or fans - and was devoid of ideas or a system. Poor selection in terms of players for game days. Get Potter in and give him the support financially as we do need to raise quality in January.
Chris: The team seemed beaten before they started against Chelsea. Van Nistelrooy or Moyes may be more inspiring than Potter.
Jon: I am not surprised but I thought Cooper might be given until Christmas to turn things around. He’s a nice guy and honest in his assessments but didn’t seem to have any plan B or C. I hope we manage to persuade Graham Potter to become the next manager. I am sure he would bring a new sense of purpose to both training and performances.
Trev: Mourinho, he's well had enough of Turkey and his family lives in England. He could be made to come over to the Premier League no matter what he says. It wouldn't be to fight relegation, a decent manager would make use of the good players we have and move the team up the league.
Phil: Probably better that the board have acted sooner rather than later. We have looked rudderless and there seems to have been no obvious strategy in games. We need to get someone in that can make us harder to score against, we've gone behind in far too many games. I'd love Potter to come in although I wonder if Moyes would be a better fit for now.
Chris Forryan
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesHe's gone.
Five months in charge and with a win rate of just 24.43%, Steve Cooper has been sacked.
Was he the wrong appointment? Well as he was one of my three choices for the job I have to say hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I really believed he could keep us up in 17th at least and that is what this season is all about, survival at any cost. Like the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the EFL are sniffing around waiting for us to fall through the trap door.
So what went wrong? Make yourself comfortable, let us begin. Tactics, team selection, substitutions, motivation….
The Foxes have 12 matches played in the league and 35 shots on target - which is less than three a game. That’s relegation stats. In fact, Robert Sanchez did not have to make a single save in our loss to Chelsea on Saturday, and we were at home. That's how bad we were.
Two league wins which were lucky rather than convincing. There have been three in the EFL Cup, all against lower league opposition, and we needed penalties to get past fourth tier Walsall.
No Plan A, let alone a Plan B, the players often look confused. Cooper was sticking with players who were obviously not performing. He was buying 'experienced players' then not picking Ricardo Pereira, one of our most experienced.
Wout Faes kept staring despite having a mistake in him in every game, Wilfred Ndidi is never playing the same position two weeks running and Patson Daka, his big hope up front, couldn't hit the proverbial door last season.
With Crystal Palace and Wolves starting to find some form the relegation zone was lurking and Top needed to act quickly after seeing the result of delaying with Brendan Rodgers.
The big question now is – who next? It's a decision Top can not afford to get wrong.
Find more from Chris Forryan at Leicester Till I Die, external
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Premier League midfielder Don Hutchison says he is "not shocked" by the sacking of Steve Cooper because of the "passive" performance against Chelsea on Saturday.
The Foxes are 16th in the Premier League and a point above the relegation zone.
"I'm not shocked because unless he went in to the job and transferred the style then it was almost inevitable he was going to get sacked," said Hutchison on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "That is because of the history between Leicester and Nottingham Forest and the fans' reaction.
"Their application against Chelsea is perhaps the reason because they didn't really do anything in the opening 45 minutes. They weren't putting any pressure on, running around or pressing.
"It was almost like they were so petrified that they were in their positions and passive. I was watching and thinking when are they going to do something in this game!
"But for what it is worth, even though Cooper has been sacked, I don't think this has done any damage to his career."
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Leicester winger Matt Piper says there was no lack of effort in Saturday's defeat to Chelsea but the Foxes "just lacked the quality" to really trouble the Blues.
"I don't think Chelsea were cruising towards victory," he told the When You're Smiling podcast. "I thought there was some fight there, there was some effort. There was two or three players who played really well.
"I think Boubakary Soumare was good, worked hard and was on it. A lot of the things we did well he was involved in. Bilal El Khannouss the same. In the first-half, especially from an attacking standpoint, he was Leicester's best player.
"Then, I'm always torn with Victor Kristiansen because I look at him and I don't think he's a full-back at this level but he's always giving it his all. He had a tough task against [Noni] Madueke but he played him quite well. He's going to struggle in possession, he's not the most accomplished on the ball, but I take my hat off to him.
"Those three especially were good and I think there were a couple of good performances but we do just lack that little bit of quality whether it be in our own penalty area or the opposition's.
"Unless you're creating wonderful opportunities and the type of chances Jamie Vardy likes to feed off, and you're starving him because we can't get the ball, you're thinking 'where are the goals coming from?'
"That, to me, is the overriding feeling from the game. I'll never get after the side or the manager after a performance like that and slaughter the team like I did after the Manchester United loss. They showed effort, they just lacked the quality and couldn't really get close enough to lay a glove on Chelsea."
BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast has released an emergency episode after the Foxes sacked Steve Cooper.
Owynn Palmer-Atkin is joined by former Leicester winger Matt Piper and The Fosse Way writer Iain Wright to react to the news, breakdown where it went wrong for Cooper, and look at who could be in contention to replace him.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Leicester goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer says he is "a little bit surprised" by Steve Cooper's sacking.
The Foxes were beaten 2-1 by a Chelsea side managed by former boss Enzo Maresca on Saturday - a defeat which left them two points above the relegation zone.
Cooper took over from Maresca in the summer after the Italian had led Leicester to the 2023-24 Championship title and promotion back into the Premier League.
The defeat by Chelsea was Leicester's sixth in the top flight this season and, afterwards, Cooper was critical of referee Andrew Madley's performance in the game.
"Leicester is not known for being a club that will sack managers quickly," the Australian told BBC Radio 5 Live. "They are not known to panic.
"At times some would say that perhaps they have held on too long to some managers.
"You did hear after the last few games that Cooper was pointing his finger a lot at the officials for decisions that had gone against Leicester and perhaps cost them."
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said that he "cannot believe" the news, adding: "I think they have had a reasonable start to the season, they are not in the relegation zone.
"The three promoted sides last season went straight back down. I think that decision is really harsh."
More of your views on Cooper's sacking:
Nigel: It was a bad error in appointing him in the first place. The fans were always going to struggle accepting a former Forest manager. This was an accident waiting to happen.
Simon: The only way this makes sense is if there’s someone else waiting in the wings. Irrespective of grumbles from fans about his tactics, 16th in the table shouldn’t cause a knee-jerk reaction. The next week might bring more news…
Tony: It was going to happen sooner or later. The form of players has dropped considerably along with some strange team choices. Then the results were definitely not happening, especially against lower end teams that we had to beat. Every City fan knows though that any new manager will have to get used to having a clueless Director of Football.
Will: Might seem like a backwards decision from the outside but you'd struggle to find many Leicester fans who'd disagree. His tactics have been unnecessarily negative at times and we've not produced a solid 90 mins yet. He's forever blaming referees and making substitutions too late in the game. We've got better players than the performances suggest.
Superfox19: It was inevitable that Cooper would be sacked being an ex-Forest manager. He predictably set up Leicester up to defend deeply in the first half and hope to 'nick' a goal late, as he had done at Forest. Yesterday's woeful first half performance against Chelsea demonstrated the folly of these tactics. He had to go.
Mario: Ridiculous decision - after an extensive search only a few months ago, how’s sacking the manager going to help with our struggle? We always knew we would struggle to stay up, and in most games we have at least been competing. But for a few late goals and odd decisions we could be mid-table? What now…no top manager is going to take the job.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Leicester keeper Mark Schwarzer says the "name that jumps" out at him about who could succeed Steve Cooper is former Brighton and Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
Potter, who is believed to have held talks with the Foxes before they decided on Cooper, has been out of work since being dismissed by Chelsea in April 2023 following less than seven months in charge of the Stamford Bridge club.
"Would he be interested in taking on a team and club like Leicester? Why not? I think he would do a fantastic job," said Schwarzer.
Former West Ham boss David Moyes and Ruud van Nistelrooy could also come into contention.
Moyes left West Ham at the end of last season, while Van Nisterooy - who took interim charge of Manchester United following Ten Hag's exit - recently left the Old Trafford club after Ruben Amorim's appointment.
"We saw the job he [Van Nistelrooy] did at Manchester United, taking over at one of their lowest points of the season when they had just lost their manager.
"Van Nistelrooy took over and steadied the ship. Three wins and one draw during his time in charge.
"David Moyes has had a phenomenal career and has been underrated and underappreciated at times. Would he fit in at Leicester? Only they would know.
"But, for me, the first name that you would look at is Graham Potter. The style they have been playing in recent seasons will suit him and he would have every opportunity to build a very good team there."
Who do you think should succeed Cooper, Foxes fans?, external
We asked for your immediate reaction to Leicester's sacking of manager Steve Cooper.
Here are some of your responses:
Roobs07: Wasn’t up to the task and team selections were based on defensiveness without defenders of the calibre to do so. Interim manager outlook and could not get the best out of any players. Attacking players left out of selection or played late second half. Never a positive outlook.
Stephen: Cooper might feel hard done by as I’m not sure our squad has the quality to be too much higher but he was failing to inspire the fans and players alike (from what we could tell). I think if he’d remained in charge then we’d likely have been relegated.
Anish: Shocked and disappointed with this news. Cooper didn't have the backing of many of the fans but the results were not too bad and we did play well in spells. We've been unbeaten against our relegation rivals this season and been outside the relegation zone for a while, so I'm not sure what the board expects from him.
Barry: I think Cooper has been a scapegoat for the owner and shoddy recruitment. Faes et al not good enough. Cooper had a mountain to climb. Maresca would have failed in the same manner.
Danny: Strange decision but probably not the right appointment to begin with after becoming a Nottingham Forest legend. His CV speaks for itself. Sad he wasn’t given time to prove himself again.
Mick: It was only a matter of time really. The players are making too many mistakes, don’t seem to be able to step up a level when they need to and simply are not good enough. Cooper was the only man willing to have a go at the time when there was no money to spend and with points deductions looming too. Good luck to him in the future. Who is next?
Image source, Getty ImagesLeicester have had little trouble scoring on their return to the Premier League, having managed at least one goal in each of their first 10 league games.
But, Steve Cooper's Foxes recorded just two wins to show for it, with defensive struggles nullifying their proficiency at the other end.
Leicester have conceded 23 times - the third highest in the league behind Wolverhampton Wanderers (28) and Southampton (24).
They have also conceded the opening goal in 10 of their 12 Premier League matches this season, a league high.
They have also allowed the second highest amount of opposition shots in the league and, despite their good scoring run at the start of the season, have had the second fewest amount of shots in the top flight, behind Ipswich.
