Forget Potter or Van Nistelrooy - Leicester City's next manager choice is blindingly obvious

There can’t be too many newly-promoted sides who have sacked their managers while outside of the relegation zone, and fewer still who have done so after just 12 Premier League games, or immediately after an international break rather than before or during it.

That, however, is precisely what Leicester City have done, jettisoning Steve Cooper following a 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea on Saturday. Regardless of whether or not it was the right decision - and there are plenty of Leicester fans who would argue either corner and make some valid points in the process - the only question that really matters now is what comes next.

As is often the case when managers are handed their P45s in the early stages of the season, there isn’t a long list of obvious viable alternatives. Perhaps the higher-ups have already identified some promising young buck from the fringes of European football who deserves a promotion to the big leagues. However, without much information to go on, the bookmakers have homed in on three candidates as the most likely to step into Cooper’s shoes at the King Power Stadium – Ruud van Nistelrooy, Graham Potter and David Moyes.

Van Nistelrooy seems keen to make a swift return to coaching after his time at Manchester United was brought to a premature halt by Erik ten Hag’s dismissal. He’s given a good account of his managerial credentials so far, leading PSV Eindhoven to second in the Eredivisie during the 2022/23 season, winning the KNVB Cup and then getting a tune out of United during his brief spell as interim head coach.

All that signs suggest that Van Nistelrooy is a fine tactician with the chops to become a first-rate manager – but there are also warning signs from his time at PSV which point to a coach who doesn’t necessarily find that the diplomatic elements of the job come easily.

Van Nistelrooy resigned just before the end of his first season at PSV, with a “lack of support” from the club cited as the reason. That partly referred to concerns over their transfer dealings, but also reflected a strained relationship with his backroom staff (he reportedly didn’t get on with his assistants, André Ooijer and Fred Rutter) and his players. A report in the Dutch media claimed that six players went behind his back to complain to the board about his tactics and methods, despite their success on the field.

With a battle against relegation to be expected this season simply due to their status as a newly-promoted side, appointing a potentially divisive coach is a risk, no matter how good that coach may be. There is unlikely to be a points buffer to insulate them against a dip in form should the mood sour for a while. Perhaps the problems seen at PSV were specific to the club and not to Van Nistelrooy, but you would want to be pretty confident of that before appointing an inexperienced manager in a critical, difficult season.

Potter has his problems, too, even if you remain a fan after his tenure at Chelsea and pin the blame for the downswing at Stamford Bridge on the owners. His progressive methodology has earned him plenty of success in the past, but he has been a slow starter in his last couple of jobs – his ways and means tend to take time to bed in, and that’s time Leicester may not have.

There’s also a lingering question mark over his ability to get teams scoring enough goals. He has developed an impressive possession-based style which gets results, but there was always the feeling that his Brighton & Hove Albion team, for instance, could have gone further sooner if he found ways to sharpen the Seagulls’ cutting edge. Goals and attacking pace have been a problem wherever he goes, and to put him in charge of a team like Leicester – who have the third-lowest expected goals total in the league, an ageing striker leading the line and a key creative force out for the season with an ACL injury – may be asking for trouble.

Which leaves Moyes as, arguably, the least risky option. His appointment would no doubt be somewhat divisive – there are still plenty of fans around the Premier League who view him as a dinosaur – but he has a long and mostly strong track record, will almost certainly tighten up a defence which offers up far too many chances (the second-most expected goals allowed in the league, for those keeping track) and, even if he doesn’t prove to be a perfect fit, is unlikely to be a disaster.

The decision, if those are indeed the three chief candidates, arguably boils down to what Leicester think they’re looking for. Are they planning long-term and willing to risk relegation this season in order to build towards something bigger? Or is the first order of the day to survive in the top flight and worry about the distant future later?

If it’s the former, then there is every argument for appointing Potter or Van Nistelrooy. If the latter, Moyes is the only manager who would make much sense, at least among the bookies’ favourites. One could argue that he has a low ceiling as a head coach – plenty of West Ham United fans did even after he won the club’s first trophy in more than 40 years – but he almost certainly has the highest floor. And when a low floor could lead to relegation, it makes sense to factor that in. Moyes may not be the exciting move, but he’s perhaps the single most sensible option available.