Ruud van Nistelrooy will have to overcome a “sense of entitlement" that has grown at Leicester City, the club’s iconic former manager Martin O’Neill has said.
The Dutchman is set to be appointed as the new boss at the King Power Stadium, and will be tasked with keeping City in the Premier League. Getting the fanbase fully behind him will be one of his big jobs.
With excitement around his imminent appointment, he will get early backing from the stands, but keeping it is a bigger ask. It’s something managers have struggled to do in recent years.
Claude Puel could not do it. Brendan Rodgers, despite significant success and claiming the club’s first FA Cup, was never totally loved, even before the relegation campaign completely eroded his reputation. Enzo Maresca’s stubbornness and style of play saw moans and groans from the stands, while Steve Cooper quickly lost support.
But O’Neill feels that the 2016 Premier League title win has changed perceptions at the club, making life difficult for managers. He hopes Van Nistelrooy gets the chance to win everybody over, even if he makes a slow start, like the Northern Irishman did back in the 90s.
“Since 2016, things have changed at the King Power Stadium,” O’Neill said on talkSPORT. “You’re talking about a side that has won the Premier League.
“I shouldn’t really say this about my former club where I really loved my time after a stodgy start, but there’s maybe a sense of entitlement that after winning the league in 2016, that life should be very good for them.
“They experienced relegation, and Maresca was there to get them back up again. He goes off to Chelsea. They’re left then with Steve Cooper. Steve’s allegiance with Nottingham Forest, I’d probably push that to the side.
“Initially like myself as a player at Nottingham Forest coming to Leicester, there was a little dissatisfaction, and obviously there was a lot more dissatisfaction with me when I couldn’t win a game to save my life early on.
“But overall, Van Nistelrooy, he’s got the name. He was a great, great player. Why not? If you’re going for someone now, he pushed himself into the limelight a couple of weeks ago and I suppose Leicester have decided to go with him.”
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