Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy will not be in the Leicester dugout against Brentford
Incoming Ruud van Nistelrooy will have a watching brief when Leicester City travel to Brentford on Saturday.
Former Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy was confirmed as Steve Cooper's replacement on Friday, but the appointment was not made in time for him to take charge against Thomas Frank's Bees.
Ben Dawson will assume interim charge instead. And asked yesterday to describe his approach, the coach said: “We take a bit of everything. I think there were good elements in how Steve was getting the team to play. But there are areas to improve.”
Van Nistelrooy was unbeaten during four games in interim charge of United following the sacking of Erik ten Hag.
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But former Leicester and Arsenal striker Alan Smith has already written off the Dutchman before he gets going in the East Midlands.
“I don’t see Ruud van Nistelrooy and Leicester as a good match,” Smith told MegaDice.com. “I feel as though his mind would be elsewhere on the bigger jobs available if he were to do well. He used to be a big-time player, and you carry that attitude through as a coach.
“He got good experience at PSV Eindhoven winning a few domestic cups, he has been an assistant with the Netherlands national team, and he impressed whilst he was interim manager of Manchester United, I just wouldn’t say he was the right man for Leicester at this stage.”
Meanwhile, Dawson has said some players have been reprimanded after a video leaked of them next to a board reading “Enzo, I miss you“ during their Christmas party in Copenhagen last weekend.
EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS - NOVEMBER 29: Leicester City unveil their new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy on November 29, 2024 in Eindhoven, Netherlands. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)
Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith has doubts over the appointment
While the players were allowed to attend the night out in Denmark, appearing to laugh at a sign referencing former manager Maresca on the same weekend Cooper was sacked has been deemed disrespectful.
“The time off was scheduled,” Dawson said. “The players are entitled to do what they want with that time off. The particular issue has been dealt with internally and we’ve all moved on from it.
"They’ve had that key message from the club that what’s gone on was not acceptable and we need to move on. All eyes have since been on training well and putting in a performance tomorrow.”
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