Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of his first game as Leicester City boss this evening as the Foxes welcome West Ham United to the King Power Stadium looking to ignite a new evolution in LE2.
After losing to Brentford at the weekend, Leicester’s new era starts tonight. Over a week since Steve Cooper was relieved of his duties, all eyes will be on tonight’s game.
The other Premier League fixture is Ipswich Town vs Crystal Palace, not exactly the spectacle to attract viewers from Ruud’s arrival. But despite the elation and anticipation around the new appointment, there is a job to do.
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Leicester have a monumental task ahead of them. After 13 games, City are on 10 points, one point off the relegation zone. This week presents Leicester with two home fixtures. Following a run of six games without a win, the time is now to get back on track.
“That is what is needed to be done,” Ruud said when asked how he plans to pick the team up. “The situation we’re in, the challenge we face and what’s necessary to get out. The results over the last weeks, it’s about reacting. We need clarity in how we’re going to do things.
“Of course in two days it’s difficult to make too many changes, but as a staff we have started to make changes on how we want things. Little by little it’s time to build a foundation of a highly-motivated, fit team that can compete in this difficult league.”
For the club, Premier League safety is paramount and the fans, of course, share that same vision. Going back down to the Championship would be a disaster for the club.
However, for the fans, the arrival has brought that feeling back that seemed to vanish when Enzo Maresca left. Last season, there was a clear connection between the squad, manager and fans. That was not there this season, under Cooper, one of the reasons why Khun Top decided to act.
When Ruud comes out ahead of kick-off in front of a full King Power Stadium, he will instantly be greeted with cheers. He was the man that many wanted to replace Maresca in the summer. They now have their man and if has done his due diligence on the club, he’ll know what the fans want to see.
Much has been made of his chat with Maresca before taking over. The Dutchman says that Maresca was full of praise for the club and it’s likely that the fans will have been mentioned. Maresca knows how vital having the fans on your side can be at Leicester and Ruud will soon understand.
Van Nistelrooy comes into this role fresh out of his interim spell with Manchester United. The pressure there is incomparable to the one at Leicester, but there is a bigger job at hand.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy beat Leicester City twice during his interim spell at Manchester United (Image: Carl Recine)
His first task will be to inject some confidence into this squad. At Brentford, despite reportedly receiving a drilling from the owner and having their new manager in the stands, Leicester were shocking. Fans were unhappy, many calling it the worst performance of the season.
A win tonight and the feeling will instantly improve. His second task, and perhaps the most difficult considering the schedule he is facing, is getting his tactics, ideas and philosophy across - something he has already insisted has been made quite easy for him.
‘Structures off the ball, it's a 4-4-2, where we look to give pressure on the opponent using different formations,” he explained. “But the basis structure in that is 4-4-2.
“There was a three-box-three that I used at United and that was developed by Enzo came in the Championship. I saw that as an advantage coming here that I am used to developing these structures. It saves me a bit of work!”
One problem Van Nistelrooy won’t be faced with is getting the fans on side. The football produced by Maresca last season made a large proportion of supporters fall back in love with the club. But under the Italian, his stubbornness often resulted in frustration.
“I’m thinking of one thing before every game and that’s winning it,” the Leicester boss explained. “When you play top teams or mid-table teams or lower-ranked teams, it sometimes requires a different approach.” Music to the ears.
“The style of play adjusts depending on how we can win,” he continued. “I’m not a romantic manager who puts style ahead of a result. I love style, I love having the ball, I love creating lots of opportunities, I love pressing a team high but we are facing opponents and we’re not the dominant side in this league.”
The aftermath of Van Nistelrooy's first press conference has been nothing but positive. Fans seem to already be on his side and his words have been well-received. By no means is there immediate pressure on him to deliver results, though three points against West Ham tonight will go a long way.
Those who have watched or listened to what Van Nistelrooy had to say in his unveiling as Leicester's boss will know the promise the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker offers. The job is a tough one and in the Premier League, there is no where to hide when the going gets tough.
But under this new management, Leicester could really have something special. Give Ruud time and get behind the players throughout the course of the season. Khun Top has acted and got a new man in the dug-out, the promise is there for things to turn around in LE2.
Over to you, Ruud...
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