Speaking after the 2-2 draw with Brighton, Ruud van Nistelrooy was taken aback that he’d had his first conversation with the Leicester City squad just one week earlier.
“It’s massive, it’s vital,” he said when asked about the importance of having options on the bench. “I emphasised it last week when I walked into Seagrave and had my first meeting with the team. I can’t believe it’s only been one week actually!”
It has been a whirlwind of a start to the Dutchman’s tenure. Two games in, and with two good results secured, there’s plenty to get stuck into for fans and observers. Here, we run through the early winners under the City new manager.
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Conor Coady
Coady made just a single Premier League appearance under Steve Cooper, giving away a penalty during a substitute outing in the draw with Crystal Palace, and a January move was under consideration for the centre-back in a bid for more game-time. Now, that may not be necessary.
Brought in for a first league start by the interim coaching team, Coady has since played 90 minutes in each of van Nistelrooy’s first two matches. Given the strides made in the defensive showing in the draw with Brighton, it feels like the England international is not going to be dropped again any time soon. All of a sudden, he may have established himself as a regular.
Boubakary Soumare
A few impressive substitute outings from Soumare under Cooper had seen him promoted to a first-team starter, and that’s continued under van Nistelrooy. He seems to tick plenty of boxes for the Dutchman.
Ibrahim Sangare, now at Nottingham Forest, was a big player for van Nistelrooy during his year as PSV Eindhoven manager, and Soumare has a very similar profile. He’s able to use his strength to protect the back four while also has the technical qualities to carry it forward and get City moving into the attack too. Under van Nistelrooy’s guidance, and in the fourth year of his City contract, Soumare may finally become the player the club hoped he would be.
Kasey McAteer
Abdul Fatawu’s injury has opened the door for McAteer, but his two starts under van Nistelrooy shows the new manager likes what he sees too. The academy graduate is keeping Stephy Mavididi out of the team for now.
He still needs to develop in order to provide consistently good end product but his energy and endeavour, especially in his off-the-ball runs, are helping City stretch opponents, giving more space to the attacking midfielders. He’s still only made three top-flight starts in his career, so there’s plenty of room for him to grow.
Bilal El Khannouss
For the first time since he joined from Genk, El Khannouss has started two games in a row. A goal and an assist in the first was not going to harm his cause, but it’s more than just talent keeping the Moroccan in the team. He’s someone van Nistelrooy has kept an eye on for a while.
The manager said: “We were very aware of him at PSV, but we also knew he was a bit out of our league, his transfer. It’s different in the Premier League. I was happy to see his development and his talent. He’s showing that, and in training.
“There’s still so much potential with his age, physically and technically. Being able to produce assists and goals, that’s where he’s a special talent for his age group. For Leicester City, he’s someone we have to look after and develop and make him better every week.”
Patson Daka
With Daka, not only did van Nistelrooy watch him while he was PSV boss, but he actively wanted to sign him. Going back to the Zambian’s time at RB Salzburg, it seems the new manager is a big fan and is determined to get more out of Daka.
This is perfect news for Daka. Not only does it mean he should get plenty of opportunities, both as a substitute or in rotation with Jamie Vardy, but he has one of the best goalscorers of his generation coaching him on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps the promise shown in fleeting moments can be built upon.
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