Beleaguered Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy admitted that his appointment hasn’t worked out as he sifted through the wreckage of Monday’s damning defeat to Newcastle. The Foxes were thrashed 3-0 at the King Power Stadium, with all three of Newcastle’s goals going in before half-time.
Van Nistelrooy couldn’t hide his frustration after Leicester found themselves trailing within two minutes of kick-off. After Tino Livramento set up Jacob Murphy for the opener, the Dutchman could be seen shouting ‘f*** sake’ towards his players, who conceded again nine minutes later.
The full-time result set a new Premier League record, as Leicester became the first team to lose eight successive home matches without scoring. Van Nistelrooy’s strugglers are a whopping 15 points from safety, nearly double their points tally after 31 games.
Relegation now looks a formality, with the Foxes set to follow Southampton back down to the Championship after their relegation – the earliest in Premier League history – was confirmed on Sunday. Van Nistelrooy, 48, took charge of Leicester in November and collected more points in his first two league games than what he’d prove to earn over the following 16.
His managerial CV only included one year with PSV Eindhoven and a brief spell as Manchester United’s interim manager earlier this season. Hopes were high when Van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper but he admits that his experiments to transform Leicester’s fortunes have failed.
“What I want to say is that it’s very disappointing,” the former United striker confessed. “If I speak for myself, coming here with the intent to bring the club forward.
“So far it didn’t work. I tried different things, different players, different structures, without results. That’s what I can say about how I feel at this moment.”
When asked if he was still committed to Leicester, Van Nistelrooy replied: “The most important thing is the club and these players, that’s what I would say for now.”
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Pushed further on his future, he reiterated: “The most important thing is the club and the players, that is my reaction.”
Defender James Justin admitted that Leicester’s players are struggling to find confidence amid their record-breaking run. “It’s hard to describe, to be honest, with how it’s been and it makes us feel awful right at the moment,” Justin said.
“It’s hard to find confidence. It’s a horrible moment for the club with how we’re playing on the pitch and trying to regain any confidence.”
Next up for Leicester is a trip to Brighton at 3pm on Saturday.
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