By any measurement, Ruud van Nistelrooy was one of the great strikers of the 21st century.
But after six Premier League defeats in a row, are the fans worried that he wasn’t the right fit for a relegation battle at Leicester? I have to ask because I am worried for them.
Leicester is where I collected the only winner’s medal of my playing career at senior level, won the supporters’ player of the season in 2001 and their title miracle nine years ago was one of football’s greatest feelgood stories.
But I was at the game with Crystal Palace in midweek and I was concerned by what I saw. After deciding Steve Cooper was not the right man to keep them in the Premier League, Leicester went for Van Nistelrooy, a decorated player who operated at the top level with Manchester United, Real Madrid and PSV Eindhoven virtually all his career.
He is clearly a very capable coach, as he showed in his four-game stint as Manchester United’s interim manager two months ago. But did Leicester go for him on the back of United’s two convincing wins against Leicester in those four games – a 5-2 thumping in the League Cup and 3-0 win in the Premier League? Was he the obvious choice out there?
This guy has been successful all his life, and I hope he turns it around at the King Power, but the mentality of a relegation battle is a very different kettle of fish to working at the top end of a league.
Look, I feared Leicester would go down before a ball was kicked in August, so they are not falling short of expectations in that regard, but having made the change of manager I would like to know what convinced them Van Nistelrooy was the right fit?
HAVE YOUR SAY! Can Ruud van Nistelrooy save Leicester from relegation? Comment below.
People might ask what I know about management, or what it takes to win promotion, but at Macclesfield I believe I’ve got the best players and the best squad in our league. Ruud inherited a squad who have struggled to keep clean sheets this season and, Jamie Vardy excepted, there’s not a lot of firepower.
When you don’t take your chances in a must-win game like Palace at home under lights, you are going to be in massive trouble. Van Nistelrooy’s quality as a coach is not the issue – PSV were flying under him before he left Holland to join United as part of Erik ten Hag’s staff.
Put him in charge of a top-six club, with some of the best players at his disposal, and I’m sure he would prosper. That’s not to say he can’t manage at a struggling club, or at a lower level than Manchester United, but managers and clubs need to be a perfect fit to succeed.
Was Ruud was on Leicester’s radar, or top of their wanted list, before United beat them twice in as many weeks on his watch? Hitting QPR for six in the FA Cup was welcome respite amid six consecutive league defeats.
But, as luck would have it, Van Nistelrooy must now go back to Old Trafford in the fourth round. And if he doesn’t bank points from Leicester’s next three games against Fulham, Tottenham and Everton, they will be in serious danger.
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Can United mount a title challenge? Get our FREE daily Manchester United email newsletter
