Van Nistelrooy must urgently sort out Leicester’s toxic dressing room – but that’s just one of five pressing problems
RUUD VAN NISTELROOY swept into Leicester City last night as Steve Cooper’s replacement.
But he won’t be able to sweep the problems he has inherited under the carpet if he wants to succeed at the King Power.
Here are the five most pressing problems Van Nistelrooy must tackle if he is going to fix the Foxes – and avoid a Ruud awakening in his first permanent gig as a Premier League boss.
SORT OUT A TOXIC DRESSING ROOM
Last week’s video from a Copenhagen nightclub was an embarrassment to the club, the owner and the fans.
But most importantly it should have been an embarrassment for the players.
They might have thought it was ever so clever to display a sign expressing their love for Enzo Maresca and how much they missed him.
If it was meant to be a slap in the face for their former boss Steve Cooper, sacked hours later, then it missed the mark and the point by miles.
They should remember Maresca walked out on them at the first opportunity, so their loyalty was misguided at best.
They deserved to have the riot act read to them by owner Top Srivaddhanaprabha during showdown talks on Tuesday.
Van Nistelrooy has previous and doesn’t suffer fools lightly after falling out with his PSV players and backroom staff after one season in charge – and that was after a successful season.
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
His stellar reputation as a player will earn him instant respect – but the evidence is that won’t last long if the current squad take a dislike to him and start pining for Maresca again!
It’s vital Van Nistelrooy has a harmonious dressing-room if Leicester are to prosper.
DEAL WITH A DODGY DEFENCE
The best bosses build from the back.
Because, as any builder knows, without the proper foundations your house is in danger of collapsing at any moment.
Leicester have scored in all but one of their Premier League games this season and bagged as many goals as high-flying Nottingham Forest.
But they have only kept one clean sheet and only Wolves and rock-bottom Southampton have leaked more goals than the Foxes’ 23.
Cooper recognised the problem and his priority in January was to sign a savvy stopper.
He watched enviously in the summer as his old club Nottingham Forest snapped up rock-solid Serbian Nikola Milenkovic.
Caleb Okoli is a bright prospect but as raw as Sushi.
Jannick Vestergaard is a Championship proven defender who struggles in the Prem.
While Conor Coady is best suited to a three-man defence.
Van Nistelrooy needs to source a reliable partner for Belgian international Wout Faes – and quickly!
FIND A LONG TERM REPLACEMENT FOR CLUB LEGEND JAMIE VARDY
Jamie Vardy is by far Leicester’s best striker – but at 37, that’s the problem.
He may be enjoying an Indian summer but the great man can’t go on forever and he really should be used sparingly while younger legs do the donkey-work for him.
Unfortunately for Leicester fans there is still no heir apparent to assume Vardy’s throne.
Steve Cooper brought in Jordan Ayew and Odsonne Eduard but neither look like the long-term future.
The Foxes have had the fewest shots on goal in the Premier League and their expected goals total is the second lowest in the Prem.
Losing key winger Abdul Fatawu with an ACL injury for the rest of the season was a massive blow.
If Van Nistelrooy is to survive at Leicester he has to find a younger version of himself from somewhere!
But if anyone knows what it takes it is surely RVN!
Van Nistelrooy's controversial appointment
By Neil Custis, Football writer
RUUD VAN NISTELROOY walking into the Leicester job must have managers further down the leagues tearing their hair out.
This week at the Northwest Football Awards, for example, Dave Challinor of Stockport was named manager of the year ahead of Pep Guardiola.
Now that may be because organisers felt he would probably turn up to get his gong, unlike Guardiola.
Still, two promotions in 2½ years to lift the area’s poor relation from the National League to League One — where they sit fourth — is incredible.
Yet that and a managerial background at Colwyn Bay, AFC Fylde and Hartlepool would sadly never put him on a Premier League club’s radar.
Van Nistelrooy was on that radar at the Foxes in the summer after one season managing at PSV Eindhoven before they went for Steve Cooper.
Now after a further four games as interim Manchester United boss and he is in at the King Power and Cooper is out.
Big names excite fans and Van Nistelrooy has one, literally.
CONNECT WITH THE FANS
Perhaps they have been pampered with previous success.
After all, virtually every Leicester fan is old enough to remember their team winning the Premier League, reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League and lifting the FA Cup!
But those heady days of cardboard clappers and an electric atmosphere have been replaced with moans, groans and grumbles.
Foxes fans can be a fickle lot, just ask former heroes Claudio Ranieri, Brendan Rodgers or Craig Shakespeare – let alone Claude Puel or Steve Cooper!
Cooper was never given a chance by Leicester fans who couldn’t see past his Nottingham Forest past.
Van Nistelrooy is already being viewed with suspicion by many fans who are dubious about his coaching credentials after just one full season with PSV.
The Dutchman may have to turn on the charm to turn the tide with a fanbase who appear to have fallen out of love with many aspects of their club.
RECRUIT THE BEST SCOUT AVAILABLE
Steve Cooper found it almost impossible to sell Leicester to many potential signings last summer – because they all feared a potential 10-point penalty over Profit and Sustainability breaches would condemn them to a relegation battle.
Don’t expect much to change in January with Leicester still walking a financial tightrope.
Money is in short supply at the King Power these days and there will be a limited transfer budget for Van Nistelrooy to work with.
He will have to conjure up some pretty creative bargains – hence the need for a top talent spotter.
The temptation will be to return to the Netherlands and a market he knows well.
But as Erik ten Hag discovered to his cost – the Eredivisie is no longer paved with gold nuggets!