Leicester City

Kate Blakemore
Fan writer

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It has been an intensely volatile week off the pitch for Leicester City featured a contentious Christmas party, a manager sacking, a dressing down and a managerial appointment.

The week concluded with volatility on the pitch, away at Brentford, where we conceded more than three goals for the fourth time this season in the league, despite taking the lead via Facundo Buonanotte assisted by the ever-tenacious Jamie Vardy.

As we enter the season of goodwill, Leicester fans will be hoping for a little Christmas cheer as Ruud van Nistelrooy takes the reins later on Tuesday for his first match against West Ham.

On every fan's Christmas list, surely, is a significant improvement in the defence and more threats in the opposition box.

With the January transfer window around the corner, will Ruud be able to sign three wise men, potentially in the form of a right-back, right winger and striker? It just depends on how much is available to him in the transfer window, as the cloud of profit and sustainability rules is never far away.

His first task will arguably be to re-establish the on-field cohesion and 'band of brothers' unity and belief that we saw throughout last season, along with an accountability and awareness of danger which has, thus far, escaped us.

We can only hope that Ruud is the leader we all want him to be, leading his disciples towards the North Star that is Premier League survival.

Although faced with the stark reality that our squad has fallen short many times this season, with some erratic defending and schoolboy errors, there has been the odd moment of brilliance.

As fans, we expect Ruud to progress the squad towards fulfilling its potential and returning us to a well-oiled machine.

A Ruud awakening is upon us...

Find more from Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die, external

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Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Rob Tanner touched on how Ruud van Nistelrooy will be keen to shift mentality within the squad: "Normally you expect managers to be very guarded to how their teams will set up because there’s an advantage for their opposition, but it he was refreshing and honest. I think he will be like that in his pre and post-match conferences.

"I got the sense under [Steve] Cooper that there was a bit of an inferiority complex, thinking that they wouldn’t win. I think Ruud will go in and tell them, look if we get a plan right we can cause this team some trouble. I think he’s going to try and instil a winning attitude, that it’s not about performance. Ultimately, it’s about trying to survive and retain their Premier League status.

"I think he will work to get this team conceding less chances. I think the amount of chances this side concede is huge."

Listen to the full podcast here on BBC Sounds

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton has been speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club about the "tough" job Ruud van Nistelrooy has to keep Leicester in the Premier League.

He questioned whether the Dutchman would have been in the frame for the job over the summer and also worries that "the players think they are better than what they are".

• Not a Leicester City fan? Find your Premier League club here

Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given agreed that Van Nistelrooy "is in a real fight to stay in the division" and spoke about how in Saturday's loss to Brentford, the Foxes were "defensively all over the shop".

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

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Former Leicester defender Robert Huth spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about Ruud van Nistelrooy ahead of his first match in charge: "I'm feeling positive, but unsure what is going to happen at the same time.

"He could play really defensively, he could play really offensively, no one really knows. The one big thing for Leicester is the amount of goals they ship. I think that will be a real concern for him and something for him to stop."

On Jamie Vardy working under the Dutchman: "It's always great when you have a manager who played in the same position as you. They should be able to have a few conversations and help Vardy score a few more goals."

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 14 he takes on James Ryan, bassist with rock band The Slow Readers Club.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Both teams were beaten heavily at the weekend and this feels like a massive game for West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui, who is back under scrutiny again after such a big defeat at home by Arsenal.

What might help him here is how bad Leicester are defensively. This is Ruud van Nistelrooy's first game in charge of the Foxes so you would expect King Power Stadium to be rocking, but that will not help them keep the Hammers out.

I am not convinced by West Ham in any way, shape or form at the moment but they have attacking players who can hurt Leicester, and that will get them the win Lopetegui needs.

Ryan's prediction: 1-0

This has got 'new manager bounce' written all over it.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Leicester City are considering terminating the season-long loan deal for Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard in January. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Leicester have been drawn to play Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round at King Power Stadium.

The tie will take place between 9-13 January.

See the full draw here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Ruud van Nistelrooy arrived a few minutes late for his first news conference as Leicester manager.

The 48-year-old can be forgiven, though, as he quickly adjusts to life at the Foxes. He only met the squad on Sunday and has had just two days to prepare for Tuesday's Premier League visit of West Ham - so his time is precious.

Van Nistelrooy shook journalists' hands and introduced himself, waving at those with cameras at the back of the room and joking that he will try to remember everyone's names.

He spoke clearly and calmly, poking fun at himself as he links up with Jamie Vardy - who broke his Premier League record of scoring in consecutive games in 2015.

Leicester are a point above the bottom three and have signs of fractures at the club so need a cool and composed head to lead them away from danger.

Van Nistelrooy has played under some of the best managers in the world, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Fabio Capello, and he now gets to put that experience into practice in his first full-time Premier League job.

In an ideal world, he could have done without a game 48 hours after meeting the players as there is little he can do in that time.

But it is a chance to showcase himself to the Leicester fans early, especially as those supporters have started to turn on the club.

There should be more positivity at King Power Stadium, given fans never took to former boss Steve Cooper - but that will only last with results.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Premier League game against West Ham (kick-off 20:15).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On taking the job: "Managing this club and group of players, and representing Leicester is something I am excited about and I am proud to get the opportunity."

• He added: "In two days it is difficult to make a lot of changes, but as staff we have started making necessary changes to style of play, training and structure of the team."

• On what fans can expect from his team: "A back four and working together. Off the ball, it is 4-4-2 and we look to pressure the opponent. It is about having a basic structure. I am not a romantic manager that puts style in front of results. We approach every game to win."

• He confirmed he has spoken to the owner about the January transfer window: "I’m working with people at the club but I’m looking to bring in other people."

• On the owners' message to him: "The expectations are clear. They are not easy. It’s to maintain in the Premier League. It’s the big target."

• He said Conor Coady's comments on Leicester "being in a dark place," was the first thing he addressed when he met the players for the first time on Sunday: "It is about reacting and getting clarity in how we are going to do things."

• Before taking the job, Van Nistelrooy spoke to former Foxes boss Enzo Maresca, who was "very positive" about the club.

• Midfielder Harry Winks will not be available for Tuesday's game but Van Nistelrooy confirmed "it is not a long-term groin injury" and he should return to group training soon.

• Caleb Okoli "looked good" in training today, despite being forced off against Brentford on Saturday. The centre-back should be able to play if he has no "reaction" to the session.

Follow all of Monday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Full commentary of Leicester City v West Ham on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra on Tuesday at 20:15 GMT

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Former Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown says going into Leicester "is a massive task" for Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The Dutchman was there to watch his new club lose 4-1 to Brentford on Saturday, as defender Conor Coady described the team as being "in a dark place".

"It seems a real mess and Van Nistelrooy has a lot to learn quickly," said Brown on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "He had a nice rosy start at Manchester United but he is right in the deep end here."

Former Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker added: "The first thing he has to do is get the dressing room reunited and on the same page. Forget the fans and everything else because he needs to get those players on side.

"One thing he probably learned from watching them this weekend was that they cannot play a back three. They were all over the place.

"In these situations the best thing he can do is get them to go back to basics and sometimes you have to butter up players to get the confidence back into them.

"It is a massive, massive task to keep this Leicester side up, but I think they have just about got enough to do it."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Ruud van Nistelrooy arrived at Leicester's Seagrave training ground for the first time on Sunday for a debrief and training.

Caretaker boss Ben Dawson gave the new manager an overview following Saturday's wretched 4-1 defeat at Brentford, which Van Nistelrooy watched from the stands.

The overall, immediate challenge he faces is to unite a fractured club which has already started to split.

Mads Hermansen and Bobby de Cordova-Reid, an unused substitute, were among the few players who ventured over to the away support on Saturday.

The others kept their distance following chants of "you're not fit to wear the shirt" from the away end at Gtech Community Stadium. The defeat also followed the Christmas party in Copenhagen, with their behaviour criticised by the supporters and the club.

Fans also sang against director of football Jon Rudkin, who has overseen appointing four managers in the past 20 months.

Results elsewhere went for the Foxes so their position in 16th went unchanged, but with so many games in the lead-up to Christmas the table at the bottom could look drastically different come the new year.

Van Nistelrooy, who faces the media later on Monday, will take charge for the first time when West Ham come to King Power Stadium on Tuesday and needs quick results to repair the widening gap between the club and the fanbase.

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brentford and Leicester City.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Chris: We were so dominant and should have scored more. That said, Leicester tried to press us constantly but without end result. I'm so happy for Kevin Schade, who was injured for too long after joining us but now, like Mikkel Damsgaard, is starting to blossom. I can't believe where we are in the table!

Michael: They have improved way beyond my expectations. I'm still amazed at the great strides they have made since the start of this season. The top six is within sight! Thomas Frank must be pressing the right buttons for this amazing start to the season.

Ian: If Brentford can cure their poor away form and maintain their fortress-like vibes at the G-tech, then European football is surely not beyond them. Brentford are a much better side with better players than they get credit for. People should not forget that their achievements this season have been made while missing two or three of their regular defenders due to injury.

John: The difference this season is that the manager has almost a full team of players to pick from, with not so many injuries as previously. The home record is fantastic, but the Bees haven't yet been tested against a top team - Manchester City, Liverpool etc.

Leicester fans

James: Gutless, chaotic and all over the place. There will be much for Ruud van Nistelrooy to ponder, in very little time, before Wednesday. We have a defensive setup currently not fit for purpose, nor for keeping Mads Hermansen. We have a midfield that lacks quality, and an ageing Jamie Vardy still trying to defy the years with decreasing efficiency. A fractured club, on and off the pitch.

JC: An absolute shocker. Ruud has a massive job on his hands to lift the club. There are too many egos floating around. Hopefully, Ruud will make some brave decisions and we can start afresh because, at the minute, we are a mess.

Ray: Probably our worst performance of the season. No passion, no heart, no skill. I can only hope that Ruud acts to weed out the feeble prima donnas in our team, starting with Wout Faes who, as an international player, would not get into my local pub team.

Juan: How we can keep picking James Justin and Faes is unbelievable. Every goal we concede is nearly always down to them. Van Nistelrooy's first job is to get our defensive shape and positioning right. Good luck!

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Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has been outlining what he believes Ruud van Nistelrooy's first jobs should be as Leicester City manager on Match of the Day, after the Foxes suffered their fifth defeat in eight games against Brentford.

"He has got a hell of a job [ahead of him]," Murphy suggested. "I think the first thing is trying to build some confidence and getting the lads enjoying their football a little bit again.

"Then he has got to make a decision on what style he wants to play. Obviously the fans have been a little bit disgruntled with Steve Cooper's pragmatism, but I don't think they can play too openly because we saw what happened in this game.

"They have got some half-decent fixtures coming up where they will feel like they can get some points. They have four home games in the next six, so that's not too bad for him.

"I'm excited to see what he can do."

Watch Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

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Former Leicester City striker David Nugent says he did not see any "fight" or "work-rate" after the Foxes went 3-1 down against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium in front of new manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Nugent said: "It was a hard watch, especially towards the end, after such a positive start. It just felt like the players gave up. The third goal killed us.

"In the second half, we didn't even lay a glove on them. [Stephy] Mavididi came on and looked sharp. Luke Thomas was excellent throughout - even though we were beaten 4-1, he kept their danger man [Bryan] Mbeumo really quiet.

"It is frustrating because sometimes, in these games, you need that fight and I didn't see that. When the team is struggling, you are looking for someone to make a tackle or close someone down. I didn't see any work-rate."

On Van Nistelrooy being in attendance, Nugent added: "It's not ideal getting beaten 4-1 when you have your new manager watching in the stands. He is probably thinking: 'On Tuesday, what am I going to do?'

"He probably looked at that performance and saw two players who made an impression. It is not enough. You need to show the new manager you want to play for this club - and I didn't see that.

"I saw 60 minutes of players looking like they didn't want to be outside on the football pitch.

"I've played in games when you are 4-1 down and it is hard to keep going, but you have fans that have travelled from Leicester all the way down to London. They will respect you more if you show effort on the pitch.

"The least you can do at that scoreline is try your hardest, but I didn't see any of that."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

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It is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the football calendar as Premier League and Championship clubs join the FA Cup action from round three.

The draw will take place on Monday, 2 December from 19:00 GMT and can be watched live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Brighton and Southampton.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle United

• West Ham United 2-5 Arsenal

The latest When You're Smiling podcast has landed.

BBC Radio Leicester's Jack Rafferty has been mulling over Leicester City's latest Premier League defeat with former Foxes striker David Nugent, who says the game was a "hard watch after such a positive start".

Plus hear post-match reaction from caretaker boss Ben Dawson.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds