Man Utd 2-1 Leicester - Foxes' frustration published at 00:16 8 February
00:16 8 February
Gary Rose BBC Sport journalist at Old Trafford
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For over an hour, this looked on course to be a win for Ruud van Nistelrooy on his Old Trafford return, as well as a morale-boosting result to aid them in their Premier League survival fight.
The Foxes had battled well, were the better side in the first half and good value for their 1-0 goal lead as the game headed towards the final 20 minutes.
Even after Joshua Zirkzee's equaliser their performance earned them the opportunity to take the game to extra time, but it was not to be with Harry Maguire's stoppage-time winner, despite the defender appearing well offside.
But after a poor performance against Everton in their previous game, Leicester fans can take heart from this display and the battling qualities their players showed.
They will be needed as they look to pull themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone.
'It is a win-win game'published at 14:13 7 February
14:13 7 February
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Leicester Fan TV editor Phil Holloway spoke to the When You're Smiling podcast about Friday's FA Cup trip to Old Trafford: "I don't want to say it's a 'free hit', but it is a chance for Ruud [van Nistelrooy] to maybe test out a slightly different starting 11 for the Arsenal game [next Saturday].
"If we lose it. we will say we are concentrating on the Premier League and if we win it gives us something extra to go at. It's a bit of a win-win.
"The Everton match, we need to put that behind us. Players not coming up to fans after the game, that needs to stop. We need to see a two-way thing between the club and fans.
"We need to get on the same page before the Arsenal game. The players can make that happen if they put in a performance against Manchester United. They don't have to win, but they need to leave it out on the pitch for us."
Who has enough to survive the drop?published at 13:40 7 February
13:40 7 February
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Now that the transfer deals are done, we have a clearer picture of how the season may finish.
Unfortunately, as things stand I think Ipswich will be relegated in addition to Southampton and Leicester City.
Saying Ipswich is a difficult one for me because out of those three, they are the one that I think will give the biggest fight to survive between now and the end of the season.
But at the expense of who? It is probably Wolves, as Everton have now distanced themselves from the pack, but even then Wolves have a new manager and they have Premier League experience which will always help in this crunch time.
Ultimately, the gap now between the Championship and the Premier League is massive.
It is hard to adjust quickly enough in the Premier League as the players simply just don't have the time to adapt. Mistakes are punished, so it makes it very difficult to play the same style that has got a team promoted from the Championship.
Ipswich have probably been the most adaptable of the three teams, but they still lack the quality that is needed within a squad to compete. They have, however, invested and brought in more players in the January transfer window to give them a fighting chance.
Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford
Letting Van Nistelrooy leave 'really simple' - Amorimpublished at 12:18 7 February
12:18 7 February
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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says removing Ruud van Nistelrooy from his coaching staff after his appointment in November was "not a difficult situation".
Legendary United striker Van Nistelrooy oversaw three wins and a draw as caretaker manager after Erik ten Hag was sacked in October before leaving when Amorim was appointed and brought his own coaching staff.
Shortly after that, the Dutchman was named Leicester manager.
"It was not a difficult situation because it was so clear for me - I just had to explain," Amorim said. "I think it's really simple and he understands. He is a man of football.
"I have my team and my staff. I could keep Ruud because it was a good thing for me a popular thing to do.
"[But] I will not put Ruud in front of my guys, no matter what, and then I had to put a person like Ruud in the end on the hierarchy on my staff, and I think that was not fair on Ruud.
"To show respect to Ruud, I was really clear with him and I explained that I have my team, I will continue the same way and I will not put a guy like Ruud, a legend of this club, in the end of the hierarchy in the staff."
The Foxes visit Old Trafford in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday night on a run of one win in nine in the Premier League, but Van Nistelrooy says he is not worried about his future at the club.
"I don't have to be considering these things," he said. "Of course, we're not in an easy moment. It's getting on with your jobs and not speaking about any other things.
"We're in this fight, we're talking in the league of course, but this game is big for us."
On returning to Manchester, he added: "It is special to go back there. There was a history as player, history as an assistant manager and history as a caretaker.
"That is part of me it always will be - but my focus will be on my team to get the best out of them and perform and show what we are about."
Sutton's predictions: Man Utd v Leicesterpublished at 09:43 7 February
09:43 7 February
What a story it is to see Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has won the FA Cup with Manchester United as a player, going back to Old Trafford with Leicester.
He was in charge of United when they beat the Foxes there twice in the space of two weeks earlier in the season, but he will want a different outcome this time.
Leicester are struggling at the moment but this still won't be straightforward for United.
It is amazing how many surprise results there have been in the Premier League this season, but the one constant has been that United have been awful throughout.
I have absolutely no confidence in this prediction but, based on how poor Leicester have been recently, and also their heavy defeat by Everton last time out, I think the holders will find a way of winning this tie in 90 minutes to make it into the fifth-round draw.
Van Nistelrooy on transfer 'reality', FA Cup and Man Utd returnpublished at 13:30 6 February
13:30 6 February
Phil Cartwright BBC Sport journalist
Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has been speaking to the media before Friday's FA Cup game at Manchester United (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Van Nistelrooy confirmed that Jeremy Monga, 15, and Jake Evans, 16, will be part of the squad at Old Trafford, while midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is available for selection.
On the mood after last weekend's loss at Everton: "The disappointment, which we didn't see coming after the Tottenham game, was painful and very disappointing. We evaluated the game with the players, where we have to improve, and then you start going back to work again."
Reflecting on a transfer window in which Leicester made only one senior signing: "It's not a question of being disappointed or happy - it's a question of reality. It's clear what the reality of the club is at this moment. The opportunities and restrictions go hand in hand and we had to deal with this."
Van Nistelrooy continued: "I said before that we needed to strengthen and to impact the team with impact players, and we weren't able to get them because of the balance of opportunity and restrictions. That is the reality. We tried, but the focus was on impact players to strengthen the squad. We did it with Woyo Coulibaly but other possibilities weren't possible."
Asked if anything changed, he said: "The conversations in November before I joined were clear. Of course, you then enter a process together, where you prepare the window and the figures and everything is presented to you. I was part of that along the way. The idea was that there were certain possibilities, but when the numbers came on the table, it turned out to be different. We had to reassess and look at the possibilities within that framework. The only addition is Coulibaly and we go on with this squad."
Van Nistelrooy said "the reality is not always as you wish" and those developments "did not come as a surprise", before adding: "Reality set in and then I'm quite pragmatic - 'OK, let's get on with it and get the most out of what we have'."
On if playing in the FA Cup is a distraction or is welcomed: "It's always welcome. We'll do everything possible to be at our best and it's never a distraction. To play in this cup is a privilege and we want to show what we're about in a fantastic away game at Old Trafford. These games are more than welcome. It's a dream for every player to play there."
Van Nistelrooy will return to United having had a spell as interim manager earlier this season: "It's special to go back there, with the history as a player, an assistant manager and caretaker manager. It is part of me and always will be, but the focus is on my players and my team, to get the best of them and show what we're about."
'We are preparing for life down the scrap heap'published at 18:08 4 February
18:08 4 February
Chris Forryan Fan writer
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Unfortunately, this transfer window sums up the state this club is in right now.
This window as good as sealed our relegation back to the Championship, where the EFL is waiting for us with management plans, transfer embargoes and points deductions - unless Nick de Marco has any rabbits left.
We have an owner we all love, but he is scared to replace any of his failing management team of CEO Susan Whelan, director of football John Rudkin and manager Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Yes, he kept bailing us out with his debt to share buyouts, but it is under his leadership we have those debts.
In hindsight, the appointment of Steve Cooper was wrong, although we had more points under him than Van Nistelrooy.
Paying him off reportedly limited the money we could spend in the window - which was the one when Van Nistelrooy could bring in his own players and turn things around.
We bought a right-back for, err, £1.5m, who Van Nistelrooy then kept on the bench while he continues to play James Justin in that position - a left-back who has failed to impress.
You can't even say we are preparing for life in the Championship. We are preparing for life down the scrap heap.
They say be careful what you wish for. Well, nothing could be worse than this!
🎧 'Hunger, fight and determination'published at 12:07 4 February
12:07 4 February
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Former Leicester City winger Matt Piper says the Foxes need "hunger, fight and determination" to bridge the gap to Wolves in the fight for survival.
Leicester are currently 18th, two points behind Wolves after suffering a 4-0 loss to 16th place Everton.
" I look at the Wolves squad, and it is between us and Wolves", Piper said. "I think we're better than the two teams below us and I don't think we're going to get more points than Wolves.
"I look at that Wolves team and defensively they're better than us, they can score goals and they also have two very special players.
"I knew it was going to be a struggle, but the way you can bridge the gap is by having that hunger and desire. The more you see performances like the Everton one the more your belief starts to wane but you get the Tottenham performance and you think, 'see this side can do it, they can come from behind and show some hunger, fight and determination and that can bridge the gap, even against the best sides in the Premier League'."
🎧 'Positivity has completely dissolved'published at 06:46 4 February
06:46 4 February
The latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast has landed.
Listen to Owynn Palmer-Atkin, ex-Leicester winger Matt Piper and a Foxes fan review the 4-0 defeat by Everton and assess the lack of transfer activity at the King Power.
Image source, Getty Images
