Van Nistelrooy calls for calm after ‘hectic’ first week as Leicester boss

Ruud van Nistelrooy said his first week in charge of Leicester City was “hectic”, but insisted a more measured approach will be taken moving forward to ensure the Foxes’ Premier League survival.

Van Nistelrooy was confirmed as Steve Cooper’s successor earlier this month and has had a fine start to his Foxes tenure, earning a win over West Ham and a late point against Brighton last time out.

But up next for the Dutchman is his first away English top-flight fixture in management away to Newcastle United, and despite his promising start, he was not looking at the table at this early stage just yet.

“It’s been a hectic week,” Van Nistelrooy said. “New ideas, two games played, training sessions to prepare.

“Massive compliments to everybody at Leicester for welcoming me, for helping in any way possible and for the players to connect with each other in the new set-up. It’s been a great week.

“I don’t think we have to look at the table and how many points. It’s good that we take four points ourselves and that’s the focus. We take the four points, and the players put in great performances as a team and as individuals.

“That is the target moving forward, and we’re going to approach every game like that.”

Passion for the game pic.twitter.com/jbKHnmEjC6

— Leicester City (@LCFC) December 9, 2024

Newcastle, meanwhile, were beaten by Brentford last Saturday as their inconsistent season continued with another tepid display on the road.

Coming into this weekend’s clash, the Magpies have lost three of their last six Premier League away games (W1 D2), while in all competitions they are winless in four games (D2 L2).

They have only suffered longer such runs under Eddie Howe in January 2022 (six games) and March 2023 (five games), with the Newcastle boss highlighting his side’s poor play in defence against the Bees as pivotal to the defeat.

“We are disappointed with the manner of goals we conceded. It’s not individual mistakes, there’s two or three actions I’m not happy with for each goal. We have to do better in those situations,” Howe said.

“We had control of the game in the first half, then it got away from us after the third goal. We looked like a good attacking unit, but we have to put it all together, and it has led to inconsistent results.

Newcastle are now without a win in their last four Premier League games, dropping them to 12th in the table, with Howe unable to put his finger on his side’s inconsistency this term.

“A strange sequence for us, we had three consecutive wins against really good opponents, then we have had mixed performances. We have to get it over the line,” Howe said.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Newcastle – Alexander Isak

Isak has been involved in 24 Premier League goals for the club in 2024 (19 goals, five assists), the most by a Newcastle player in a year since Alan Shearer in 2002 (27 goals, four assists).

The only Magpies players to score 20+ goals in a year are Shearer (22 in 1999, 27 in 2002) and Andrew Cole (24 in 1994).

Leicester – Jamie Vardy

Vardy has been involved in seven goals in his last seven Premier League appearances (four goals, three assists), including at least one in his last three. He could become the oldest player to score or assist in four consecutive top-flight outings if he does so at St. James’ Park.

At 37-years-old, the Foxes man continues to prove that age is just a number. He has six goals and three assists in the Premier League this season and could become just the fifth player aged 37+ to have a hand in 10 goals in a single season.

The other players to achieve this are Teddy Sheringham in 2003-04 (nine goals, four assists), Gary Speed in 2006-07 (eight goals, two assists), Ryan Giggs in 2011-12 (two goals, eight assists) and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021-22 (10 goals).

37 – Jamie Vardy is the second-oldest player to score and assist in a Premier League match (37y 332d v Brighton), only behind Ryan Giggs in December 2011 (38y 22d v Fulham). Timeless. pic.twitter.com/7jCN3QPDYu

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 8, 2024

MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE WIN

Newcastle have lost just one of their last 21 Premier League meetings with promoted sides (W12 D8), going down 1-0 at Luton Town last season.

However, the Magpies have won just one of their last seven Premier League home games against Leicester (D1 L5), though both times they’ve avoided defeat have come under Howe.

But they have shipped 3+ goals in each of their last two Premier League games, last doing so in three games in a row in December and January last season. The Magpies have done so on 10 occasions in 2024, only doing so more often in 2021 (12) and 2014 (11) in a single year.

This is Van Nistelrooy’s seventh game in charge of a Premier League side in all competitions this season, but the first time he’s managed a game away from home.

In his playing career, the Dutchman played five games at St James’ Park and scored in every single game, the joint best 100% scoring ratio by a player at a venue, along with Foxes striker Vardy at the Hawthorns.

And the Foxes have enjoyed recent trips to the North East. They have won six Premier League away games against Newcastle, more than they have versus any other opponent. Five of these victories have come in their last seven visits to St James’ Park.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle – 67.2%

Draw – 18%

Leicester – 14.8%