Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy reveals that he honestly thought the team would have picked up more points this season. Especially now that they’re now officially heading back down to the Championship.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for everyone involved with the Foxes. Particularly after they absolutely bossed the Championship last year under Enzo Maresca. However, things took a turn when he left to take the Chelsea job, and Steeve Cooper was brought in.
Unfortunately for Leicester, Cooper’s time at the helm didn’t quite go to plan. The team struggled to find any consistent form. Eventually, the club decided to make another change, bringing in former Manchester United boss Ruud van Nistelrooy. His arrival did spark some initial hope, as Leicester managed a decent 3-1 win against West Ham in his first game.
Despite the promising first match, things haven’t really clicked for Leicester under Van Nistelrooy. They’ve only managed to grab one league win since then. And after their defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, their relegation back to the Championship was confirmed. Speaking to the media, Van Nistelrooy said:
“It’s very disappointing – it’s been weeks leading up to this. We always kept fighting for every bit of hope we had. We have to continue to use the games to end the season in the best way possible.
“I’m focused on taking my responsibility to do the best things for the future and next season. Performances like Brighton and the Liverpool game are signs that the players are willing to do that. We have to take responsibility, and that’s what I’m doing for the next five weeks, and after that, we have to see.
“I expected to get more points than I was able to get. I think there were some very good performances and that’s what we’ve said in press conferences, and there were games where we didn’t perform to our capabilities.
“Over 33 games, it’s the level of the three promoted sides – the gap has been too big compared to the other 17 teams. It’s a clear, difference in quality with two teams relegated already and the other one 15 points back with five games – that’s the first conclusion and important one.
“I have done everything in the interests of the club, so no, I wouldn’t change,’ he said. It is my job to make decisions before and not after. After you can say, it was good or it wasn’t good. The decisions I made with all the people in the club were made with one goal, and that was to bring points on the table. There’s no regrets in that.”
Understandably, Van Nistelrooy has expressed his disappointment, stating that he genuinely believed the team was capable of securing more points. Interestingly, he’s also made it clear that he intends to stick around at Leicester, planning to see out his contract which runs until 2027. This suggests he is ready for the challenge of trying to bring the club back to the Premier League.
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