Ruud Van Nistelrooy led Leicester City to their first Premier League victory in over a month in his managerial debut with the newly promoted side.
Goals from Jamie Vardy, Bilal El Khannouss, and Patson Daka sealed a 3-1 victory for the Foxes against a struggling West Ham United side. Given that the Dutchman had just a day to prepare his team for the game, it was an impressive display.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s tactical tweaks
Tactically, Van Nistelrooy set up his team similarly to his predecessor, Steve Cooper. The Foxes started in a 4-2-3-1, which transitioned to a 3-2-4-1 with Victor Kristiansen pushing up and James Justin moving inside to form a three-man backline alongside Jannik Vestergaard and Conor Coady.
There were a few tweaks with the shape, with Kasey McAteer and Victor Kristiansen playing as wing-backs rather than wingers. This allowed the team to maintain width and offer extra defensive cover in case of transitions.
Van Nistelrooy also made a few changes in the starting lineup. He dropped Wout Faes and went with a centre-back duo of Vestergaard and Coady, with Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare shielding them in midfield. El Khannouss and Buonanotte operated as attacking midfielders, with Vardy leading the line.
The changes were positive. The Foxes backline benefited from the experienced Coady, while El Khannouss was magnificent in attack. He linked play well with tidy one-touch passes and demonstrated his technical abilities with a brilliant assist and finish.
Leicester City’s defensive problems persist
However, the manager will know there is plenty of work to do. In fact, looking at the stats, one could wonder how West Ham left Leicester without a point. Julen Lopetegui’s side enjoyed 61% possession of the ball and managed a remarkable 31 shots. Poor finishing and an inspired Mads Hermansen resulted in the Hammers scoring just one goal from an expected goals (xG) of 3.1.
Major defensive issues remain for Leicester, and while Van Nistelrooy will be happy with the three points, he must find ways to solidify the leaky backline.
