It is now five consecutive losses for Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City as relegation appears to be looming ever closer.
The Foxes put in a spirited performance in Birmingham, losing narrowly to Aston Villa in a tight contest. Despite Villa being the obvious favourites, Leicester looked like the better side for large parts of the game. However, a defeat is a defeat, and Leicester could find themselves five points from safety should Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Steve Cooper took the brunt of the criticism during his tenure
Although Leicester have looked better under Van Nistelrooy than they did under former manager Steve Cooper, the players have escaped accountability too many times. Because of Cooper’s past allegiance with Nottingham and reluctance to play Ricardo Pereira and Abdul Fatawu, fans never really warmed up to him. So, every time his team underperformed, he took responsibility and never blamed his players, even though he had every right to. Fans, including myself, found it easier to criticise his decisions and management rather than hold the players accountable.
I’m not saying Cooper didn’t deserve criticism, nor that fans didn’t point out underperforming players. The magnitude of blame was just skewed too much towards Cooper. The argument that good managers bring out the best out of each player is valid, but individual performances haven’t improved under Van Nistelrooy either.
Against Aston Villa, they weren’t clinical enough, and their abysmal streak of individual mistakes continued, with James Justin and Jordan Ayew’s misunderstanding leading to Villa’s winner.
Leicester’s improved tactical structure under the Dutchman and popularity amongst the fan base has led to fans holding players more accountable, which is much needed. The defence has been woeful, with Justin, in particular, looking like a shadow of the player he once was.
Fans must continue supporting the players
Importantly, while fans need to hold players accountable, we must be wary of over-criticising them. Holding the players accountable but showing support and belief that their performances will improve is the best we fans can do.
Half the season remains, and while there may be some January reinforcements, most of the starting lineup will keep getting game time until the end of the season. It’s essential to come together in this difficult time and believe Leicester City will escape relegation. And they don’t have to look far for inspiration, with the club having performed the Great Escape in the 2014-15 season.
