Ruud van Nistelrooy said Leicester City had endured a “difficult night” but was guarded about his future after overseeing a record-breaking defeat in the Foxes’ 3-0 home thrashing by Newcastle on Monday.
Leicester became the first team in English Football League history to lose eight successive home league matches without scoring and are 15 points from safety with 21 to play for after an eighth straight top-flight defeat.
“There are no questions,” Van Nistelrooy replied when he was asked by Sky Sports whether he was considering his position.
“But it’s dealing with this setback, another one. That’s what I can say. This is a difficult night, especially with the run of form we’re in. It’s important to analyse this and sleep on it and recover from it. That is it for now.”
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Van Nistelrooy sacking ‘imminent’
Speaking on a day when Ivan Juric left Southampton less than 24 hours after the Saints were relegated, former England defender Jamie Carragher predicted that Van Nistelrooy would leave “probably as soon as it becomes official” that they will be making an immediate return to the Championship.
“We know that’s imminent – I’m sure they’ll make a change,” said Carragher. “They have to start planning for next season and I don’t think Ruud will be the manager there. I don’t think he’d expect to be.
“There’s something not right – whether it’s the decisions they’ve made managerial-wise, investment in the squad – something is not right at that football club to put in a performance like that this season.
“To perform the way they have this season in the Premier League has been embarrassing.”
“It’s very worrying.”
Ruud van Nistelrooy reacts to Leicester’s loss against Newcastle, and his commitment to the playing the same XI 💬 pic.twitter.com/gH5AkGwCAN
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 7, 2025
Ruud van Nistelrooy stats
Van Nistelrooy’s first senior managerial job came at PSV, leading the Dutch side to second in the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup glory in 2022-23 before resigning a year into his three-contract, citing a lack of support from the club.
The former Manchester United top scorer was appointed as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistant coaches at Old Trafford last July and replaced the sacked manager on October 28.
Van Nistelrooy’s tally of four points from two games was as many as Ten Hag gained across his final four matches, while he also guided United to their first Europa League win this season – 2-0 at home to PAOK – and a 5-2 home victory over Leicester to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
The 48-year-old’s final game in charge was a 3-0 home win over Leicester on November 10, making way when Ruben Amorim took charge and succeeding Steve Cooper at City on November 29.
Leicester became the first side in Football League history to lose EIGHT home games in a row without scoring 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xOo2NMkB8H
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 7, 2025
Cooper, who guided Nottingham Forest to the Premier League and kept them up in his final full season in charge in 2022/23, had only been installed the previous June and had guided Leicester above the bottom three, although fans did not enjoy his playing style.
Leicester lost 4-1 at Brentford the day after Van Nistelrooy arrived but then beat West Ham 3-1 at home and recovered from 2-0 behind to draw 2-2 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.
A 2-1 win at Tottenham on January 26 is the only occasion in 16 league games when they have avoided defeat since then, while they beat second-tier QPR 6-2 at home in the FA Cup before being knocked out with a 2-1 loss at Old Trafford.
Leicester relegation ‘meek’
“When Steve Cooper lost his job, he was an experienced manager who had kept Nottingham Forest up,” argued Carragher.
“Leicester made a difficult start but an expected one this season. As a promoted team, you’re not going to find it easy. They weren’t actually in the relegation zone when they changed the manager.
Leicester fans have seen enough of the first half at the King Power Stadium 🫣 pic.twitter.com/DrE4LfHall
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 7, 2025
“Leicester had only been in the Championship for one season. They won the Premier League in 2016. They probably have the best training ground in the whole country.
“The infrastructure of that club is a Premier League club… [not] a club that would have expected to go down and go down as meekly as they have.”
Leicester vs Newcastle
Leicester were 2-0 behind to two Jacob Murphy goals inside the opening 11 minutes against Newcastle, who moved fifth and scored a third through Harvey Barnes in the 34th minute at the King Power Stadium.
“It’s clear where it went wrong – very early in the game, again,” rued Van Nistelrooy. “If you look at the goals carefully, we could have done better on all three.
“Far too easily!” 🫣
Boos all around the King Power as Jacob Murphy gives Newcastle an early lead ◾️◽️ pic.twitter.com/fxi3vC4vS5
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 7, 2025
“You can see the duel we miss [for the opener] and we were in a good position at the back post but didn’t clear the ball.
“For the second and third, we lose the ball in positions where we can’t lose it. Then Newcastle are deadly on the counter-attack and they finished off the game very quickly.”
Leicester travel to ninth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (15:00), meeting the last Premier League team to concede at the King Power Stadium when the Seagulls drew 2-2 there on December 8.
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