New manager’s instant connection with fans stood in stark contrast to the forlorn, isolated figure in West Ham’s dugout
Ninety-eight seconds. That was all that was required for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City reign to get up and running. Jamie Vardy’s opener offered an early snapshot of Leicester in Van Nistelrooy’s image, too. Victor Kristiansen, hugging the left touchline, squared the ball to Bilal El Khannouss, who freed Leicester’s No 9, head down, open for business in the left channel. Vardy, wearing garish pink boots, stroked a timeless right-foot finish into the far corner.
After a VAR check, he clinked into celebration mode, chuntering towards the away fans giving him grief. Even before Patson Daka made it 3-0 with stoppage time looming, the same supporters switched their attention to their manager. “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” came the chant. Julen Lopetegui, ashen-faced at the final whistle, will do well to survive this grisly defeat. Lopetegui combed his hand through his hair, his whirring mind in overdrive, under pressure. Welcome back to the brutal world of frontline management, Ruud.
Written by Ben Fisher at the King Power Stadium
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/03/van-nistelrooys-effect-on-leicester-highlights-depth-of-lopeteguis-plight under the title “
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