“Take a chance”: Ex-Leicester City star urges Ruud van Nistelrooy to drop £30,000-a-week player for sidelined ace
Leicester City will be eager to secure a positive result against Aston Villa this week.
Leicester City made a promising start under Ruud van Nistelrooy earlier this month, securing four points from two games and moving away from the relegation zone.
However, their fortunes have taken a sharp downturn over the festive period, with the team dropping to 19th place.
The Foxes have now lost four consecutive matches, conceding a concerning 12 goals in the process, which leaves them with the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League heading into the latest round of fixtures.
While no Leicester defender has been without blame for the team’s struggles, James Justin’s performances have been particularly poor.
Justin was the lowest-rated player in the 3-0 defeat to relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month, but his problems go beyond this match.
Even before Van Nistelrooy’s arrival, Justin was heavily criticized by Leicester fans for his role in the team’s 4-1 loss to Brentford, where he was at fault for several of the goals conceded.
Former Leicester player Matt Piper has now called for Van Nistelrooy to drop Justin, who reportedly earns £30,000 a week, and give Hamza Choudhury a chance.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Piper said: “James Justin has shown he can perform at Premier League level, but right now he’s in a bad moment.
We’ve seen poor touches and his decision-making is off.
I’m convinced he’s only in the team because there isn’t another real option at right-back. I’d give Hamza Choudhury a chance. A player in form could bring more confidence to the team.”
However, while it’s clear Justin’s form has dipped, Choudhury’s situation is also complicated.
Despite being at Leicester for nearly a decade, Choudhury has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter.
This season, he’s played just 130 minutes of Premier League football across four appearances.
His one and only league start this season, against Newcastle, was poor, as he failed to make a single tackle in an hour on the pitch.
So, while it’s evident that Justin should not be an automatic starter for Leicester, Choudhury, a natural midfielder, may not be the ideal replacement for him at right-back.
The club will likely need to consider other options to address their defensive issues if they are to avoid further struggles in the second half of the season.
