“Ruud van Nistelrooy Should Drop 49-Touch Ace to Address Leicester City’s Major Issue – Opinion”
"Leicester City Suffers Another Defeat Under Ruud van Nistelrooy as Key Player’s Weakness is Exposed"
After a brief resurgence under Ruud van Nistelrooy, Leicester City has reverted to familiar struggles.
Despite a challenging fixture list over the winter period, their results remain a significant concern.
In their latest Premier League outing against Aston Villa this past Saturday, Leicester faced an opponent missing key players.
However, Unai Emery’s side still managed to secure a win.
Stephy Mavididi equalized for the Foxes shortly after the hour mark, but Leon Bailey’s 76th-minute goal sealed the victory for Villa.
Van Nistelrooy’s team now sits 19th in the Premier League standings after 20 games, with a dismal tally of just 14 points. Leicester’s most glaring issue this season has been their defense, conceding goals at an alarming rate.
Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have allowed more goals in the league during the 2024/25 campaign.
A particular vulnerability was exposed in the game against Aston Villa, especially concerning Mavididi’s defensive shortcomings.
While the backline has drawn much criticism, including another poor performance from James Justin, Van Nistelrooy’s forwards also need to contribute more defensively.
For Leicester to tighten up at the back, the Dutchman may need to reconsider Mavididi’s role in the starting lineup.
Mavididi has demonstrated flashes of quality in attack this season and even scored against Villa.
However, his defensive efforts remain inadequate, as underscored by his performance in the match.
In contrast, Jordan Ayew, operating on the opposite flank, won eight of his attempted ground duels, further highlighting Mavididi’s deficiencies in this area.
Although removing Mavididi from the lineup would sacrifice some attacking threat, defensive stability must take priority.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has a potential solution in Facundo Buonanotte.
Despite starting him on the bench against Villa, Van Nistelrooy has indicated the Argentine still has a role to play this season.
Introducing Buonanotte to the starting XI would allow for a positional adjustment, moving Bilal El Khannouss out wide to replace Mavididi.
El Khannouss, primarily a central midfielder, is more accustomed to tracking back and providing defensive support, which is crucial for a side struggling to contain opposing attacks.
While this change alone won’t resolve all of Leicester’s defensive problems, it addresses one of their key weaknesses.
Mavididi’s defensive limitations have been costly, and replacing him with a more balanced option like Buonanotte or El Khannouss could offer Leicester a better chance at improving their overall structure.
Leicester’s defensive woes are a collective issue, but individual adjustments like these might provide the foundation for recovery as Van Nistelrooy seeks to guide the Foxes out of the relegation zone.
