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Why disgruntled Leicester City chant means more as Ruud van Nistelrooy's unusual plan pays off

Ruud van Nistelrooy shows appreciation to the Leicester City fans after the 6-2 victory over QPR
-Credit:Michael Regan/Getty Images


The first half of the plan has paid off. Leicester City will know if the second half has come to fruition at around 9:25pm on Wednesday night.

Ruud van Nistelrooy had two routes he could take for the FA Cup third round. He could have rested his regulars and fielded a weaker team. It would have made progression a more difficult task, to the point of risking a sixth straight defeat, but would have allowed second-string players to improve their fitness and, most importantly, kept the starters fresh for a huge Premier League game at home to Crystal Palace in midweek.

Instead, he took the second available approach, playing as strong a team as possible. It made victory more likely, offering a greater chance at a confidence boost. But it also risked injury, a potentially damaging blow to morale in the event of a defeat, and tiredness on Wednesday evening.

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In opting for the second choice, van Nistelrooy took the road less travelled. It arguably shouldn’t be this way, but it is now unusual for a Premier League team to play their strongest line-up in the FA Cup, especially at home to a lower-league side.

From Thursday to Saturday, there were eight other Premier League sides who played at home against EFL clubs, and they made an average of eight changes to their line-ups. All of them made at least six changes, double the amount van Nistelrooy made. Even then, of those three City swaps, one was enforced by injury while the other two saw players come into the line-up that most fans feel are stronger than those they replaced.

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes suggested van Nistelrooy’s line-up was a mark of respect for both the competition and for his side. That’s possibly partially true. Van Nistelrooy did speak effusively about the FA Cup in midweek, having lifted the trophy with Manchester United, while QPR are one of the Championship’s in-form sides.

But really this was a show of respect for the importance of confidence and development. Van Nistelrooy knows his team are still in the infancy of his reign, where the strides from week to week are bigger than they would be two or three years down the line. He believes one extra game playing to his plan will help his players come Palace.

Plus, while belief in the ranks should have been improving after recent decent performances, a win is needed to really kickstart the good feeling. Van Nistelrooy used QPR as proof of that. They went 13 games without a win from mid-September to mid-November. When they finally tasted victory, it began a run of six wins in 10, and just one defeat. They rose from bottom of the Championship table to 13th.

But given it was a Premier League side at home to a Championship outfit, and therefore given the expectations, City needed their win to be emphatic for it to have that positive impact. Thankfully, it was just that, but only after the second half.

For large parts of the first period, they were second best, QPR controlling the game. But after the break, it was really comfortable. City dominated, barely giving the visitors a sniff.

And they finished with a handsome scoreline that should leave them buoyed ahead of Palace. If they now go on and produce another confident showing and claim the three points, then van Nistelrooy’s plan will have undoubtedly paid off.

If they produce a good performance that goes unrewarded, it would be frustrating, but it would be difficult to deny that the manager had the right idea. But if they look leggy and fall to a sixth straight Premier League loss, then maybe it will have to be admitted that the plan backfired. As things stand, they’re halfway to it coming off.

Van Nistelrooy's favourite goal could mean its third time lucky

This is the third time Bilal El Khannouss and Facundo Buonanotte have started together under van Nistelrooy, and on each occasion the consensus has been that it’s a duo City should stick with. After each of the first two matches they played together, Buonanotte has then been dropped. Perhaps it will be third time lucky.

Despite van Nistelrooy’s explanations that it’s a tactical decision to play Jordan Ayew over Buonanotte, praising the Ghanaian’s experience and leadership, City have been more flowing as an attacking unit when they have combined the talents of El Khannouss and their on-loan Argentinian. They can both weave out of tight spaces, they can both play intricate through balls, and they both get City attacking at speed.

Maybe this Wednesday will be the game where van Nistelrooy sticks with the duo. He dropped a hint that he might.

City scored six goals at home for the first time in 12 years and van Nistelrooy named the third as the pick of the bunch. That was a move that saw Buonanotte spread play, El Khannouss latch on to Stephy Mavididi’s through ball and then clip up a perfect cross for the onrushing Argentinian to leap up and head in.

“The third goal I enjoyed the most,” van Nistelrooy said. “It was a great move with a lot of movement and co-ordination that we try to work on. When things come off like that, it’s a great satisfaction.

“Both players are young, very talented and gifted. Two assists for Bilal and Facundo with a goal and an assist on the free-kick, for them it was a productive day as well.”

If van Nistelrooy wants more of the same, he knows what he has to do against Palace. Fans will be very happy if he follows through.

Justin's goals mean little in bid to keep out new signing

While van Nistelrooy has not tended to sugarcoat performances, he is protective of his players. He did not hide that an individual error had cost City at Aston Villa last weekend, but he did dance around naming James Justin as the culprit, despite hinting that he felt the right-back was at fault.

Since the booing of Danny Ward, van Nistelrooy has been alert to fan perceptions of players and he’s aware that Justin has come in for criticism from supporters. And so he was keen to praise the right-back after his brace against QPR.

But while van Nistelrooy said the goals contributed to an all-around great showing, that did overlook a few moments in the first half where Justin was beaten by the tricky Ilias Chair. That has been his problem.

Justin’s stamina and his endeavour to get forward has never been in question. It’s his defending that’s been under fire. He has not been as poor as many of his detractors may think, but he has struggled at times in one-on-ones.

That’s going to be the test for Wolo Coulibaly if he does indeed arrive as City’s first January signing. Talks have been held with Parma over the 25-year-old, and a deal looks on.

But while the numbers suggest he’s an excellent ball carrier, highlight reels and data sets don’t tend to show how good a defender a player is. So much of being a strong part of a backline is positioning off the ball and the communication and understanding with the rest of the defence. That’s what Justin is judged on and it will be the same for Coulibaly.

Disgruntled Rudkin chant means more in big week

Usually when City fans call for director of football Jon Rudkin to leave the club, it comes in defeats, when there is already upset and anger in the stands. But on Saturday, it came in victory, and as such probably means more.

Even when their team are earning a rare victory, just their fifth in all competitions this season, supporters still chose to show their level of disgruntlement towards the regime. Even when they had the distraction of six goals going in, they focused their attention on the club's decision-makers. And it could get worse.

This is a big week for those in the hierarchy. City should learn in the next few days if they have been charged with a breach of Profit and Sustainability Rules for last season. If they are, it will only harshen the scrutiny of those at the top.

It would damage the club’s survival chances in a number of ways. Not only would a points deduction be a huge blow as far as the table goes, but the negativity around the hierarchy would then hurt the atmosphere at the King Power too. It won’t be conducive to getting the results City need to stay up.

Don't rule out FA Cup glory yet

While there’s been a focus on how Saturday’s FA Cup could be useful for City’s Premier League hopes, the hope will be that by the time they reach the later rounds, the competition can be important in its own right. If they do pick up the wins that ease their relegation trouble, then the FA Cup has to be something the club strive to win.

They have lifted the trophy now and their record as the competition’s bridesmaid is no more. But that 2021 success came almost exclusively behind-closed-doors. They still need to win it in front of fans.

By the date of the fourth round, City won’t be out of trouble, no matter how well the next few weeks go. But who knows what the table will look like by the following rounds. Let’s not rule City totally out of contention.

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