- Leicester have won just two league matches since Van Nistelrooy’s appointment
- The Foxes will be relegated to the Championship if they fail to beat Liverpool
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Should Marcus Rashford leave Man United to spearhead Aston Villa’s attack?
Roy Keane has savaged Leicester City, managed by his former Manchester United teammate Ruud van Nistelrooy, for their failure to improve under the Dutchman.
The Irishman claimed that the Foxes, who must beat Premier League table toppers Liverpool to stand any chance of avoiding an immediate return to the second tier, already ‘look like a Championship team’.
Van Nistelrooy, who played alongside Keane during an illustrious period at Old Trafford in the early 2000s, was appointed on two-and-a-half year deal in November but has won just two league matches since arriving in the east Midlands.
The Foxes recently broke a top-flight record for successive defeats without scoring a goal.
Keane believes the Foxes are doomed and he criticised the squad for showing ‘no reaction’ after Van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper.
‘It’s been tough for Leicester this season,’ Keane said on Sky Sports. ‘It’s been tough for Ruud since he’s come in, there are big problems, particularly at home, they can’t score a goal. Defensively, they look so weak. They look like a Championship side.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has won just two league matches since his appointment as Leicester boss in November
The Foxes will be relegated to the Championship if they fail to beat Liverpool on Sunday afternoon
Roy Keane savaged the Foxes for their failure to show a reaction after Van Nistelrooy’s appointment
‘They must be low on confidence, no self-belief, I think there will be players in that dressing room that Leicester will be dreading (facing), particularly if Liverpool start quickly and score an early goal.
‘It’ll be a tough afternoon for Leicester, they’ve been up against it all season, obviously they changed their manager, there’s been no real reaction to Ruud coming in. They’re up against it.’
Earlier this month, fissures in the Leicester dressing camp were laid bare by a report that Van Nistelrooy had axed one of his senior players after the midfielder refused to compromise on his 100-mile commute to training.
The Dutchman was reportedly involved in a heated confrontation with former England international Harry Winks after he rejected a request to stay overnight once a week at the Foxes’ training ground in north Leicestershire.
According to The Telegraph, Winks, 29, is one of three senior Leicester players who travel more than 90 miles every day to the club’s Seagrave training base.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl is a possible target for relegation-threatened Leicester should Van Nistelrooy leave in the summer.
Asked about his future in March, Van Nistelrooy said: ‘I signed a contract for two more years after this one.
‘I was aware when I arrived what the challenge was and how difficult it could be. I was aware of that and committed to that future.’
But should he and Leicester part ways, Mail Sport understands Rohl would be prominent in the club’s thoughts. The German has done a fine job at Wednesday, steering them to safety last season in his first senior role.
