Ruud Van Nistelrooy, the new manager of Leicester City, has explained his tactical approach to Patson Daka and his teammates after officially taking charge of his first training session ahead of their midweek Premier League match against West Ham at the King Power Stadium tonight at 22:15 CAT.
The Foxes are 16th in the table, with 10 points from 14 matches, just above the relegation zone, while West Ham is 14th with 15 points.
Following the 4-1 setback to Brentford last weekend, Ruud promptly led two training sessions to detail his preparations for the forthcoming match.
Ruud said in a pre-match press conference that he intends to use a 4-4-2 formation, claiming that it will assist in putting pressure on the opponents, implying that he will play two strikers.
“The structure off the ball is a 4-4-2 where we’re looking to put pressure on opponents using different formations within that. But the basic structure is a 4-4-2. On the ball, there is a 3-4-3 that I liked to use at PSV, and also at United we were developing that.”
Ruud, who previously managed Manchester United on an interim basis, has urged the team to assert themselves against opponents, which is a move that echoes their approach under Enzo Maresco in the Championship.
“It’s something that has been very well developed here when Enzo [Maresca] came. That was obviously in the Championship, being much more dominant and having much more possession than in the Premier League, but it’s still structures and profiles of players that fit into those structures, and that’s the most important thing for me.
“I see that as an advantage, that I’m coming here used to working in and developing these structures and being able to translate it into the training pitch with exercises and drills. My sides, I’m thinking of one thing before I prepare for a game, and that’s winning it.”
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