Obviously, Leicester City liked what they saw, to which they succumbed twice in the space of 12 days not too long ago.

That of Ruud van Nistelrooy four-game interim period has Manchester United was reserved by victories over Leicester, and now the Foxes are ready to hand him the reins. Its mission: to keep them in the Premier League.

This was apparently also Steve Cooper’s task, with the former Leicester boss left shocked by the time of his departurebut rumblings of falls and footage from the Leicester players’ Christmas party in Copenhagen was as loud as their recent flat screens.

No matter the disguises, including Bob the Builder, the Joker and Laa-Laa (the yellow Teletubbie), it was the “I miss you Enzo” sign – referring to former boss Enzo Maresca – held up near the players as they celebrated, which clearly showed their relationship with Cooper.

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Leicester City owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, known as ‘Top’, is said to exploded this week following Cooper’s dismissal and images of that Saturday night outing, less than 24 hours after their 2-1 defeat against Chelsea by Maresca.

But as always, while you can berate an entire team and berate them for their actions off the field and their performances on the pitch – the late penalty against Chelsea was their only shot on target – it’s much easier to change managers , and 48 years Old Van Nistelrooy should be appointed soon.

With Leicester 16th and a point above the relegation zone, this position would no doubt be welcome in May, provided there is a cushion away from the bottom three.

For that to be the case, Leicester will need to defy expectations in December after finishing their November at Brentford on Saturday.

Leicester host West Ham, Brighton, Wolves and Manchester City next month, with trips to Newcastle and Liverpool also making it three games against teams in the current top five and a six-pointer with other strugglers, but apparently improving, Wolves.

It’s a tough race, and Leicester clearly felt it was important to act now, especially if they had already identified Van Nistelrooy as the man to replace Cooper.

The international break looked like a time when West Ham or Crystal Palace could make a change, with Van Nistelrooy there for the takingbut the positive results of Julen Lopetegui and Oliver Glasner have since calmed the waters – for now – at these two London clubs.

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Leicester pounced, and it’s a move that is seen as a masterstroke from Van Nistelrooy, who wouldn’t have been in the conversation this summer but put himself in the spotlight by becoming one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants at Old Trafford.

There, Van Nistelrooy took no responsibility when the Ten Hag era collapsed, and he was then there to pick up the scraps and improve his CV, assuming the players would play ball.

And that’s what they did, so what Leicester players can expect is perhaps what they witnessed twice recently, when United won 5-2 and 3- 0 against the Foxes.

Van Nistelrooy did not make radical changes to his personnel, sticking to 4-2-3-1, but he was supported by a streak from Bruno Fernandes – four goals in four games – and a team that played as if a cloud had cleared.

Whether by chance or because they now had one of the Premier League’s most ruthless strikers at their helm, United were more effective in front of goal, scoring 10 of their 19 shots on target, compared to 21 goals on 82 shots. target under Ten Hag.

They also made more tackles (33) against Leicester than any previous league match this season, and played fewer long passes in their two league matches (22 each) under Van Nistelrooy than in any previous season. no matter any previous match this season under Ten Hag.

All of this indicates how Leicester could develop, and their attackers can certainly expect to learn a lot from the man who scored 95 Premier League goals in 150 appearances as a United player.

After learning the managerial trade under Guus Hiddink in the Netherlands, Van Nistelrooy’s attacking acumen then translated to his move to PSV Eindhoven, who he coached for the 2022-23 season without the last match – resigning following a dispute, citing “insufficient support”. within the club.

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PSV finished second behind Arne Slot’s Feyenoord that season, but finished the campaign as the Eredivisie’s top scorers.

They did this having had fewer shots than Feyenoord and Ajax, and in keeping with Van Nistelrooy’s fox-like qualities in the box as a player, only Ajax’s shots were shorter on average.

Jamie Vardy might therefore be rubbing his hands in anticipation, and under Van Nistelrooy, Leicester’s entire attack can expect to see an improvement, having been shy – they are 20th in shots in the Premier League – until ‘now this season.

It remains to be seen how Van Nistelrooy balances this with his defensive duties – his PSV have conceded more goals (40) than the other top six clubs this season – and so this certainly represents a gamble on Leicester’s part.

This will be Van Nistelrooy’s first permanent Premier League commitment, with silverware not the aim. It will be more back-to-the-wall than he’s ever experienced as a head coach, but a role just as good to turn down.

Keep Leicester up and he will boost his own credentials, and with a fall from relegation With more teams than initially expected, he has every chance to prove that his stock is on the rise.