‘Show What We’re About’ - Van Nistelrooy Ahead Of Palace Bout

Next Match | Saturday 18 April Sat 18 Apr

POR

(A)

00 D

17 H

04 M

48 S

Interviews & Features

Heritage

Photos

‘Show What We’re About’ - Van Nistelrooy Ahead Of Palace Bout

Ruud van Nistelrooy wants his Leicester City team to embrace the pressure which comes their way in our upcoming battles with Crystal Palace and Fulham.

2025-01-15T07:00+00:00

by Sam Jones

Published

15 Jan, 2025

‘Show What We’re About’ - Van Nistelrooy Ahead Of Palace Bout

Ruud van Nistelrooy wants his Leicester City team to embrace the pressure which comes their way in our upcoming battles with Crystal Palace and Fulham.

Sam Jones

2025-01-15T07:00+00:00

‘Show What We’re About’ - Van Nistelrooy Ahead Of Palace Bout

Ruud van Nistelrooy wants his Leicester City team to embrace the pressure which comes their way in our upcoming battles with Crystal Palace and Fulham.

Sam Jones

2025-01-15T07:00+00:00

‘Show What We’re About’ - Van Nistelrooy Ahead Of Palace Bout

Ruud van Nistelrooy wants his Leicester City team to embrace the pressure which comes their way in our upcoming battles with Crystal Palace and Fulham.

Sam Jones

2025-01-15T07:00+00:00

‘Show What We’re About’ - Van Nistelrooy Ahead Of Palace Bout

Ruud van Nistelrooy wants his Leicester City team to embrace the pressure which comes their way in our upcoming battles with Crystal Palace and Fulham.

Sam Jones

2025-01-15T07:00+00:00

The Foxes’ first assignment of a King Power Stadium double-header this week sees the Eagles visit Filbert Way in a 7:30pm GMT kick-off on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media two days prior, the Dutchman reflected on the lessons learned from Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round success over Queens Park Rangers and how he has looked to shape the identity of the team in order to give the best possible chance of success this season.

‘Be at our best’

An FA Cup victory last time out.

Back-to-back home games provide an opportunity to reverse recent league form, with the Blue Army’s backing a key factor in any positive result, van Nistelrooy believes, following five-straight Premier League defeats.

“It’s clear after those games we said that we want to continue the performances into the FA Cup and I think it showed progress in different areas,” the Manager assessed in his pre-match press briefing.

“Of course, before the FA Cup draw, it was a team in form, eight games [unbeaten] and it was going to be a difficult opponent. After the game it was only a Championship team. but that’s how things go.

“I think our performance was good, but also we addressed the individual mistakes that we have to cut out of our game. We don’t get away with those against Premier League opposition.

“They still occurred in both QPR goals, so we have to do better there. We know where we are in the league and what is necessary to get out. We are looking to be at our best in the coming games.

“Every game, you’d rather play bad and be lucky and win. That’s the short-term point. That’s what you need. I think in the long-term, you need to do better as a team and perform and play better to maximise the capabilities of your players.

“That is what we want to show in the next two games. It’s not that Wednesday is more important than Saturday for us. All of the remaining fixtures are so important to get points. That’s the only way that it keeps you in this league.

“The pressure is fantastic on those games. You have to embrace it and be happy that you are able to show what you’ve got as a team and an individual in these moments. They are key moments and every game in this league is a key moment.

“Every second we are in this league, we have to be ready and happy that we are there and that we’re competing and showing who we are. It’s a fantastic challenge these two home games.

“It’s very important that we show what we’re about and what we want and how bad we want this and that will reflect to the stands. We’ve seen that before. I was at the Brentford away game just a couple of days before I started in the job here and it was hard. The connection at the time between the team and the away fans.

“Then it quickly in the West Ham and Brighton games. I felt we were very well supported in all the games after and the reaction was there from the crowd, but it’s our responsibility to keep that going and that’s what we want to do.”

‘A great challenge’

The Austrian took charge in February 2024.

Oliver Glasner’s side will arrive in Leicester having not suffered a league defeat on the road since losing out to Nottingham Forest in mid-October, resulting in the south London club moving clear of the bottom three.

Van Nistelrooy identified that their threats lie all over the pitch, not just in forward areas, with only Everton conceding fewer goals in the bottom half of the table.

He analysed: “Of course, their recent away form [is good], but a game is football is never the same. I look at their squad, their players, the qualities that they have within the team from back to front and that is a very good Premier League side. We have to be aware of that.

“They have very strong centre-backs, very good wing-backs and players up front who can change the game in a matter of seconds. In that sense, it’s going to be a tough one for us. We want to compete, we want to do well, show what we’re about and show our game and it’s a great challenge for Wednesday.

“We have to be really good on the ball because of the strength they have in defence and how solid they are and how strong they are on the break and we have to control that. We know they have players up front and full-backs who are very dangerous.”

‘Character and quality’

Overseeing preparations in Seagrave.

Van Nistelrooy, a two-time winner of La Liga, as well as lifting all four domestic titles during his time in England, also spoke about building the mentality within the squad and adapting to the situations which present themselves throughout the season.

“The players are the identity,” the 48-year-old explained. “To get the maximum out of your players is the main job of the manager. In that sense, I just want my team to play as well as they can. I believe and I see that it can go hand in hand - my identity as a manager and also with the player profiles we have, it suits. We’re building with that.

“I see the character and quality in players that are here. That’s the most important thing. I also said when I signed that I believe it is possible with this squad to stay in. Of course, you need some luck.

“Losing [Mads] Hermansen and [Abdul] Fatawu were big blows to us but we have to adjust and find ways. We want to continue and show over the last six weeks that we work together and that we are making steps in the right direction to turn performances into points within our identity that we want to be, and that is what the players are doing.

“It’s very interesting to notice that if you’re trying and win a league or win a cup, you’re trying to get the maximum out of yourself as an individual and the team. It’s similar in the other end of the table, because there’s a lot of pressure on winning a title or a final or playing for your country in a World Cup.

“It’s doesn’t change those behaviours every day of getting the best out of yourself in a certain approach of how the game is played that gets the maximum out of the squad and our players.

“I started my first three seasons in the Dutch Championship and we were fighting relegation with Den Bosch. Later I was lucky to make it to [Manchester] United and [Real] Madrid and trying to win a Premier League and a La Liga and represent these clubs in the Champions League and my country.

“The principle of professional sport is getting the best out of yourself week in, week out and on a daily basis in training. That is everywhere, it doesn’t matter where you are in football or sport.”

LATEST HEADLINES

Vote Now: LCFC End Of Season Awards Our supporters can now vote in a number of categories for our annual Leicester City End of Season Awards.

2 Hours 55 Mins Ago

Abdul Fatawu Nominated For EFL Goal Of The Season Abdul Fatawu’s stunning 65-yard strike in our 3-1 win over Ipswich Town in December has been shortlisted for EFL Goal of the Season.

3 Hours 25 Mins Ago

From The Archives - Arthur Chandler’s Shirt Crests Our all-time record goalscorer, Arthur Chandler, began his professional career at Queens Park Rangers in September 1920.

8 Hours 45 Mins Ago

Rowett: James & Ramsey Assessed Pre-Pompey Gary Rowett revealed that Jordan James and Aaron Ramsey are being monitored prior to our trip to Portsmouth.

16 Apr, 2026