‘The Task Ahead Is Big’ - Van Nistelrooy Speaks Pre-Chelsea

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‘The Task Ahead Is Big’ - Van Nistelrooy Speaks Pre-Chelsea

Ruud van Nistelrooy called upon Leicester City to thrive in the pressure of the current situation as we bid to haul ourselves towards safety.

2025-03-09T07:00+00:00

by Sam Jones

Published

09 Mar, 2025

‘The Task Ahead Is Big’ - Van Nistelrooy Speaks Pre-Chelsea

Ruud van Nistelrooy called upon Leicester City to thrive in the pressure of the current situation as we bid to haul ourselves towards safety.

Sam Jones

2025-03-09T07:00+00:00

‘The Task Ahead Is Big’ - Van Nistelrooy Speaks Pre-Chelsea

Ruud van Nistelrooy called upon Leicester City to thrive in the pressure of the current situation as we bid to haul ourselves towards safety.

Sam Jones

2025-03-09T07:00+00:00

‘The Task Ahead Is Big’ - Van Nistelrooy Speaks Pre-Chelsea

Ruud van Nistelrooy called upon Leicester City to thrive in the pressure of the current situation as we bid to haul ourselves towards safety.

Sam Jones

2025-03-09T07:00+00:00

‘The Task Ahead Is Big’ - Van Nistelrooy Speaks Pre-Chelsea

Ruud van Nistelrooy called upon Leicester City to thrive in the pressure of the current situation as we bid to haul ourselves towards safety.

Sam Jones

2025-03-09T07:00+00:00

The Premier League campaign continues at Chelsea on Sunday (2pm GMT kick-off), with the Foxes heading to Stamford Bridge sitting in 19th, following four consecutive defeats. That must be put to one side, the Dutchman believes, with plenty more points available in the remaining 11 games.

Speaking in Friday’s pre-match press conference, he addressed the media on an extended week of training, the challenge lying in wait in the capital and how he has worked on the mental side of the battle…

‘We use every second’

Moving on from last week's disappointment in east London.

There has been no time wasted at LCFC Training Ground with the Foxes not in action since last Thursday’s 2-0 reverse at West Ham United, offering a unique opportunity in the modern game to spend multiple sessions on the grass in succession, while also allowing a period of recovery.

“We had a long week with many days to work and obviously look at the West Ham game,” the 48-year-old commented, speaking to reporters. “I spoke after the game about the two halves we played and the mental effect it has on the team in the approach of games and how I think it should be worked on in all the aspects of the game to prepare for Sunday.

“You have to take advantage of this time and we had five sessions and five days together here including today and tomorrow to prepare for that game in the schedule. Every second, we use. We always do that, to work with the team.

“We have our planning on our development and on our game model and we prepare for the opponent. We look at all aspects of the game, offensive, defensive, transitions, set pieces and individual development of players. The week was planned as always.”

‘It’s a balance’

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea currently lie fifth in the table.

While Leicester have struggled to find the net on a regular basis of late, Chelsea, under the tutelage of former City Manager Enzo Maresca, boast the second best xG in the Premier League. The Blues come into this game off the back of a 2-1 victory in the UEFA Europa Conference League, beating FC København away from home.

Analysing the opposition, Van Nistelrooy said: “He (Maresca) knows the squad but with all the games, and how we are able to analyse the opponents, we have the information necessary to be prepared.

“Of course, we’ve prepared ourselves for Sunday and also with the game they played yesterday (Thursday), part of that will be readying for Sunday. I watched the game yesterday and it’s clear the squad that they have, the quality they have.

“The fight they are in now to qualify for the Champions League, we know the task ahead is big, but we’ll do everything possible to get a result. The game plan is a big part of it. We know Chelsea will have a lot of the ball. We have to be ready for that.

“We have to see what we can do on the break to create chances. We had a spell where we created quite a bit and couldn’t finish. Over the last period, we didn’t create as much as we wanted.

“We’ve also looked at more defensive organisation to be able to defend better and give less chances away. It’s a balance. If you go too offensive, you can concede more. If you go too defensive, you don’t create and that’s a challenge.”

‘The approach must be right’

Speaking to the media on Friday.

The psychological side of the game must be taken into account, according to van Nistelrooy, with City aiming to cut the five-point gap to 17th this weekend and end a worrying run of form by all standing up and being counted as individuals and a collective unit.

The former PSV Manager added: “The approach is how to approach the mental part. That is key because if you want to get the wins that are necessary, you have to not avoid losing. I understand that, in this situation, it’s a big part of it.

“You start at 0-0, you have a result in hand and if you want to protect that too much the initiative goes and it’s hard to get wins.

“Of course, you have to look at certain opponents and how much initiative you will show and how much you need to control games but that can be found in the approach and game plans. It’s important that the approach is right.

“The approach has always been to get the maximum out of a game and always plan to win in one way or the other. If you can’t win, you want to protect the result in the end. It depends how the game goes. In that sense, it’s a similar approach to Sunday as all the other games.

“Of course, you have to recover from a bad result and rise again but this time be capable of doing it. We are not the only team in this situation, dealing with loss after loss. More teams are doing that around us and we have to make sure we are ready for Sunday.

“It’s by being strong as a character. You have to be able to show your character in difficult times. You do everything you can and the result is the result and you evaluate and then you get up and go again.

“We’re in a situation where we all have to show our character and be resilient to this circumstance of conceding and loss after loss but still show the best for the team and the Club and keep pushing.

“That is a collective thing. You need to lead by example as a manager and coaches and the players in the dressing room the same and that’s what they show. They learn and want to do better and that’s what we do. As long as you do it together, that’s the thing.

“If we can go out there and give it a go and not to be too afraid, that’s the mental part I speak about and one of the biggest challenges... the reaction of the players, I see how they train, how they work, how they want to do well as an individual and as a team.

“They want to perform, they work hard and I don’t see a decrease in that mentality in training. For me that is a big sign.”

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