Ruud van Nistelrooy led Leicester City to Premier League victory on Sunday afternoon against Tottenham Hotspur – and it was dually needed.
Leicester have crept out of the relegation zone with three points against Spurs, thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss.
Leicester fought valiantly against Spurs with some standout performers, but credit also has to go to the Foxes manager.
Ruud van Nistelrooy was the mastermind behind the victory – and one tactical tweak he made ensured Leicester made it over the line.
Ruud van Nistelrooy explains tactical change against Tottenham
The last 10 minutes of the fixture were nailbiting, to say the least for Leicester fans. Tottenham provided a barrage of attacks, but could not penetrate the Foxes’ defence.
Speaking to PLP in his post-match press conference, Van Nistelrooy identified the tactical change he made which ultimately helped Leicester secure all three points.
He said: “The last 10 minutes we switched to 5-3-2, we had to because Tottenham were going with everyone forward. We managed to survive.
“The effort, the dedication, the blocks and the clearances, the tactics we made it was a joy to watch. It got us a massive three points away from home.”
Whilst the Leicester players did the hard work on the pitch, Van Nistelrooy was the brains of it – which fans acknowledged.
With Van Nistelrooy’s future under question, it was a vital three points, and it’s safe to say he was delighted.
Van Nistelrooy praises his Leicester players
The Dutchman gave credit to his Foxes squad after the game for the way they performed against Ange Poistecoglou’s side.
“The performance was excellent, the shape and the way the players were defending together.
“On the ball, we tried to play like we always try. We went behind but the way the team reacted to going 1-0 down, they took the ball and started to play.
At half time they were calm and the way they came out of the dressing room was tremendous. I think that won us the game in the end.
“The players also feel we are improving. They feel the way we want to play suits them. We will keep pushing to do these things. The players are buying into it. I can only be very proud of this team.”
Ruud will be hoping for another top-quality performance from his players as they take on fellow relegation candidates Everton in a weeks time.