Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy described his team’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Wednesday as the “lowest moment” of his tenure, as the struggling Foxes remain entrenched in the Premier League relegation zone.
Despite creating several chances at the King Power Stadium, Leicester failed to convert, allowing Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marc Guehi to seal victory for the visitors. This marked Leicester’s sixth consecutive league loss, leaving them second from bottom and two points adrift of safety after 21 matches.
Van Nistelrooy, who took over after Steve Cooper’s sacking, acknowledged the disappointment but maintained hope. “There’s hope there, the spirit is there, but today is a big blow,” he admitted.
“This is the lowest we’ve felt so far in my time here. We had high hopes of proving ourselves today with both points and a performance.”
The Dutchman, previously interim manager at Manchester United and former boss at PSV Eindhoven, has struggled to ignite a turnaround at Leicester in their first season back in the Premier League.
Leicester’s finishing woes were evident against Palace, despite some promising build-up play. “These games are decided in both final thirds,” Van Nistelrooy said. “We are able to create, but we have to start finishing them. In the key moments, we’re not there to pull the trigger.”
While the team was booed off at full-time, Van Nistelrooy insisted he still felt support from fans. “It’s up to us to turn this negative cycle around and bring hope back into the fans’ hearts and minds,” he said.
Leicester’s dismal form—just three wins in 21 league games—leaves them teetering on the brink of an immediate return to the Championship. However, Van Nistelrooy remains optimistic about their survival chances.
“We kept spirits up after five losses, and we will do it after today’s loss,” he added.
