Honest Leicester assessment by van Nistelrooy needs to go further | OneFootball

Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is in a tough position. His side is not playing well. And he's trying to also offer hope. This will be increasingly necessary when the summer transfer window potentially sees many seeking better situations for themselves at other clubs.

Regardless of the line that he is trying to tiptoe, the West Ham post-game remarks aren't strong enough. Naturally, he possesses a calm demeanor. The moment is also likely being used to ensure the LFC higher-ups that they aren't witnessing a complete disaster. In other words, his remarks also serve to attempt to reassure the club that he is the right person for the job.

Unfortunately for him, everyone is witnessing the events unfold in real time. This notion that it was a tale of two halves isn't accurate. RvN correctly pointed out the sluggish start. Another poor start doomed the Foxes from the get-go.

The second set of 45 minutes wasn't too much better. Especially as the losing side, the onus was on Leicester to claw back. They needed to not be satisfied with not losing the second half. Instead, they needed to put in a true effort to force a result on the road. Instead, it was the Hammers who looked the more likely to score.

Patience and optimism are wrong messages for Leicester right now

Furthermore, the 19th-placed Premier League team only looked like they belonged in the Championship, but they didn't seem particularly interested in attempting to salvage their current Premier League status.

Therefore, van Nistelrooy's words following the Thursday match are more than disingenuous:

Graham Potter's men held the lead. The hosts dictated the terms of the game. What's more, they looked comfortable keeping hold and maintaining the three-point performance.

There wasn't anything that suggested a positive trajectory for the Foxes. At least not in the EPL. Worry about the future at a later point in time. RvN is currently managing a team in the best league in the world. And too often his side not only looks outclassed, but the squad as a whole looks disinterested.

It's understandable what the manager is trying to say and why he went with the given approach. It ultimately doesn't serve anyone in the club to have a fake image of what happened. There were better moments later compared to earlier on. However, the standard for Leicester cannot be to simply avoid making catastrophic mistakes.