Pressing Issues

Manchester United legend turned Leicester boss Ruud Van Nilstelrooy saw his side through to victory in his first game in charge, as the Foxes climb further away from the relegation places.

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui was treated to a chorus of “your getting sacked in the morning” from his own supporters as the Hammers suffered their seventh Premier League defeat of the season.

Lopetegui’s Time Up?

Despite only arriving in East London in July this year, Julen Lopetegui will be aware that his job security is about as tight as West Ham’s defence.

With the Hammers sat in 14th place just 6 points above the relegation zone, the Spaniard has failed to win fans over, and has watched his side perform dramatically below par so far this season.

At the King Power Stadium, the away fans saw their side have 31 attempts at goal but fail to score until the 93rd minute, at which point summer signing Niklas Fullkrug’s first league goal was little consolation.

The fans’ chants towards Lopetegui made their feelings abundantly clear, but it appears that his future at the club “will be decided on Friday” according to Sky Sports.

The 58-year-old claimed after last night that “we deserved so much more. Playing football is not easy”.

To some extent, he has a point. West Ham accumulated over 3 expected goals, and it is arguably not the fault of the manager when forwards fail to convert this many chances.

But 4 wins in 14 league games cannot be justified – especially from fans who are desperate to see results.

West Ham face Wolves at home on Monday night in a game that, if he remains in the dugout, Lopetegui will feel he must win to avoid the sack.

Foxes Off To A Flyer

Ruud Van Nilstelrooy won’t be completely satisfied with his team’s defensive performance last night, but he will be thrilled to get his first English managerial job off to a winning start.

Jamie Vardy’s goal 2 minutes in had echoes of the forward’s form of the past: a great run off the last defender before slotting it past Lucasz Fabianki. Leicester created 7 big chances throughout the game and looked a threat almost every time they went forward.

However, Van Nilstelrooy will be concerned about the fact that they conceded 3.1 expected goals – and will be aware that if West Ham were more clinical, Leicester could have lost the game by some margin.

Yet given that he only took over from Steve Cooper last week, optimism should be rife among Leicester fans, and last night’s victory looks to have bolstered their hopes of staying in the Premier League this season.

Relegation Battle Heating Up

Last night’s result has taken Leicester to within touching distance of West Ham. They now sit 15th in the table, 4 points above the relegation places. Lopetegui’s side will also be aware of their proximity to the relegation zone.

Everton host Wolves this evening in a 17th vs 18th fixture which will feel like a must win for Wolves manager Gary O’Neil, who has come under scrutiny over his job security in recent weeks.

Wolves then travel to the London Stadium on Monday night to face what could be considered a December ‘El Sackico’ – a term used to describe a game where both manager’s jobs are under threat.

Leicester have a tough test hosting Brighton on Sunday, but Van Nilstelrooy will be aware of the need to continue this good start to avoid being dragged into the bottom 3.

With the sheer volume of football in December, the next few weeks will likely be pivotal in the Premier League relegation fight.