Ruud van Nistelrooy has described Leicester City’s humbling 4-0 loss to Newcastle United as part of his team’s ongoing “development.”
The Foxes were dismantled at St James’ Park, with Jacob Murphy bagging a brace, while Bruno Guimarães and Alexander Isak also found the net.
It was a sobering experience for Van Nistelrooy, who had begun his tenure with a victory over West Ham and a draw with Brighton.
Speaking to BBC Sport, the Dutchman highlighted the early days of his management stint, having taken over just two weeks ago on December 1.
“It’s a great game to look back, but it’s been only two weeks together. It was very positive to get four points against West Ham and Brighton at home,” he said.
“But this one went the other way. We are still reflecting, learning and building something together.
“We will use this game for the development of the team. It was hard. It was 1-0 at half-time. We were a bit lucky not to be down by more goals.”
Leicester’s frailty at set-pieces proved costly, conceding three of the four goals from dead-ball situations.
The visitors were also overwhelmed by Newcastle’s relentless intensity, allowing Eddie Howe’s side 27 shots on goal while mustering just four in response.
“It’s costly when you concede in such standard set-piece situations. Then it was going to be hard to turn it around,” Van Nistelrooy admitted.
“We know how intense Newcastle players are and the intensity in which they play. A lot of the chances they created were from our ball losses, and they got quick in the counter-attack.
“We kept going and trying, but we have to take this one on the chin and move on.”
The defeat leaves Leicester in a precarious position, sitting 16th in the Premier League table and just two points clear of the relegation zone.
Van Nistelrooy’s side will look to bounce back when they host Wolves at the King Power Stadium next Sunday. Wolves, under pressure themselves, have only managed two wins in their last 15 matches.
