Ruud Van Nistelrooy said that he has already started making changes at Leicester City as he prepares for his first game in charge against West Ham.
The former striker joined the Foxes only days after leaving his interim role at Manchester United and replaced Steve Cooper, who was in charge of only 15 matches in all competitions.
Leicester go into Van Nistelrooy's first game sitting 16th with 10 points from 13 matches, after a 4-1 defeat to Brentford under caretaker boss Ben Dawson on Saturday.
"In two days it's difficult to make a lot of changes, but we have started to make changes in the style of play, training sessions, structure, little by little, starting to build a foundation of a highly motivated team who can compete in this league," the new Leicester boss said.
"I had a meeting with the players, and it was the first thing to address - the situation we're in, the challenge that we face, and what's necessary to get out of that situation."
West Ham, in 14th place, also find themselves in a spot of bother after a 5-2 defeat to second-placed Arsenal last time and Julen Lopetegui will be hoping to collect some valuable points off Leicester, who are two berths below them.
But the under-pressure Spanish tactician is aware that a new manager will provide a spring in Leicester's step at the King Power Stadium.
"I think that Ruud is a very good manager. He has shown this before in the teams he has worked in, and he has experience in the Premier League,” Lopetegui said.
“We have to be ready, because I am sure the challenge is going to be very tough and demanding. That extra step and energy which happens when a new coach arrives is always important," the Hammers boss said.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Leicester - Facundo Buonanotte
No player has been involved in more goals for Leicester in the Premier League this season than 19-year-old Facundo Buonanotte, who is tied with captain Jamie Vardy on four goals and two assists.
The Argentine netted in both of Leicester's wins this season and was also on the scoresheet in the defeat to Brentford on Saturday.
West Ham - Jarrod Bowen
With eight goals and seven assists, Jarrod Bowen has been involved in 15 goals in his last 18 league appearances against promoted sides.
The West Ham captain has also had a hand in five goals in five league starts against Leicester (three goals and two assists). The 27-year-old already has three goals and three assists in the league this season.
MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN
West Ham will be favourites as they make the trip to the King Power Stadium to face a Leicester side, who are only one point clear of safety and are the risk of dropping straight back into the Championship.
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League games against promoted sides (W10 D2) with a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in 2022 their last defeat against a newcomer.
The visitors will also be boosted by the ending of a run of four away league games without a win (D2 L2) with a 2-0 victory against Newcastle United at St James' Park on 25 November.
They also did not lose any of their five midweek league fixtures last season (W2 D3), with both those wins coming in away matches.
Leicester, meanwhile, have kept just one clean sheet in their last 19 home league games and have conceded the opening goal in 17 of those 19 games (W4 D4 L11).
LIVE WIN PROBABILITY
West Ham win - 45.8%
Leicester win - 29.5%
Draw - 24.7%
Salah clearly doesn't want to leave Liverpool – Wright-Phillips
Mohamed Salah clearly does not want to leave Liverpool despite recent comments made in public, according to Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The Egypt international is due to be out of contract at the end of the season and confirmed last week a new deal has yet to be offered.
Liverpool great Jamie Carragher called Salah "selfish" for speaking out on his future, but Wright-Phillips does not believe he did anything wrong.
"Personally, I think if you're doing an interview, and you're asked a question and you feel like answering it, there's nothing wrong with that," he told Stats Perform.
"For me, this is on Liverpool. Why would you wait so long to address one of the greatest players we've seen in the Premier League? Why wouldn't you make it clear that you want him to stay?
"I think Salah is trying to nudge them into action, to let them know he's ready and waiting. He wants clarity on his future because it's open right now."
Salah assisted Cody Gakpo's opener and converted a penalty in Sunday's 2-0 win over City, meaning he has now scored and assisted in 36 different Premier League games – the joint-most by a player in the competition's history, equalling Wayne Rooney's record.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Salah again implied he expects this to be the last of his eight seasons at Anfield.
"I saw something on social media where he said something like, 'I played as if this was my last game at Anfield against Manchester City'," Wright-Phillips said.
"He's telling them they have do something about it. Clearly, he doesn't want to leave. If he did, he had the chance already, and he stayed. So, for me, he's well within his right to speak out."
GET IN THEREEE!!!!! #LIVMCI pic.twitter.com/NEhKA1wIhb
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 1, 2024
Salah now has 224 goals in 369 games for Liverpool, a club-record 166 of those coming in the Premier League, while his 75 assists in the competition is the ninth most of any player for a single club.
Wright-Phillips believes Salah is only getting better with age, making it even more important a resolution is found between the player and club.
"It's hard to say 'give him what he wants' [in terms of his contract demands] because I don't know Liverpool's rules or wage structures," he said.
"But one thing I can say is if you have a player like that, regardless of his age, the amount he runs, the end product he delivers – not just scoring goals but also creating them over the last two years – has been phenomenal.
"He's getting better and better as an all-round player. I think he's someone they 100% need to find a way to keep. Whatever they have to do, for me, they should keep him there.
"He's up there with the greatest players Liverpool has ever had, and they've had some unbelievable players. Salah stands toe-to-toe with them and doesn't seem to be slowing down.
"If anything, he's getting better. He hasn't lost any pace, and his hunger and desire to achieve personal and team goals at Liverpool just keep growing. I'd try my hardest to keep him."
8 - Mohamed Salah has scored or assisted in each of his last eight Premier League starts against Manchester City (six goals, four assists in total). Relentless.#LFC #MCFC pic.twitter.com/tI4UIVcjta
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 2, 2024
Salah is one of three first-team stars at Liverpool due to become a free agent in six months' time, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk.
Van Dijk put in a Man of the Match display in the win over City, which moved Liverpool nine points clear at the Premier League summit, and Wright-Phillips says it is equally important Liverpool convince him to stay.
"I'd say 1,000%. You don't find defenders like him very often," Wright-Phillips, a Premier League title winner with Chelsea in 2005-06, said. "The elegance he plays with – you rarely see him sprint, and yet he seems to be back to his best.
"He's perfect for the younger players, like [Jarell] Quansah, coming through. You need someone like him around the club.
"Of course, if Virgil wants to keep playing at a high level and Liverpool don't want to use him as much, then that's a different conversation. But from what I see, he's fit as a fiddle, raring to go, and focused. He wants this title this year.
"You have to keep players like that. It's what makes a club a bigger club – keeping those players who’ve been through the highs and lows with you.
"Van Dijk has been there for everything: the battles with City, the title races, the dips, and the comebacks. Players like him bring invaluable experience and knowledge to the club. You can't replace that."
Every game important for Glasner as Palace visit fellow strugglers Ipswich
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner refused to term his side's meeting with fellow strugglers Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Tuesday as a relegation six-pointer.
Palace and Ipswich are tied on nine points with an identical record of one win and six draws from 13 matches as they head into the clash at Portman Road.
However, Glasner said every match is of equal importance.
"I don't think it's a six-pointer, but it's an important game. Every single game is important," Glasner said ahead of the game.
Palace, in 17th place, have not won in four matches and face an Ipswich side, who beat Tottenham 2-1 and held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw last month.
"They have a home game, and they will want to take the three points. I think that is how they will enter the game and we will do the same. And then let's see what happens," the Austrian manager said.
"We are not pleased with the points we have. But I think we had some better performances than we had at the end of last season."
Ipswich, meanwhile, have not won at home this season but will have two chances in six days to change that, with them also hosting Bournemouth on Sunday.
Their run of three unbeaten games was snapped by Nottingham Forest on Saturday and Kieran McKenna is hopeful his side will bounce back in front of their home support.
"We always made a big thing of trying to attack back-to-back home games in League One and the Championship. This is our first chance to do that in the Premier League, and we only get one more after Christmas," said McKenna.
“We want to make the most of it. We’ll have to get an awful lot of things right and not a lot wrong to get a win in either game, but that’s what we’re going to try and do."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ipswich Town - Liam Delap
Liam Delap is the top scorer for Ipswich with six goals in 13 appearances this season, with five of those goals coming in his last eight matches.
The 21-year-old was the standout star of the Tractor Boys by bagging a goal and creating an assist as they defeated Tottenham 2-1 last month.
Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta
Jean-Philippe Mateta has bagged three goals and an assist for Crystal Palace this season as he looks to guide the Eagles into safety.
The 23-year-old French striker has scored for Palace in each of his last three league appearances against newly promoted clubs and will be hoping to match Andrew Johnson's club record from 2004-05 by getting on the scoresheet at Portman Road.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Palace have a fine record against Ipswich in the Premier League; they are unbeaten in all four meetings between them (W3 D1). The first of those meetings ended in a 2-0 win for the south Londoners at Portman Road in February 1995.
Indeed, Palace have lost just one of their last 11 league meetings with promoted sides (W6 D4), with their only defeat in that period coming against Luton Town last season.
Ipswich, meanwhile, are winless in their last six Premier League matches at Portman Road (D4 L2). They last endured a longer run without a home win in 2019 when they were in the Championship (eight games).
However, with Palace only winning just two of their last 19 away league matches (D8 L9), Ipswich will fancy their chances of getting out of the bottom three.
LIVE WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace win - 38.5%
Ipswich Town win - 35.1%
Draw - 26.4%
Flick wants to see clinical finishing from Barcelona
Barcelona must rediscover their golden touch in front of goal if they are to push on and win LaLiga, says Hansi Flick.
The Blaugrana are winless in three league matches and have seen their lead at the top of the standings cut to just one point.
Defeats against Real Sociedad and Las Palmas cut Barcelona's have come either side of a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo, in which they gave up a 2-0 lead.
With second-placed Real Madrid just a point behind and with a game in hand, Flick knows Barca cannot afford any slip-ups against Mallorca on Tuesday.
And Flick put Barca's recent run down to wasting chances.
"For me, the good news is that November is over and we are in December," Flick told reporters.
"The team has given a lot in those games, in the midfield we have had a lot of intensity and we have been very disciplined. We created chances but we have to finish better.
"It may seem like I'm making excuses, but we lost. We have to be focused in attack. We can't afford to have two or three chances and do not score them. In football it's the goals that count."
Across their past three fixtures in LaLiga, Barca have scored just three goals, underperforming their 4.7 expected goals (xG).
In that time, only Real Valladolid (4.76%) and Rayo Vallecano (6.25%) have a lower shot conversion rate than Barca (6.38%).
Flick says his team just need to show more focus on the details.
"We are a young team that have to learn and fight for victories," Flick said.
"At the back, we need to stop conceding goals and for that we have to defend as a unit. In attack, we also have to be united. We have to score with the chances we get.
"We had long possessions and a lot of chances, but in the end it's a fight to win the duels. When I see (Pau) Cubarsi or Inigo Martinez and how well they defend.
"Pedri runs a lot in midfield... so do the others. There is a long way to go, we want to win the league title and for that everyone has to fight."
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