"He [Van Nistelrooy] used a word that I really don't like in this situation: hope. Hope does not keep you in the Premier League. You can't keep picking the same team and crossing your fingers before you go out. It's just going to be the same as what we've seen.

Leicester City are just five points from safety and not yet as far back as they were a decade ago, but there are factors that suggest their current situation is more dire

But Ruud van Nistelrooy may be about to discover that a quickie divorce can be on the cards if those errors keep occurring. Leicester City appointed the former interim Manchester United manager as the replacement for Steve Cooper on December 1 and they celebrated by beating West Ham 3-1 at the King Power Stadium before drawing 2-2 with visiting Brighton.