I will not play again: Leicester city key player has decided to quit due to…

Talking points from Leicester City’s 4-0 defeat to Newcastle, looking at why the defence played so poorly, the back-up midfield, Mads Hermansen’s injury, and more

Let’s not sugarcoat it: this was Leicester City’s worst performance of the season. That can’t be overlooked just because it was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first away game in charge.

They were less dangerous in attack than they have been all season, mustering just four shots and forcing stand-in goalkeeper Martin Dubravka into just one save. Defensively, they were carved apart, from open play and from set-pieces. Only against Arsenal did they concede more good chances.

There were fewer redeeming moments and individual performances here than in any other fixture this season. There were perhaps five minutes where City played well, at the end of the first half. Otherwise, it was total Newcastle domination.

Van Nistelrooy knew as much and wrapped the game up himself after an hour. Moments after making a triple sub, the City boss watched his side concede a fourth. The hand signals and head shakes from the touchline afterwards suggested he was telling his players to calm down, be compact and simply avoid the goal difference becoming any worse. They didn’t have a touch in Newcastle’s box, never mind a shot, after that point.

So it was a chastening first loss in charge for van Nistelrooy. But it will provide more lessons than the previous week’s good results against West Ham and Brighton. The manager said himself: “From defeat, you’re always going to learn more.”

Van Nistelrooy’s experience as a manager before City had been with one of the better squads in a league. This would have been eye-opening for the Dutchman as to what can happen when one of the weaker squads is missing a handful of starters and performs poorly. Even against an out-of-form mid-table side, you can be utterly dismantled.