Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester side had to withstand some pressure against West Ham, but their victory has already restored a sense of “belief” among Foxes fans.
The Dutchman was appointed on Friday, replacing Steve Cooper, who was dismissed after managing Leicester for just 12 Premier League matches.
Van Nistelrooy observed Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Brentford from the stands alongside Leicester owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.
However, his tenure got off to an ideal start on Tuesday, with Jamie Vardy’s early goal setting the stage for a 3-1 win at King Power Stadium.
“In the end you look at the result and the three points, in the position that we are in, it’s vital,” Van Nistelrooy, 48, said.
“We know the level in the Premier League and we know every game we play that everything has to be right. We have to train and develop our defence, our counter attack, our possession.
“Lots of things to work on but very happy with the three points.”
The win moves Leicester up to 15th in the Premier League, two points behind the Hammers.
“The third day working at the club, it’s been very busy getting to know everyone. Everybody was involved with that and helping, it was busy and long days but worth it,” Van Nistelrooy said in a post-match news conference.
“I was focused on the moment and today I will get myself a little beer and reflect on the last three days.”
Graham Potter, the former Brighton and Chelsea boss, said it was the “perfect start” and means the supporters will have “that trust and belief in the new manager and that is so important”.
“You can do all the talking you want but if the players actually believe him and follow what he is saying then it can be very powerful,” he told Amazon Prime. “The best way to get belief is by winning football matches.”
Vardy extends goal record under new managers
Leicester captain Jamie Vardy made an impact just 98 seconds into Van Nistelrooy’s managerial debut, with goals from Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka later securing the victory.
Remarkably, Vardy has now scored the first Premier League goal under six different Leicester City managers.
In 2015, Vardy famously broke Van Nistelrooy’s record for scoring in consecutive Premier League games by netting in 11 straight matches.
Van Nistelrooy humorously referenced this on Monday, mentioning that he joked with Vardy about needing to “clear the air” over the record before they could begin working together.
“We’ve had one full day together. You could see some stuff worked and some was rusty. We’ve got more time for the manager to get his things across,” Vardy told Amazon Prime after Tuesday’s win.
Leicester defender Conor Coady added: “The lads put in a great shift. We can play better. It was all about winning, it was one for the manager.
“The weekend was a dark place but you have to dig deep. We’ve got a long way to go but it’s a great start.”
‘Good signs for Leicester’
West Ham had 31 shots in this match, their highest tally on record since 2005-06.
The last time an away team had more shots and lost was Chelsea against Birmingham in 2010.
Niclas Fullkrug nodded home a consolation for the visitors, but Danny Ings hit the post with a header, Jarrod Bowen spurned several chances, while Coady cleared off the line from Crysencio Summerville.
“The result is what matters, but I have also seen the game and West Ham were dominant,” Van Nistelrooy told Match of the Day.
“I think our fighting spirit got us through the game and we were effective in scoring. A great night.”
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “What a result this is for Ruud van Nistelrooy. We were talking about a Leicester team devoid of confidence and ideas before the game, but he’s got a performance out of that group tonight.
“But there’s something there for Van Nistelrooy to work on and what he’s seen tonight would have given him a lot of delight.
“He’s made some big changes. His in-game substitutions and management looks good. It’s good signs for Leicester.”