Leicester City players must put on a united front and cannot be seen publicly at loggerheads, manager Ruud van Nistelrooy urged.
The abysmal 4-0 loss to Brentford ended with in-house arguments, City players coming between goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and midfielder Boubakary Soumare as they raged at each other in the aftermath of the fourth goal.
Straight after the game, van Nistelrooy said it was not a problem, as it showed the players care. However, he has since taken a harsher stance and said it is behaviour that shouldn’t be seen on the pitch as it won’t help the club’s survival bid.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s fixture at West Ham (8pm kick-off), van Nistelrooy said: “We have to address this type of behaviour. As a team it’s good to hold each other accountable. But it can't be like that, out in the open.
“It was the first time it's happened. The players handled it themselves, within the team, so that was a good reaction in the dressing room.
“This week it's been assessed, and it's not something that will help us going forwards. I can't see that happening again. The players know.
“I didn’t think it was a huge incident. But it was something we discussed. The players handled it. And for me, it’s a finished matter.”
While a trip to the London Stadium sees City take on a side just three places above them in the table, there’s a 13-point gulf between them, while the Hammers are an established Premier League side who had a spending spree last summer.
Reflecting on his comments from last Friday, when he argued “every week we face a better team”, van Nistelrooy said: “It’s important to face reality. The situation we are in is alarming because we want to stay in the league.
“But it’s also the reality of where we are in comparison to the competition we face. In that context, I try to explain how I see the challenge we are facing.
“At the same time, we are so motivated and we believe we can go against all odds, because that’s what we have to do. It’s possible. It’s been done before at this club.
“That’s where the belief is. But I have to address a certain reality where there can’t be things expected that are unrealistic. But survival is something we believe in still.”
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