Just 27 minutes into Friday’s game against Brentford, with their side 2-0 down and already looking beaten, some Leicester fans had seen enough.
The natives are restless, even if apathy overshadows anger, after a 4-0 defeat and a sixth consecutive loss at home without scoring in the Premier League – a new record in English top-flight history.
A half-hearted fan protest before and during last weekend’s 2-0 loss by Arsenal at the King Power Stadium underlined the struggle to mount a consistent revolt.
But supporters voted with their feet in the pitiful loss to Brentford that kept the Foxes second bottom in the table, streaming out after Christian Norgaard had put the Bees 3-0 up after 32 minutes.
Captain Jamie Vardy said: “There is nothing we can do, everyone is entitled to their opinion and to voice that and that is what the fans are doing. That is up to them, we just have to concentrate on the football and that is all we can do.”
It is not that Leicester fans are dismissive of their situation. They care, but they are brow-beaten and demoralised, which is driven by a disconnect between themselves and the club.
Protests, no home league goal in more than two months and 10 defeats in 11 games to shove them closer to a Championship return. What next for Leicester?
‘Difference between level of Brentford and us was significant’
Brentford were ‘lethal’ – Van NistelrooyBoss Ruud van Nistelrooy has now lost 11 of his 15 games since taking charge, unable to turn the tide having replaced Steve Cooper just a few weeks after his Manchester United exit as assistant manager in November following Ruben Amorim’s appointment.
Leicester turned to him looking for a fresh direction but, despite four points from his opening two games against West Ham and Brighton, they have slumped in dismal fashion.
A 2-1 win at Tottenham last month ended a run of seven straight league defeats and stopped the Foxes equalling their record streak of losses. But they have been unable to build, losing the next four games including a damaging 4-0 defeat at Everton, who have shown their appetite for a battle to avoid relegation.
This 4-0 defeat by Brentford, which could have been by a bigger margin, left Van Nistelrooy admitting his side now face an uphill battle for survival, almost questioning their quality.
“You have to acknowledge it’s a huge step back,” said the Dutchman. “Overall the general level and the difference between the level of Brentford and us was significant and a worry for future hopes for us.
“With the squad we have it’s a huge, huge, huge mountain to climb to stay in this league, that’s the reality. Today it showed.
“The situation we are in is alarming and the mountain we have to climb is huge.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker has endured plenty of pressure since joining Leicester but, despite the lack of wins, he has made a positive impression on the squad.
Sources close to the first team told BBC Sport that even those who are not playing regularly recognise his influence.
He is clear in his instructions – not something the squad felt under Cooper – and they like him as a person. Van Nistelrooy’s achievements during his playing career – winning the Premier League, La Liga twice and the Eredivisie twice as a feared striker in world football – means he has commanded instant respect.
‘Wrong to say hierarchy are hiding in the shadows’
Van Nistelrooy has seemed to labour his point about squad togetherness, but it is recognised the training-ground positivity means nothing if the players cannot transfer that on to the pitch with victories.
That unity is in contrast to the atmosphere at the King Power during the defeat by Arsenal where fans vented their frustration at the club’s hierarchy, in particular director of football Jon Rudkin.
A planned protest, labelled Project Reset, failed to catch on, but there was more dissent as the Foxes crumbled against Brentford.
Chants against Rudkin and the board, along with the walkouts as the goals went in underlined the growing feeling of disappointment.
In the loss at Everton, and having conceded after just 10 seconds, it didn’t take long for the visiting Foxes faithful to sing “we’re going down”.
Broadly, Van Nistelrooy has avoided becoming the focus of fan revolt, although his decision to replace Bilal El Khannouss in the defeat by Fulham was met with jeers.
The Dutchman, though, will be the one fronting up to questions which fans, and the media, would prefer to ask Rudkin or chief executive Susan Whelan.
It has never been the club’s style for those at director level to speak publicly, they remained quiet even when Leicester lifted the Premier League. None basked in the glory then so it would be wrong to say they are hiding in the shadows now.
Disconnect a growing concern – but Morgan has hope
A number of Leicester fans left the stadium when Brentford went 2-0 up
The disconnect between the club and the fanbase is only growing, as evidenced on Friday.
Whelan and club directors did meet Foxes Trust co-chairs Lynn Wyeth and Steve Moulds, members of the Supporter Engagement team, and the supporter representatives on the LCFC Fan Advisory Board last week in what was described as a frank and candid discussion.
“You need some leadership when it goes wrong. You need people to come out and reassure us,” said Wyeth.
“That lack of communication was causing frustration, anger and toxicity in the games.
“Other fans can’t understand it. They’re like, ‘Leicester fans are so ungrateful, they’re so entitled. They think because they won the Premier League once they don’t know how lucky they are with their owner’.
“It’s not about that. We are so grateful for what that family’s done [owners the Srivaddhanaprabha family] and what an amazing time we’ve had, but it’s how badly wrong it’s gone in the last few years.”
It is up to Van Nistelrooy to get a tune out of what he has, but of Leicester’s summer buys, none have made a consistent impact.
Midfielder Oliver Skipp, a £20m signing from Tottenham, has struggled for form, while defender Caleb Okoli, who joined from Atalanta for £15m, only made his first start under the Dutchman last week.
Moroccan attacker El Khannouss, a £21m arrival from Genk, has shown flashes of potential – including the winner at Spurs – but remains green to the league.
Odsonne Edouard has made just four substitute appearances in the top flight, with the striker’s move from Crystal Palace useless and tying up a vital loan spot, while right-back Woyo Coulibaly was the only January arrival.
“It’s really difficult to judge him (Van Nistelrooy) because he hasn’t got the squad,” added Wyeth. “They weren’t good enough to stay up last time and we’ve got worse players now.”
Despite a miserable run of form, Leicester are by no means cut adrift in the table.
They are level on points with Ipswich in 18th and only two points behind Wolves in 17th, although they have played a game more than both.
The Foxes’ Premier League-winning captain Wes Morgan, who also helped them avoid the drop in 2013-14, is confident they can defy the odds once again.
“It has been proven that it can be done [teams can get out of the relegation battle]. I was part of the team that did it,” he said.
“I am sure the fans are disappointed with how things have been going in recent weeks. Things can change, we know it has happened in the past.
“It is not too late.”
