Leicestershire

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester fans are numb to their struggles now.

At the final whistle of Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester Untied, The King Power Stadium was barely a third full. Those who remained could hardly muster a jeer.

A new top flight record - not just in the Premier League - of seven straight home defeats without scoring, added to their wretched run of losing 13 of their last 14 games.

The banner 'from dogs of war to doggy daycare' showed the dissent towards the Foxes' board. It was a snappy flag and has a point but it was all too fleeting, with the fanbase resigned to their fate.

An immediate return to the Championship is now growing ever closer with Ruud Van Nistelrooy's side nine points from safety with nine games left.

A repeat of their great escape in 2015, which paved the way for the stunning title success a year later, is highly unlikely.

Ultimately, the squad is not good enough. They are worse than the squad relegated in 2023.

The financial constraints meant Van Nistelrooy was unable to spend sufficiently - only bringing in defender Woyo Coulibaly from Parma for around £3m in January.

It has meant - despite all the squad's respect for the manager's honesty and clarity at the training ground - he has lost 14 of his 18 games since replacing Steve Cooper in November.

The case for Leicester is bleak and the Championship beckons.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Leicester and Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Leicester fans

Nicholas: Lacklustre performance from Leicester - from a team who know they are relegated. I fear for us next season - we could go into freefall. Time to reset and build another team.

Stuart: Just so poor. Disjointed and devoid of any hope. Heads down and a lack of effort as soon as the first goal goes in. The club is now so poorly run, a wholesale clear out is required in the summer and not just from the playing staff either. I'm just so disillusioned by how bad we've been this season.

James: Where do we go from here? The fans' emotions have transitioned from anger and frustration, to apathy and acceptance of their club's fate. The inexperienced manager does not know his best starting XI and has seemingly admitted defeat. The majority of players are mentally broken and don't even applaud the fans at the end anymore. This is a depressing spiral into the Championship. Maybe getting relegated sooner rather than later would be merciful on all of us. Doomed.

Manchester United fans

Mike: I was one of those criticising Amorim a few weeks ago but to give him credit, this team do look like they're finally clicking. Heaven's injury is a massive blow as he looks like a real promising youngster. Hope it's not as bad as it looks.

Jed: A bit of a better performance but still slow getting the ball forward. At least Rasmus did get some service.

Johnny Joe: A perfect away day performance. Slowly but surely blocks of success are being laid one on top of the other. Captain Bruno makes a mockery of those who still question his commitment and quality again.

The latest episode of the When You're Smiling podcast has landed.

Former Foxes players Matty Fryatt and Matt Piper discuss Sunday's defeat against Manchester United.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's three Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Ipswich Town 2-4 Nottingham Forest

• AFC Bournemouth 1-2 Brentford

• Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea

• Fulham 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

• Leicester City 0-3 Manchester United

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, speaking to BBC MOTD: "In the end you lose so it's disappointing. Of course, the effort put in and the chances created it is all there.

"Dealing with both boxes is always the challenge at this level. The efficiency was very high on United's side.

"We were unlucky that we didn't score.

"It didn't go the right way for us, then the game changes. The momentum turned, but we kept going and kept playing and bringing many attackers on the pitch.

"We wanted to be positive, we put United under pressure."

On Man Utd's goals: "I think if Wout Faes can come across to block Hojlund going to the keeper it would have been better. The second one falls for Garnacho, falls in front of his feet and he doesn't think twice."

On the relegation battle: "If you look at all the data and numbers of the game it was very even. Putting the ball in the back of the net will get you points.

"We can't and we won't give up - we will fight till the end.

"As I said mathematically until it's impossible, we keep going. We want to show that we can score goals, that we can get a clean sheet at this level and pick up points."

Image source, Getty Images

With tonight's 3-0 defeat, Leicester became the first team in English top-flight history to lose seven consecutive home games while failing to score.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Leicester's performance

What did you make of Man Utd's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester boss Ruud Van Nistelrooy believes Bruno Fernandes would have been an asset to Manchester United's greatest sides.

The Foxes head coach worked with Fernandes as assistant and interim manager while at Old Trafford between July and November last year.

They reunite at the King Power Stadium on Sunday evening with second bottom Leicester now nine points from safety in the Premier League.

Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 games for United between 2001 and 2006 - winning the Premier League in 2003 - before leaving for Real Madrid and feels Portugal midfielder Fernandes, who has 15 goals this season - would fit in even the best Old Trafford teams.

"Yes, no doubt. It's the quality, it's the character, it's the work rate, it's the discipline. That's the full package," he said.

"It was crucial [to United] that he stayed though."

Yet, Van Nistelrooy's attention is elsewhere with Wolves' 2-1 win at Southampton on Saturday pushing Leicester - who have lost 12 of their last 13 games - closer to the drop.

"Of course, I have other things on my mind. I am working with my team. I am working on performing, on winning games, on preparing the game, also the games after," he said.

"There are 10 games left. There are 30 points there to get the most out of it. We are still in it. We are still in this fight.

"We want to push. We want to put the teams above us under pressure. Also, the teams we are level with, like Ipswich and Southampton, we are in that battle. That is where my mind goes.

"That is what I want to get the maximum out of myself and the team."

Leicester have struggled defensively all season but their current lack of goals is an even bigger problem - they have not found the net in their past five league matches, and have lost all of them.

You could look at the Foxes' 1-0 defeat by Chelsea last week and think that result was not too bad, but they never looked like scoring - the closest they got to a goal was when a cross came off Blues defender Tosin Adarabioyo's shoulder and hit the bar.

Mind you, Manchester United are far from prolific either. They did improve in the second half of their draw with Arsenal, but they still don't have much of a cutting edge.

That makes me think this is going to be close. Leicester gave United a good game in the FA Cup at Old Trafford a few weeks ago and were beaten by Harry Maguire's controversial stoppage-time winner.

This time it is going to be just as tight, and I think the points will be shared.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Leicester City defender James Justin says the Foxes are "not waving the white flag yet" before Sunday's game against Manchester United.

"Every game is a massive moment for us at this stage of the season, but we feel like this is a good chance to go and pick up some much-needed points," Justin told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast.

"Obviously they are at a bit of a turning point. It's a massive club, with rich history, and there's been a lot of talk around them.

"We're also in a tough patch, so it's a good opportunity for us to take advantage of that and put in a good performance in front of the fans before the international break.

"It would be the biggest achievement to date because we're in the position we are, and the odds are stacked against us. I believe we can still do it, and there is belief in the dressing room. We're not waving the white flag yet."

Justin, who played as a wing-back in the loss at Chelsea, also spoke about the benefits of playing in a back five.

He said: "The biggest thing in the five is that you don't have to worry about what's behind you because you know they [other defenders] are coming as you have more numbers across the backline.

"We can slide in unison a lot better and it allows us to get more pressure on the ball.

"It does give you more security when you're pressing and gives you some more certainty."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds