Leicestershire

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Former Leicester City winger Matt Piper believes the club's hierarchy are "struggling" to make a decision on Ruud van Nistelrooy, after the Dutchman revealed he is "still waiting" to have talks about his managerial future at King Power Stadium.

Speaking on the When You're Smiling podcast, Piper says he expected the club to have already initiated talks but doesn't think they should be "in any rush" to sack him before other important decisions have been made.

"What's probably going on is that people are pointing fingers at the hierarchy of the club and the club feel they cannot afford to get another big decision wrong," he explained. "They are probably panicking.

"I can't imagine Ruud being here next year. It's not that it just won't look good, it's that he has failed miserably.

"I don't think the club are leaning one way or another. I really think they are struggling with it because they cannot afford to get another decision wrong.

"This is why 'Top' needs to really look at his position first and think about whether this is still what he wants to do. Then the club can look at making changes or bringing in more support at boardroom level because things have been going drastically wrong for a while now.

"These are decisions that need to be in place first, then they can make a decision on the manager.

"I don't think they should be in any rush to sack Ruud. This has been a disastrous season so it isn't going to make much of a difference now if you leave him in post and give yourselves some thinking time over the summer.

"It is one big struggle at the football club at the minute. It's not just the guys on the pitch that are letting things down at Leicester at the minute, it's all the way through the club."

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Chris Forryan
Fan writer

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Dear Top,

Let met start by saying as a fan I am, and always will be grateful for what King Power, your late father, you and your family have done for my football club. You have allowed me to fulfil dreams that I never thought as a Leicester City fan I ever would.

Every business, though, has its peaks and troughs, and as a 64-year-old fan, believe you me, I have seen plenty of troughs. But it is how troughs are dealt with that businesses are judged by, and these days football clubs are businesses.

However, I have to say most businesses do not hold onto staff once that business starts to fail, no matter how successful they may have been in the past. Top, you really need to take charge and make changes or you risk ruining your family's legacy at the club.

Yes, you cleared a lot of debt for our club, but this is debt that was accrued under King Power ownership. A tally of 11 managers in 15 years of ownership speaks volumes.

There has been your chasing of Graham Potter, followed by what seemed a rushed appointment of Steve Cooper, the early sacking of Cooper - an appointment you publicly criticised - and the failure to act in sticking by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has to be the worst manager in the clubs history.

How are Susan Whelan, John Rudkin, Martyn Glover et al still at the club? Yes they have helped you through some dark times but as a group of managers it appears you don't know what you're doing.

I am sorry Top, but a free bottle of beer at the final home game this season will not cut it.

The fans are the lifeblood of any club, and our relationship is being destroyed.

Open up and talk to the fans. We have no idea what is going on. Tell us.

Find more from Chris Forryan at Leicester Till I Die, external

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is available for a £9m relegation release clause this summer.

The 28-year-old's clause was activated last weekend when the Foxes lost 1-0 to now-champions Liverpool and were relegated to the Championship with five games to go.

Leicester have since lost 3-0 away at Wolves and the Nigeria international is among several members of the squad now considering his future.

The Midlands club feel well placed to revamp the squad with release clauses rare at the King Power Stadium and only three players out of contract - goalkeepers Daniel Iversen and Danny Ward, along with legendary striker Jamie Vardy, who has announced he will leave Leicester after 13 glorious years at the club.

Ndidi, meanwhile, had interest from clubs like Marseille and Everton while available on a free transfer last summer.

However, Leicester managed to sign Ndidi to a new three-year deal last summer. He was signed in 2017 in a £17m deal from Genk, but the pressure from interested parties likely led to the inclusion of a release clause as part of his most recent deal.

Ndidi has won an FA Cup and the Championship last season while at Leicester and has played 27 times in all competitions during this campaign.