Leicestershire

Kate Blakemore
Fan writer

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Where do I even begin with what we witnessed against Brentford?

I felt a sense of optimism pre-match that we could get a result against an inconsistent bottom-half team at home. After a bright start, it was not long before Brentford attacked, we recoiled and old habits returned; silly errors, poor possession, robotically playing out from the back like some broken record and the lack of goal threat.

Repeatedly resorting to the same failed methods is just going to end in the same results.

The biggest concern about the performance was it potentially being a cultural issue. It is no secret that standards create behaviour, which in turn creates a culture, and I fear that Leicester's standards have fallen so far in recent years that a new culture has emerged that is not good.

'Standards' doesn't mean where one finishes in the table, it is more about creating a culture where individuals consistently behave in a way that aligns with the set standards, which then promotes positive outcomes.

There is no doubting that this team is tight-knit, but are they holding each other to account to create the standards?

Ruud van Nistelrooy's post-match interview inferred he had given up: "We are doing everything we can but the level of opposition that we face is too big for us. It's difficult to compete."

We were in an identical position during the Great Escape season, yet Nigel Pearson would never have spoken in such a manner.

The elusive 'standard' seems to be the Rolls-Royce, gold-plated Seagrave training ground - a £100m complex epitomising the elite level of modern football.

But many argue that its opening has been the catalyst for our downturn. Players are attracted to it, which is great, but do they feel the hard work is done and the rest will take care of itself upon arrival? A white elephant, perhaps?

Whatever the reason, we are now staring down the barrel of relegation and, without some major changes in application, this will be confirmed before the end of the season.

Find more from Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die, external

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The latest episode of When You're Smiling is centred around Ruud van Nistelrooy's comments after Friday's defeat by Brentford, when he admitted the level of some of Leicester's opponents is "too big" for his team to compete against.

Former Foxes winger Matt Piper told the BBC Radio Leicester podcast that it is possible for the club to stay in the Premier League despite the quality not being high enough in the squad.

"There are ways to bridge the gap. Sean Dyche did this for six or seven years at Burnley," he said.

"If you haven't got those players that are able to bridge the gap, you have got to find them. You can look at the under-21s, the under-18s, the periphery players who aren't getting a chance.

"He [Van Nistelrooy] used a word that I really don't like in this situation: hope. Hope does not keep you in the Premier League. You can't keep picking the same team and crossing your fingers before you go out. It's just going to be the same as what we've seen.

"There are so many untested players, or ones he has tested in the cups and then not given another opportunity.

"There are youngsters who are doing incredible things. I would at least be putting some of them on the bench and bringing them on for 15 minutes. One of them could surprise you."

• Not a Leicester fan? Find and follow your team here

Listen to the full episode of When You're Smiling on BBC Sounds

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We asked you to tell us one thing that no-one is talking about at Leicester at the moment.

Here are some of your comments:

Tom: Nobody is talking about the threat of PSR points deductions that never came. Who would have wanted to sign for Leicester if there was expected points deductions? This will have heavily impacted recruitment's ability to get players through the door.

Charles: The demise of Leicester City started over four years ago. This is not a current issue in terms of bad coaching or of players under performing - our team is doing the best they can because it is the best they have. We have a team consisting of old pros mixed up with average quality footballers and rookie juniors under the guidance of a good manager.

Basil: Fans are crying out for a change of wingers, yet seem to have overlooked the fact that Stephy Mavididi and Buonanotte have not performed when they have been selected. Mavididi has one trick and is exposed at this level, and while Buonanotte has contributed with goals, he is too lightweight to contribute to the team elsewhere.

Neil: We have had a string of poor quality players signed to the club on high wages which we cannot offload to recuperate the transfer values paid. Players such as Musa, Slimani, Silva, Praet, Daka, Ghezzal, Ward, Benkovic, Perez came to the club for over £150m yet we have not and will not be able to recoup even a quarter of that.

Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy is under growing pressure at King Power Stadium because of the side's poor form since he replaced Steve Cooper. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Ruud Van Nistelrooy remains committed to Leicester's and insisted he still views his future at the club as long term.

The Foxes manager has lost 10 of his past 11 games, including Friday's damaging 4-0 home defeat by Brentford.

They are second bottom of the Premier League and five points from safety - and could fall eight points behind 17th-placed Wolves if Vitor Pereira's men beat Fulham at Molineux on Tuesday.

Van Nistelrooy takes his side to West Ham on Thursday and, despite the threat of an immediate return to the Championship, the former Manchester United striker is looking beyond this season.

He said: "I know what contract I signed and it wasn't a contract for five months. It was, after this, [for] two more seasons. I was aware when I arrived what the challenge was and how difficult it could be. I was aware and committed to the future.

"I called it a mountain to climb [after Brentford] but life is about climbing mountains and mountains are there to be climbed. That challenge I take. We will keep climbing and we drop sometimes - we slip sometimes - on the mountain but we get up and start again."

Leicester parted company with first-team coaches Ben Dawson and Danny Alcock on Monday and have no plans to replace the pair.

Van Nistelrooy plans to work with Jelle ten Rouwelaar, Brian Barry-Murphy, Andy Hughes and Andy King for the rest of the season and denied Dawson and Alcock's departures were down to the team's form.

He added: "It wasn't always the plan. The plan was to start working together with the possibility to bring in my own people. From then, you evaluate and make your own decisions. It didn't have anything to do with results."

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game at West Ham (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On the departures of coaches Ben Dawson and Danny Alcock: "It wasn't always the plan. The plan was to start working together with the possibility to bring in my own people. From then, you evaluate and make your own decisions. It didn't have anything to do with results."

• He said this was the "best solution" and the club would not be bringing in any more new coaches to replace them.

• On the morale in the camp: "The mood is lifted. It's started again in a new week and a new challenge. We have reacted after a bad result - you could say a bad performance - before. The players reacted really well and started the week really well."

• He was asked if this was the biggest challenge of his career: "Erm, wow! To go through all the challenges I've faced and compare them now... I called it a mountain to climb but life is about climbing mountains and mountains are there to be climbed. That challenge I take. We will keep climbing and we slip sometimes - but we get up and start again."

• The club are doing "everything they can to get" James Justin fit for Thursday's game.

• He said "it's always the right time to try something different" but added: "It's not that we want to change all the time. If we feel it's necessary to do to get the best results, of course [we will]."

• On what is needed in the final games: "We have to be resilient and strong. You have to show your character, reflect, learn and improve. We know the performance against Brentford wasn't good enough, but this team has always reacted and I expect them to do so on Thursday."

• On if he would stay with the club if they were to be relegated: "I know what contract I signed and it wasn't a contract for five months - it was two more seasons after this. I was aware when I arrived what the challenge was and how difficult it could be. I was aware and committed to the future."

Follow all of Tuesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

The latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast has landed, hear from Owynn Palmer-Atkin, Matt Piper and Tom Hendryk as they react to Ruud van Nistelrooy's comments after the Brentford loss.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

From coaching dismissals to a worrying goal draught, there has been a lot of talk around Leicester City.

But you know your club best - and we want you to tell us the one thing - good or bad - going under the radar at King Power Stadium right now.

Tell us here