Leicester City

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Leicester City fan Kate Blakey, who is co-host of Leicester Till I Die TV, spoke to BBC 5 Live Breakfast after Leicester's defeat against West Ham on Thursday night.

On where the club are at right now, she said: "I think it's way more deep-rooted than a confidence issue. As a fan, it feels like a cultural issue and something that has gone so severely wrong, particularly in the last couple of months. We didn't have that feeling under Steve Cooper at all.

"Last night was just a carbon copy of what happened on Friday really and echoes of lack of desire, lack of pride, and lack of effort. Somehow we were kind of still in the relegation battle, it was three from any four but we weren't out of it. I don't think we totally are now. The belief has just totally gone out of the team.

"The biggest problem for us right now is that in those 12 games where we have had 11 defeats, we've only scored four goals. The goals have completely dried up under Ruud van Nistelrooy. Under Steve Cooper, in his first 10 matches, only him and Manchester City had scored in every game.

"So all of a sudden, Ruud is saying we can't compete, but we've just been away to Spurs and beat them and in the first 10 games of the Premier League, we scored in every one. I think we have got enough to compete."

Former Leicester defender Michael Morrison says "willingness to run and fight" was lacking from the Foxes' performance in Thursday's limp 2-0 defeat at West Ham.

Ruud van Nistelrooy's side have now suffered 11 defeats from the past 12 Premier League games and any hopes of survival this season seems to be fading rapidly.

"Tactically it was OK, it is OK to be in a low block, but it's that willingness to run and to fight," Morrison told the When You're Smiling podcast.

"Sometimes you don't realise you're not doing that as a player and you sit in your shape and you're comfortable. The reason why these deflected goals go in or it bounces of somebody and runs free is because you've been under that pressure for that long.

"As a fan you travel down from Leicester and you want to see your team fight, especially in the position you're in.

"There was too much respect shown and being a yard off their man."

Leicester had 10 shots on goal but five were from outside the penalty area, five were blocked, and only two were on target. Their 0.38 Expected goals was far below their opponents' 1.68.

"There wasn't any chances," Morrison added.

"If you looked at the xG it would show you a lot about the game. West Ham won at a canter. Leicester didn't carry enough threat with their defensive block which is why the West Ham fans stayed onside with their team.

"If they could have caused the home team some problems by nicking the ball a few times they might have got on their back but it was a defensive block and not a defensive press by getting out to people, blocking crosses and laying a glove on them. West Ham just had possession the whole time in the first half."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views after relegation-threatened Leicester City fell to their 11th defeat in 12 Premier League games against West Ham United.

Here are some of your comments:

Wes: Disgraceful. How difficult is it to play in the other team's half of the field? Stop passing backwards and play with heart - these are not difficult tasks.

Neil: "Still in the fight". Are you joking, Ruud? The players have given up. It is a really sad demise. Do they realise that fans pay good money to go and watch whatever that was? Where has the pride gone? 'Foxes never quit' - well they certainly did here.

Andy: Our performances are deteriorating, with comical defending costing us dearly. On the evidence shown in this game, this group of players will struggle in the Championship next season.

Tom: Just awful. Those at the top of the club need to swallow their pride and admit they made a massive mistake in appointing Ruud van Nistelrooy. The players have downed tools and are accepting defeat from the first whistle. We have a manager who refuses to try anything new, even after so many losses and goals conceded. Insanity is ruling the roost at this club right now.

Jonathan: Utter rubbish - disconnected, naive and toothless. The players are way below their best levels. Ruud is way out of his depth. He must be sacked so the team has one final chance to turn it around, or it's certain to be Championship football next season and possibly for several seasons after that. Neil Lennon would be worth a short-term contract until the end of the season, then review.

David: Bin Ruud van Nistelrooy and put Brian Barry-Murphy in charge for the rest of the season. The players apparently respect him, he has some management experience, plus there's his association with Pep Guardiola. We are going down, but let's at least do it with our dignity intact.

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Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy speaking to BBC Radio Leicester after the defeat to West Ham: "I look back at a very disappointing first half. We were very passive and looking for safety by going back. We sat too deep and lacked initiative.

"We need to push forward and play with some courage. We need to not be afraid to make mistakes but I understand that the confidence levels are very low. That showed in the first half. We get so passive because of that and we were not in the game. At least in the second half we went for it and created some opportunities.

"Players look for safety by going backwards, not forwards. At least in the second half, they showed what they were capable of that. That's the way forward.

"In the right moments, we put the opponent under pressure and took initiative in the game. That's the way we have to continue.

"We have to approach the games with initiative and not be afraid to lose. That was the difference between the first and second half.

"Confidence is a big part of this."

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

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Things are looking bleak for Leicester as yet another defeat leaves them five points adrift of safety.

The Foxes have lost 11 of their last 12 Premier League games (W1), while in his 14 games in charge, Van Nistelrooy has picked up just seven points, three fewer than previous Foxes boss Steve Cooper managed this season (10 in 12 games).

The deficit to safety could quickly shrink, but the problem is Leicester look simply incapable of winning.

They currently have the dangerous combination of conceding lots of goals due to poor defending, whilst also struggling to score at the other end.

Where Leicester go from here is unclear but the pressure will no doubt be mounting on Van Nistelrooy.

West Ham eased past Leicester City to leave the Foxes deep in relegation trouble as their desperate form continued.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on West Ham's performance

What did you make of Leicester's display?

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

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Boss Ruud Van Nistelrooy admits Leicester's public disagreements cannot happen again.

Mads Hermansen and midfielder Boubakary Soumare argued on the pitch after Fabio Carvalho scored Brentford's final goal in Friday's 4-0 defeat to the Bees.

The second-bottom Foxes go to West Ham on Thursday looking to close the five-point gap to safety after Wolves lost to Fulham on Tuesday.

Van Nistelrooy, who has lost 10 of his last 11 Premier League games, now only wants displays of unity.

He 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."

After the defeat to Brentford, Van Nistelrooy described Leicester's situation as alarming and he will continue to honest as the Foxes need to face reality.

"The situation we are in is alarming because we want to stay in the league," said the former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker.

"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."

West Ham defended really well against Arsenal on Saturday and countered really well.

Manager Graham Potter will be looking for his side to build on that victory, and with Jarrod Bowen up front, they will have too much firepower for the Foxes.

This is a gimme for West Ham, and it should be a routine victory for them.

I just cannot make a case for Leicester to get anything here and it looks like their hopes of staying up have had it too.

Like Southampton fans, the only thing Leicester supporters have to look forward to is the chance to visit Norwich next season. It is a nice city, and I fully recommend it for a day out.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Leicester have won each of their past three Premier League games against West Ham, more than they had in their previous 10 beforehand.

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

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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

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We asked for your views after Leicester City announced their decision to part ways with first-team coaches Ben Dawson and Danny Alcock.

The Foxes are currently five points adrift from Premier League safety, having lost 10 of their 13 league games since Ruud van Nistelrooy took charge.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Brad: I'm surprised it took this long. You would have thought that Ruud has some of his own staff that he wants to bring in and the fact he promoted Andy King to first-team coach was the first step. If not, it's a slightly worrying move and it suggests Ruud had no contacts of his own to bring into his coaching team from the start. Sorry to be the ultimate pessimist, but staff changes this late in the season could be exactly that - too late.

Richard: These two are the scapegoats for the appalling mismanagement of the club over the past eight months. Why appoint Steve Cooper in the first place? Why appoint Van Nistelrooy, who has no experience of Premier League football? Why loan Odsonne Edouard and not play him? Jon Rudkin, our director of football, should have been sacked. The team is not good enough for the Premier League, and that is down to mismanagement.

David: The club is clearing the decks for the Championship. It has to be that our director of football isn't far behind them. He is ultimately responsible for the shambolic decline of this club.

Keith: Are the club already preparing for life in the Championship with these departures? I think so.

Padraig: I'll reserve judgement until bigger heads roll. Maybe these guys weren't up to the job but, going on the logic that Rudkin and Ruud have been equally as useless and ineffective, they and the entire board should all go. I also think Top should consider selling the club. He is not his father. We need a more knowledgeable and steady owner who will make better decisions than all of the guys presently in place. A huge overhaul is needed.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Leicester are unlikely to replace coaches Ben Dawson and Danny Alcock after the pair left the Foxes.

First-team coach Dawson and goalkeeping coach Alcock's departure was announced by the club earlier on Monday.

The decision was taken to help Ruud van Nistelrooy as he battles to save the Foxes from relegation, with the side second bottom of the Premier League.

First-team coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar, who followed van Nistelrooy to the King Power Stadium after his appointment November, is a goalkeeping coach so there is no expectation Alcock's role will be filled.

Coach Brian Barry-Murphy has made a positive impact since moving to the club in December with the squad impressed with the clarity and quality he brings to the training sessions. Barry-Murphy was Manchester City's elite development squad head coach until last summer.

Set piece coach Andy Hughes remains at the club, having joined from Norwich in the summer, while Premier League winner Andy King returned to the Foxes as their Under-18 assistant coach last week.