Leicester City

Before Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca hosts his former side Leicester at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, we asked our fan writers for each club to answer question about the Italian coach.

How have you found life with Maresca?

Ross: It has been a tale of two seasons so far. While much of the focus has been on Chelsea's decline in attacking output - and perhaps unfairly on Cole Palmer given the continual reliance on him - so far Maresca's style of play has left the defence consistently vulnerable, even before considering the poor play from our goalkeepers. His team creating chances has not been the problem at least, finishing them has.

How have you found life without Maresca?

Kate: It's been very tough and challenging and having two managers so far this season hasn't helped. We had a plan in place with Enzo to take us through the next few years, a style of football where everyone was engaged, and we had the correct personnel to take this forward. The replacement of Enzo with Steve Cooper was an about turn on this style of football and therefore upon the transfer policy, leaving us with a real mixed bag of personnel for different styles of play. We have therefore struggled to find an identity and a successful way of playing this season.

What mistakes has he made at Chelsea?

Ross: Maresca has been late to change things around in games not going our way and seldom changes formations, generally only swapping his wingers around.

Madueke, Sancho, Neto, Felix and Nkunku have all had spells of poor play, but it feels like he has missed a trick by not utilising Palmer on the right to present opponents with different problems.

The outcome has been the departure of Felix, while Nkunku has had little opportunity to find form just when he is needed most.

What are the typical mistakes or annoyances at Leicester?

Kate: Individual errors have hampered our performances this season and these have mainly come from the defence. We haven't addressed these and still concede over two goals per game. This has been a season-long frustration. However, since Ruud's appointment, the goals have also completely dried up due to the cautious style of play and we have only scored four goals in the last 12. These on pitch frustrations have led to fan frustrations directed towards the club board, which have boiled over in the form of a fan protest. Things do not seem cohesive.

Find more from Ross Mooring at Chelsea Fancast, external and Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die, external

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Before Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca hosts his former side Leicester at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, we asked our fan writers for each club to answer question about the Italian coach.

Is he the man to guide Chelsea's future?

Ross: The jury is out on this one and it is concerning that the attack has dropped off as opponents have keyed in on our style of play.

This is not only on the players' backs as it seems as if they are not coached in the art of being compact when needed.

However, it is still early in Maresca's reign and the current recruitment team has only hit on Palmer and Moises Caicedo thus far while there are still deficiencies in at least three positions.

Would he have kept Leicester up?

Kate: Most fans would agree that the style of football under Enzo, with the personnel that we had, would've made our Premier League survival hopes very slim. Possession based football with slow build up play means that you rely upon your team to keep the ball - Leicester are not very good at this. So he would have been up against it and would have needed a gem of a transfer window to make this work. Otherwise a plan B would have been required and I am not sure we ever saw that Enzo had this in his repertoire.

How far can he take the Blues?

Ross: Arguably more concerning than the league form were the insipid displays in the cup defeats at Newcastle and Brighton and the poor messaging from Maresca that accompanied them.

There is tempering expectations and then there is excusing one's players from properly applying themselves.

Players pay attention to what their managers say and even if we are to win the Conference League, the mentality has to be right to win major honours.

As a Foxes fan, do you think he will succeed at Chelsea?

Kate: I think he will obtain European football each year and in some competitions have a really good run. However, like Leicester, I think that certain things need to be sorted behind the scenes with transfer policies and recruitment. In the Premier League, I think there are better teams that can play his style of football and achieving top four will be tough but doable. A bad run of results at the wrong time can also lead to a sacking, so he is up against it for sure, but I wish him well.

Find more from Ross Mooring at Chelsea Fancast, external and Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die, external

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Leicester City right-back Ricardo Pereira will be available for the Foxes' trip to Chelsea on Sunday, Ruud van Nistelrooy has confirmed.

The defender has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the 1-1 draw with Ipswich in November, but the Foxes boss revealed he has now returned to first-team training.

Van Nistelrooy added: "This was his first week of full team training, so he will be available for selection. It is good news.

"One week of team training and we want to build him up, with common sense, and see how he goes. Then we can take it from there."

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Leicester have won just one of their past 11 Premier League away games against Chelsea, netting just seven goals in that time and never more than once in a match.

Leicester City have lost 11 of their past 12 Premier League games, losing four in a row without scoring and conceding at least twice, since beating Spurs 2-1 in January. The Foxes could lose five straight league matches by margin of two goals or more for the third time in their history.

Pedro Neto has been involved in four goals in his past four Premier League games (two goals, two assists), one more than he was in his first 20 appearances for Chelsea. The most recent game against Southampton was the first time Neto has ever scored and assisted in the same Premier League match.

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Leicester City academy product Ian Baraclough is hoping Ruud van Nistelrooy's side have used their 10-day break to "build some confidence back up", as the relegation-threatened side prepare to face Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Brighton and Liverpool in their next six games.

Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Baraclough said: "You can clearly see the team are playing without massive confidence in the ranks. Five losses on the trot and two wins in their past 15 games is not great going into the final part of a season.

"But, and I think Ruud van Nistelrooy has already said this, five points is not insurmountable at this point in the season. No club in that bottom four are really hitting the heights.

"They have to go on a run now. They have to believe, as a club and as players, that they can go and put a string of results together.

"Teams aren't going to give Leicester City too much of a chance going into these next six games, but that might be the catalyst of them thinking: 'Hey, what have we got to lose?'

"But currently they look devoid of attacking threat and confidence, that's for sure. So these past 10 days will hopefully have been a really important time to build some confidence back up and to prepare for the Chelsea game.

"If you can garner a bit of togetherness and generate a bit of personality in this team, there is no reason why they can't stay in this division."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game at Chelsea (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Woyo Coulibaly is back available after missing out on the game against West Ham. The right-back has recovered from some "little bits" and he has "trained as expected" this week.

• The squad have "taken advantage" of their 10-day break from action: "We had a long week, with many days to work and look at the West Ham game. We will have had five sessions together to prepare for this game. It was important to work with the team as you have to recover from the bad result and rise again."

• He confirmed the squad has spoken about their "approach to games" and "how it should be" moving forward into a tough run of fixtures. He added: "This team is capable of doing it. We are not the only team in this situation, dealing with loss after loss, so we have to make sure we are ready for Sunday."

• Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca "knows the squad", after earning the Foxes promotion to the Premier League last season, but Leicester City's backroom staff have "the necessary information to be prepared" for their trip to Stamford Bridge.

• On the opponents, he added: "I watched their game yesterday [against Copenhagen] and I looked at how they play, their approach, the squad they have, the quality they have, and the fight they are in to qualify for the Champions League."

• He is aware of the "big task ahead" but is confident his team "will do everything possible to get a result".

• When asked whether every game from this point forward is a "must win" rather than a "must not lose", he responded: "The approach is - and has always been - to get the maximum amount out of the game and to always plan to be able to win. If you can't win then you want to protect the result." There will be a "similar approach" against Chelsea.

• There has been some speculation around the future of academy product Jeremy Monga, who has been "part of the training set-up" this season, but "the priority is to do absolutely everything" they can to keep him at King Power Stadium.

• The Foxes have already had conversations with the winger, his agent and his family about his future at the club, including plans to use the youngster during pre-season.

Listen to full commentary of Chelsea v Leicester on BBC Radio 5 Live at 14:00 on Sunday

Follow all of Friday'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.

Ian Baraclough, who came through the Foxes' academy, joins Jack Rafferty to preview Sunday's trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Enzo Maresca's Chelsea.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Daily Mail reporter James Sharpe believes those at the top of Leicester City deserve praise for the success they have brought the club, but need to answer the "legitimate questions and concerns" fans have about how the Foxes are being run.

Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast, Sharpe said: "It's wrong not to give them the credit they deserve for the fantastic times Leicester have had and the amazing things the club have achieved.

"Promotion, staying up, winning the title, Champions League football, FA Cup wins - they deserve credit for that and we should always be thankful.

"What that doesn't do is absolve them of responsibility and give them a free pass for what has happened since. There's a number of things that have been huge issues.

"Getting rid of Brendan Rodgers far too late had a massive impact on the club's future. Fumbling on the replacement and having caretakers in for two crucial games that went badly stunk of a club that lacked direction, planning and a clear vision of what they needed.

"They are responsible for a big part of the financial situation Leicester find themselves in. They have to take responsibility for the contracts that have been handed out.

"The complete scattergun transfer policy over recent seasons and repeated decisions that have left Leicester in such a tricky financial situation, where they're juggling PSR charges and narrowly escaping points deductions because of loopholes. You wouldn't expect these decisions to be made by a club like Leicester who have done such great things."

However, Sharpe's biggest concern is the lack of answers given from the club as to how things have gone so badly wrong.

"Leicester's owners were seen as the pinnacle of how to run a football club - we've gone from that to where we are now," Sharpe said. "A lot of the frustration from fans and journalists is their refusal to speak openly about their decision-making.

"Give supporters answers to these legitimate concerns. Questions need answering."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Leicester City's Jeremy Monga is a target for Manchester City but they will have to go through a tribunal to agree a compensation fee for the 15-year-old English winger. (Sun), external

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Failures in recruitment over the past decade is the primary reason behind Leicester's fragile state, says former winger Matt Piper.

The Foxes made astute signings such as Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N'Golo Kante, who were key to their Premier League title win in 2015-16. Since then however, signings have been far less consistent and the club has struggled to pivot its strategy after finding success.

"All of a sudden if you're going into the market as a top Premier League team and try and buy a £400k player to put into the first team the fans aren't having it," Piper told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast.

"In a certain way that strategy was the downfall of our own success.

"What we did is sell one huge asset each season and that can be frustrating for fans because you're never really building by adding players to the best players you've already got.

"For a club like Leicester that was a really smart tactic to move in the transfer market. But, then you have to be really clever and savvy with how you spend that money and we had a number of transfer windows where we weren't.

"Steve Walsh had gone by that point and the recruitment was not at the level of a top Premier League club fighting at the top end of the table. Then the problems start to unravel. Then players think let's get established Premier League players in who have done it.

"The problem with that is the clubs like Fulham and Crystal Palace who were selling us this type of players. We had ambitions to be higher than them and we're taking players they don't want anymore and putting them in our first XI.

"Then, everyone is scratching their heads at why we're down near the bottom of the table with a lack of quality in the group. That is the reason why unfortunately."

Listen to the full documentary on BBC Sounds

Leicester might not have played over the weekend but there is still plenty to talk about because of the league position and lacklustre performances.

BBC Radio Leicester delves into things in the latest episode of the When You're Smiling podcast to look at how a club that was the envy of football for so long is now viewed very differently.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Chris Forryan
Fan writer

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Eat. Sleep. Watch Leicester City play. Write how awful they were. Repeat. Just read my last blog because nothing changes.

We still have a manager who does not seem to have a clue. We are still relying on a pensioner up front who gets no service from the rest of the team. We are still playing a system that none of our players can play. We are still picking the same personnel who are losing week in, week out. We are still picking players, none of whom are fit to wear the shirt.

How did Ruud van Nistelrooy get the manager's job? On the basis of two wins over a Steve Cooper Leicester side? Was Top so unable to see past appointing a 'famous' ex-player as manager? I mean, he might just appoint Wayne Rooney next!

The fans can see what is not working - why can't the manager and board? Do they have a post-match meeting where Van Nistelrooy has to explain himself? Does he turn up or just send in a tape of the previous meeting and say: "Same as last time" as the board doff their hats and say: "Thank you kindly, Mr Van Nistelrooy"?

The manager said we could do another great escape. More rubbish. Last time we survived we had a manager in Nigel Pearson that the players would walk on glass to perform for. A manager who had the nouse to know when things were not working.

Things need to change, from The Top down. Maybe no-one should turn up to the next home game, and we hit the club where it hurts: in their pockets.

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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."