Some Leicester fans still reeling from their humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brentford on Friday night have called for Sean Dyche to come in and replace head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Goals from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard had Brentford three goals up after 32 minutes, with the Sky Sports cameras panning to supporters seemingly leaving the King Power Stadium.
Those that stayed jeered their side at half-time, and late into the second half Fabio Carvalho made it 4-0 – a convincing win for Brentford, who moved up to 10th, while Leicester are 19th after a fourth straight defeat.
Worse though was the fact this was a sixth straight defeat at home in the league for Leicester without scoring a single goal, with supporters last seeing their side score at home in the league on 8 December in the 2-2 draw with Brighton.
This made for an unwanted Premier League record, and further jeers at full-time directed at the board as well as the players and head coach Van Nistelrooy.
As a result, some supporters are calling for Dyche – available after his Everton sacking – to come in and replace Van Nistelrooy, with the outside hope of his Premier League experience saving the club and the fallback having him in charge for their season in the Championship.
“I’d replace Van Nistelrooy with someone like Sean Dyche who could get some fight and spirit back,” season-ticket holder Tom Pawley tells The i Paper.
“Richie Wellens (Leyton Orient boss) is another one I’d go for. Loved him as a player here. We need to start planning for next season’s rebuild in the Championship now in my opinion.”
Calls for Dyche appear to be picking up pace among fans vocal on X, but not all agree.
“I am about as close as I ever will be to saying get Dyche in, but I don’t think so,” Leicester fan Matt Gibson tells The i Paper.
“Going through three managers in a season would be madness and stinks of relegation. I don’t think any manager can make us even half-decent at defending.
“I also don’t think we can afford to sack Ruud. I think, maybe insanely, that we could still potentially survive if we just gain a bit of confidence
“Ruud has got to switch things up in attack, the front three are so old, so maybe we can try and score the first goal in a game for once and play our most creative players.”
Jamie Vardy, for one, is 38, while there were ironic cheers among the Leicester fans on Friday night when Facundo Buonanotte, 20, eventually replaced the 33-year-old Jordan Ayew.
Goal-shy under one of the most prolific strikers the Premier League has seen, Leicester look doomed under Van Nistelrooy, who was appointed on 1 December, replacing Steve Cooper.
In his 15 matches so far the Dutchman was won just three games.
“We have to acknowledge that it’s a huge step back,” Van Nistelrooy said.
“I feel we are better than what we showed today. Efficiency – first, second and third chances for them were all in. That’s the difference between us and the other clubs.
“Also we know we gave the other teams above us and below us the chance to gain points and momentum. Then it can become difficult really quickly if we don’t keep picking up points.”
Leicester sit 19th in the table with 17 points, and can only realistically catch Wolves and Ipswich, who currently have two points more and their weekend games still to play.
That is a reason why Opta’s supercomputer gives Leicester just a five per cent chance of survival – 94.6 per cent to go down, with bottom-club Southampton viewed as 99.9 per cent likely due to their current nine-point haul.
“It’s been awful. Leicester seem lost on the pitch,” Leicester’s title-winning captain Wes Morgan said on Sky Sports at half-time.
He added after full-time: “There’s a real frailty, not just in the defence but the whole team. It showed, conceding the type of goals they conceded in the first half.
“Before Ruud took over, the fans weren’t totally happy with the performances or the position. He got a reaction straight away but it’s never been consistent and the recent run of form has been terrible.
“Looking at the positives, it’s only two points [behind 17th-placed Wolves]. But the stats, the form, the confidence, everything is pointing down. That’s got to change.
“It’s been proven it can be done. I was part of a great team which escaped our first season back. I’m sure the fans are going to be disappointed with how things have gone in recent weeks but things can change – they know what’s happened in the past.”
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