Leicester City supporters are excited for this season to end, as it’s been a disaster from start to finish, even reaching new lows under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Leicester City cantered to the Championship title last term, but the excitement of returning to the Premier League soon eroded, with an immediate return to the second tier looking likely.
The Foxes have to overturn a five-point deficit to climb out of the relegation zone after losing to West Ham on Thursday, and with some difficult fixtures to come in March, not even the most optimistic of fans can predict survival.
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Opta have predicted relegation for Leicester under Ruud van Nistelrooy, and it’s the least they deserve after losing 11 of their last 12 matches.
An abysmal run of form has also resulted in cracks appearing in the first-team squad, with Jannik Vestergaard refusing to shake Van Nistelrooy’s hand in the defeat to West Ham.
That is one example of the players turning against the manager, and there is another.
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Brian Barry-Murphy apologises to Leicester City players after training ground bust-up
Leicester appointed Brian Barry-Murphy as assistant manager in December, becoming the second in command to Van Nistelrooy.
Barry-Murphy arrived as a highly-rated coach who has spent time working with Manchester City’s development side and is also held in high regard by Pep Guardiola.
The 46-year-old has since become an important member of Van Nistelrooy’s backroom staff, overseeing training sessions and barking orders on the touchline.
But according to The Telegraph, Barry-Murphy clashed with players in a session he’d personally overseen before Leicester’s 4-0 defeat to Brentford.
The former Man City coach reportedly accused some individuals of not following his instructions, feeling they weren’t made clear.
To ensure the rift wasn’t made any bigger, Barry-Murphy apologised to the players the next day and continued preparation for the game.
The staff and players have since moved on from what was seen as a standard dispute on the training pitch, although the situation on the field has worsened.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has lost the dressing room at Leicester
From Vestergaard refusing to shake Van Nistelrooy’s hand to Jamie Vardy seen jogging on the pitch when he’s usually at full throttle, it’s become clear that the dressing room is detached.
It’s obvious that during the losses to Brentford and West Ham, the players were no longer playing for the manager, and that is a sorry sight.
This is hardly surprising, though, as the Dutchman has proven he’s out of his depth tactically, with Van Nistelrooy refusing to make a substitution at half-time against the Hammers.
Relegation seems inevitable this term, and so does the departure of the Man United legend, who hasn’t shown anything to suggest he’d be the right man to take Leicester back up.
Next up for the Foxes is a trip to face Chelsea in what could be another humiliating afternoon.