Leicester City are destined for a second relegation from the Premier League in three years. After the 3-0 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday, the Foxes need a miracle.
The problems on the pitch are for another day. Big picture-wise, Leicester are in a position they haven’t been in since before King Power’s takeover. The fans are no longer the ‘twelfth man’ or playing their part to the maximum.
And who can blame them? A 7pm kick-off on a Sunday evening when your team are odds on favourite to be relegated to the Championship was always going to be a factor in the number of supporters which filled into the King Power Stadium at the weekend.
Following Wolves' win at Southampton, City are faced with overturning a nine-point deficit to stay in the top flight. The Foxes have picked up only eight points since the 3-2 turnaround win at Southampton on October 19 - 20 games ago. To say the job on Ruud van Nistelrooy's hands is a tough one would be an understatement.
But following an action-packed day of football with the Old Firm derby, Steel City derby, a London derby and Carabao Cup final, it was Leicester's turn for the final Premier League game before the international break.
To put it bluntly, it was terrible and they made United look like a world-class team. The win moved Ruben Amorim's men up to 13th, another reminder that the Red Devils are likely to record their worst-ever Premier League season.
In the week, the club announced they would be freezing season ticket prices for the ninth time in 11 seasons. They also confirmed matchday tickets, which increased significantly at the start of the season by as much as 38 per cent, would not go up.
Leicester City fans
The family stand had a number of vacant seats against Manchester United (Image: Josh Holland)
However, as has been the case often with club statements recently, there was one announcement that hasn't gone down well with supporters. From the start of next season, all season ticket holders will use a digital season ticket rather than the physical plastic card, but exemptions are made for under-16s, over-65s and supporters with a disability.
The club states it's to 'meet Premier League mandated requirements'. Ironically, the club is not going to be in the Premier League next season, they’ll be under EFL rules. It's a decision that has been slammed by fans and joins the list of unpopular ones made in the last 24 months.
Fans' dissent at the running of the club has been rumbling on for the majority of this season. Calls for director of football Jon Rudkin to be dismissed have become constant and different ways of 'protesting' have been used. One method has been by fans simply not turning up.
On Sunday, there were empty seats dotted around the stadium. Blue seats in the East Stand and Kop were evident, even the hospitality section in front of the press contained vacant seats. The strange kick-off time is a factor but it was a similar story for the Brentford defeat.
The fact is that fans have lost confidence. Not only in the team's ability to stay up but also the clubs running from top to bottom. The call to not turn up to games is a protest of some sort, but also a sign that the 'love factor' of following their team has faded.
As Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho scored the goals to slam another nail in Leicester's coffin, the stadium emptied. "I'm not watching any more," one fan said nearby. A few joked about getting a beer in the concourse to drown their sorrows.
In the home defeats to Brentford, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Wolves, fans have waited until the full-time whistle to voice their concerns and anger. Boos and sarcastic jeers have been directed to certain players. When the United game ended, the volume was muted and thousands had already headed for the exits by the time the game finished.
A sign of disappointment, but expectation. Fans have accepted relegation and with nine games remaining, the hope was zapped out of Leicester without any fighting chance - despite it still being possible that they stay in the top-flight.
Leicester have four more home games left of the 2024/25 season with Newcastle, Liverpool, Southampton and Ipswich all to come to LE2. A couple of fans, who are friends to myself, have messaged saying they won't be bothering with the Newcastle game.
Van Nistelrooy and his players, as professionals, will battle until it is mathematically impossible to stay up. But for the fans who adore the club and have witnessed greatness in the past 10 years, the fight is over already.
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