As the plane’s banner suggested, director of football Jon Rudkin and the board have been the target for fans this season.
They see Rudkin as a root cause of their decline in recent seasons. He was, of course, in the same position when the Foxes stunned the world to win the Premier League in 2016, but supporters have made up their minds.
It does not help that the hierarchy rarely speak publicly, allowing supporters to understand and digest the situation.
Chief executive Susan Whelan twice met with the Foxes Trust and the club’s Fan Advisory Board in February for candid and constructive meetings but the wider fanbase remain disconnected.
Does chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha decide to make a change at the top, does head of recruitment Martyn Glover’s position come under more scrutiny following a number of poor transfer windows, regardless of financial constraints?
Van Nistelrooy’s position remains a doubt and it is hard to see a long-term future in the wake of damning statistics.
Defeat against Liverpool leaves him with the unenviable record of having lost 17 of his 22 games, winning just three. He has lost 16 of his last 18 matches in charge, and what manager with that record survives?
Van Nistelrooy, who confirmed there was no date set for talks on his future, said on Sunday: “I’m waiting on the clarity of the club and how they want to continue.
“It is the goal to lead the club. I have to wait on how the club sees things and take it from there.
“The club has to use this time, otherwise you will waste it. In a situation like this you have to sit very carefully with the club to discuss the matters.”
Yet sacking a second manager of the season has financial consequences and with money tight, it will be a consideration. Can Leicester financially afford to sack Van Nistelrooy but, going forward, can they afford not to?
There is also an acceptance the squad needs a reset but only three players are out of contract – goalkeepers Daniel Iversen and Danny Ward, and 38-year-old captain Jamie Vardy.
What happens with Vardy – influential at the club as their last remaining title winner and the scorer of 198 goals – remains open, but it’s the biggest decision the club has to make in terms of the squad given his reputation and achievements.
It means Leicester must shift big earners to make wholesale changes to a squad which has, in the main, brought them down twice.
Wilfred Ndidi signed a new three-year contract last summer but his appetite for another Championship campaign is likely to have waned and the same will go for defenders Ricardo Pereira and Wout Faes. Although, as part of Leicester’s decline, they must find takers.
Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen has been a rare bright spot and will have his admirers, as will Bilal El Khannouss, despite an underwhelming first season in England, while Winks’ situation could depend on Van Nistelrooy’s exit.
Like every club, Profit and Sustainability Rules will be a concern so sales are inevitable and the threat of possibly further action from the EFL remains.
Leicester escaped a points deduction for a PSR breach in the three years to 30 June 2023, successfully arguing the Premier League had no power to punish them as they were already in the EFL at the time of the charge, and the club remains in talks with the Premier League and EFL.
Yet, they have to fall under some jurisdiction and cannot be left to float.
For now, though, Leicester know they will be a Championship club next season and deep-rooted problems – which pre-date and go beyond Van Nistelrooy – need to be dealt with.
They made an immediate return last time they went down in 2023. This time their short-term future is far less certain.
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