Leicester City

Kate Blakemore
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

There has been much talk this season, and the past few seasons, about changes needed at Leicester City. Many skeletons seem to be lurking in the Foxes' closet and, one by one, they are slowly being discovered, providing setback after setback in our quest to restabilise the club.

While I am never expectant of full disclosure of what has been going on behind the scenes, I do expect to have some sort of communication from the club about various significant events.

Those include: the relegation to the Championship for the second time in three seasons; the departure of Jamie Vardy; the Ruud Van Nistelrooy-shaped elephant in the room; the financial constraints the club faces under PSR and what that means for future transfer windows.

Like I said, this does not mean full disclosure, but it does mean an acknowledgement the club is aware of issues and concerns of fans - and maybe even an acceptance of mistakes made, or a collective responsibility.

Up until now, a lot of blame has been placed at the door of John Rudkin, our director of football. But is this misplaced or misguided? Is the club accepting of one scapegoat?

A little communication could go a long way to help placate the frustration of fans.

It can be done. Plymouth Argyle's chairman has just issued a statement to fans - not with solutions, just with information and asking for patience. Open and honest - there is truth in that always being the best policy.

er engagement should not be conditional - it should be par for the course of running a football club, where good PR and fan sentiment are strongly correlated.

Communication will help to break down the barriers of 'us' and 'them' and pave the way to a united club and fanbase as we head into yet another unpredictable season both on and off the pitch.

I do fear it may be business as usual, though, and the silence coming out of the club will be as deafening as some of the boos on matchday.

Find more from Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die, external

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

A Premier League season can sometimes be a tale of two halves.

Some come flying out of the blocks, while others are more sluggish starters.

The busy Christmas period can be a turning point with the arrival of the January transfer window feeling like a fresh start.

So what might have happened if the league season only start on 1 January?

Well, Pep Guardiola's title-winning machines would have picked up their fifth Premier League trophy in a row.

Playing one game fewer than actual champions Liverpool - who secured the title with four games remaining - they would have finished one point clear of the Reds, not withstanding Arne Slot's side slowdown in form after sealing the title.

City always seem to come good after January, but this time it was not enough to outweigh the torrid time they had from late autumn.

The rest of the top six is not too dissimilar to the final placings, although in this case, Aston Villa would have secured Champions League football and Brighton a Europa League spot in the absence of Chelsea - whose form nose-dived at the very beginning of the year.

And while the new year is a new start for some, it is less so for others.

That was the case for many of those down the bottom of the league.

The relegated trio would still have been relegated and Manchester United and Tottenham would still have ended up in the bottom six. West Ham find themselves one place lower after Wolves picked up form under Vitor Pereira.

So what does this tell us? If you wan to achieve your Premier League ambitions, it is about making sure you are there for nine months and not just from January.

*Table data from Football365

Image source, Getty Images

Former Leicester City midfielder Dean Hammond says decisions on the Foxes' future need to be made quickly to provide clarity for fans.

Hammond told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast: "The hardest thing in football is to make decisions, and I think the quicker you can make them, the better, because it gives everyone a bit of clarity and a bit of understanding and puts everyone at ease because they know what's happening and what's expected.

"Who's going to lead the team next season would be the biggest decision for me, because until it's decided whether Ruud van Nistelrooy stays or a new manager comes in, then I'm not sure how you plan.

"It's so important to have that person in place to start putting forward the direction of the football club for next season.

"The more time you get with the players you're going to work with for the majority of the season, the better time you're going to have to implement your playing style.

"You need to get to know players. You need to build relationship with players. New players need to come in and settle. They need to understand how they're going to play and what is expected.

"Leicester City does not feel like a stable club in this moment, and I wonder, with that in mind, how important this summer overall really is for Leicester City, not just for now and for next season, but for what the club want to achieve in the next maybe five to 10 years."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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The season will hardly be ed fondly.

Relegation, a record-equalling run of defeats, division between the fans and the club, a change of manager, the departure of a legend and a season-ending profit and sustainability charge.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper in November and the change did not work. The Dutchman has carried himself extremely well - as you would expect for someone of his experience in the game - but failed to get results.

He lost 19 of his 27 games, winning five - with two of those coming in the last four matches when the Foxes had already been relegated.

Under him Leicester became the first Premier League team to lose eight games in a row without scoring during a run of defeats between February and April, which also equalled the club's record losing streak.

It leaves Van Nistelrooy in a fragile position, with the expectation he will leave while Russell Martin is a leading contender to replace him.

Fans called for the departure of director of football Jon Rudkin, who they view as key in their decline following two relegations in three years yet there seems to be no appetite to change at the top.

Leicester are entering a new era - one post Jamie Vardy - with the striker leaving at the end of his contract next month.

He is the last of the 2016 title winners left and the Foxes must find a new direction in the Championship next season, even as they look to avoid a points deduction.

We asked you to select your Leicester player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.

After taking part in your thousands, we can reveal the winner is... Jamie Vardy!

Here's what Kate Blakemore from Leicester Till I Die, external said about him:

Despite at one stage having an 11-game goal drought, Vardy is our top goalscorer this season on a tear-inducing nine goals (the bar is low this year).

His performances have fallen short of his usual high standards, but he has still brought some of his magic to the back of the net.

See the final poll breakdown

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.

The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.

Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.

Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).

Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Leicester goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell believes the club's players need a different style of management to what Ruud van Nistelrooy offers.

Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester's 'When You're Smiling' podcast, Stowell said he believes the Dutch boss was more of a friend than a coach to players.

He said: "It feels different this season. It was almost doomed to fail early on, and just the manner in which they've gone down is disappointing.

"Two years ago under Brendan Rodgers, that was a shock to end up going down. I wouldn't say there was inevitability about this team going down though.

"Who knows what would have happened if we didn't sack Steve Cooper. For me, he came with baggage but that shouldn't be the case.

"There was no reason for me to think Leicester were going down and they had to sack Cooper.

"I've met Ruud van Nistelrooy and he's a lovely bloke. But I get the feeling he was the players' friend rather than the players' coach.

"I feel they needed someone in there that would drive them rather than befriend them.

"He is an incredible man, but that doesn't make you a great manager."

Listen to the full podcast here

Chris Forryan
Fan writer

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Season rating: 1/10. I fail to think of anything positive to say about what is possibly the worst season since the Frank McLintock season of 1977-78.

Happy with your manager? Is this a trick question? I would be happier with piles. After a few games when things started to pick up and look better, we had Ruud van Nistelrooy going back to his old drawing board against Bournemouth.

Unsung hero: Luke Thomas. One-time target of the terrace boo boys and social media keyboard warriors. After torrid loans at Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, he stood up to the mark when given the chance. He does walk a bit lopsided - probably caused by still having Mohamed Salah in his pocket.

Player you would most like to sign: I am going against almost everything I have been saying all season, but I would like to sign... JAMIE VARDY!

Not his best season by any stretch of the imagination. Not since 2005-06 have we had a season with the top goalscorer having so low a number as 10. But we love his leadership, commitment and effort. Let's be honest, with the service Vardy got this season, Lionel Messi wouldn't have scored.

Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Anger! Anger that this owner has let the club his family turned into champions, and set the example for the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford to follow, become a laughing stock. The big six, who said they must never let another Leicester happen again, must be celebrating our demise. Tough decisions have to be made at executive level, but can Kuhn Top make them?

Do you agree with Chris' answers? Pick one or two categories and send your views

Find more from Chris Forryan at Leicester Till I Die, external

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Here's my quick assessment of Liverpool's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.

Pre-season prediction: 19th

Ended the season: 18th

Steve Cooper lasted five months after succeeding Enzo Maresca. Ruud van Nistelrooy replaced Cooper, and took Leicester down. Jamie Vardy had a more colourful phrase for it, but here I will just say it was a fiasco.

Performances were desperate. There was fan discontent. It was not the note on which Vardy wanted to end his 13 years at King Power Stadium.

Leicester's ers are often accused of demanding too much. Whether this is true or not, they had every right to demand better than this on and off the pitch.

What I said in August: "Cooper and Leicester could defy the odds but it may well be a steep uphill struggle."

Read my assessments of the other 19 teams here

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We asked for your views on Leicester's performance against Bournemouth, and their season overall.

Here are some of your comments:

Lindsay: I feel terrible. The manager never dramatically changed his style or first XI and left out in-form academy stars that were proving themselves in their squads. Ruud van Nistelrooy has to go and we need a proven manager who can bring in fresh players and merge them with the young stars of the academy, as long as PSR allows it.

Martin: We spent far too long chasing Graham Potter, but Harry Potter couldn't have kept us up this season. If Ruud wants to stay, I'd stick with him and give him the opportunity to build something. The clearout needs to be substantial, though.

Chris: Been going down the City for over 50 years and I'm certain there were more miserable seasons - but I can't one. Hollywood managerial gs very rarely work out well.

Phil: The longer it takes to make the change we all know needs to come, the poorer the pool of replacements will be, and the weaker the group of free agents will be. I would get Russell Martin in quickly so he can revive the squad with fresh blood.

John: Absolutely rubbish all season. Top needs to replace both Jon Rudkin and Susan Whelan straight away so the club can start afresh next season. I feel sorry for Ruud.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's 10 final day Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Nottingham Forest 0-1 Chelsea

• Liverpool 1-1 Crystal Palace

• Wolves 1-1 Brentford

Leicester City have made a bid to sign 18-year-old Guinean forward Abdoul Karim Traore from French club Bourg-en-Bresse. (Foot Mercato - in French, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Adam Millington
BBC Sport journalist

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In what could turn out to be Ruud van Nistelrooy's final game in charge of Leicester, this was a meek performance.

They did not manage to muster any efforts on target and ed just three shots. Bournemouth kept Jakub Stolarczyk busy with 19 shots, seven hitting the target.

The Foxes managed to hold on until Antoine Semenyo finally broke the deadlock, but the goal had always seemed to be coming.

Apart from the earlier VAR intervention, only a stunning fingertip save from Stolarczyk shortly after the restart, when he denied Marcus Tavernier what would have been a superb goal, kept Leicester on level .

Leicester's only major chance came in the second chance when they counter-attacked after Bournemouth gave the ball away, but the hosts rapidly tracked back and Jordan Ayew eventually scuffed his effort at the back post.

Late chants of "Leicester till I die" from the visiting ers rounded off the season before they return to the second tier after a campaign in which they finished 18th, 15 points adrift of safety.

BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast brings you post- match analysis with former striker Matty Fryatt as the Foxes end their season with defeat at Bournemouth - plus reaction from Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Ruud van Nistelrooy spoke to BBC Match of the Day after defeat against Bournemouth: "I think the turning point was the first goal because we were in the game, it was a very level match. Off the ball we controlled but we weren't able to create an awful lot but some okay spells.

"When you look at the players we had to miss today it was 10 or 12 players but the players did well and very, very young players came on. In the end, I see these positives. The run of results and run of form that we were able to show in the last five six weeks we take that into the next season, that's what we wanted. It's time to rest now."

On what he thinks will happen to his future this week: "I hope to speak with them."

On whether he would like to stay: "I would like to talk and that's the first thing that needs to happen. It's been silent and it's something towards the end of the season and get things done with and then I expect to hear something."

On whether the difference of being in the Championship to the Premier League is a worry: "It's important to start talking and to see how we look into the future. It's what you need to find out. So far there hasn't been any conversation but I'm waiting for that to happen."

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester lost 25 Premier League games this season (W6 D7), they've never lost more in a single league campaign in their history (also 25 in 1994-95 and 1977-78).

So the curtain has come down on Leicester City's season with a defeat against Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium.

After their relegation fate was confirmed over a month ago, Ruud van Nistelrooy's side will be glad to see the back of a dismal campaign which has seen them record 25 defeats in 38 league games.

The Foxes were on a three-match unbeaten run going into the final day of the season, so how are you feeling after that performance?

What are your thoughts at the end of a long campaign for the Foxes?

Have your say on Leicester City's performance and season here

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies