The decline in Leicester's fortunes was summed up by a frustrated Brendan Rodgers following Thursday's 1-0 defeat by Manchester United as the Foxes boss moaned: "This isn't the club that it was a couple of years ago." Thai-owned Leicester sit bottom of the Premier League with just one point after their first five matches.
Rodgers' angst at Leicester's plight has been exacerbated by a lack of recruitment during the transfer window, leaving him to admit avoiding relegation is now their main aim. "Our objective this season is to get to 40 points," Rodgers said of total which is regarded as enough to preserve a club's Premier League status. "I'm happy that the window's shut, if I'm being honest.
There were huge distractions." It is a far cry from the positivity around the King Power Stadium in recent years. For two successive seasons, Leicester performed so far above expectations that they only missed out on the Champions League places in the last match of the campaign.
They also lifted the FA Cup for the first time in their history in 2021. Rodgers' biggest gripe at present is over the lack of new signings he was allowed during a summer window when Premier League clubs set a new spending record.