On Thursday night, Leicester City suffered a meek defeat against West Ham United at the London Stadium. To be blunt, and not for the first time this season, the East Midlanders were thoroughly embarrassed.
While previous losses were tough to swallow, the Foxes at least showed some threat to the opposition’s defense. In those matches, there were glimpses of passion and determination to fight their way out of a difficult situation.
However, against West Ham, Leicester were alarmingly ineffective. The word most commonly associated with LCFC’s dismal performance in the English capital was “passive.”
To make matters worse, the King Power squad is led by a manager, Ruud van Nistelrooy, who often appears equally passive. Unfortunately, these two negative traits combine to create a detrimental effect.
This weak and submissive display from Leicester is utterly unacceptable at this elite level of sport. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t believe that reserved and overly measured head coaches like the Dutchman are well-suited to relegation battles or high-stakes confrontations. What’s needed is a Brian Clough-type figure, or even someone like Nigel Pearson.
Leicester failed to genuinely test West Ham’s goalkeeper, managing just two shots on target—a deeply disappointing statistic. Sadly, it’s now time to question the commitment of some of Leicester’s key players.
I’ll name and shame a couple of Foxes who already seem to be “on the beach,” mentally checked out and preparing for their undeserved summer holidays. In fact, they appear to have already accepted relegation to the Championship at this point!
Leicester City players must be dedicated to the cause:

Former Fox Robbie Savage criticized Jannik Vestergaard on TNT for his lack of effort in attempting to block West Ham’s first goal. The center-back’s commitment was questionable for both of the Hammers’ goals.
Wilfred Ndidi and Boubakary Soumare, usually dependable, seemed either exhausted or resigned to relegation. Ndidi did show some improvement later in the game.
However, if James Ward-Prowse is dominating the midfield, there’s clearly a problem. James Justin showed little attacking intent, and Bobby De Cordova-Reid allowed Aaron Wan-Bissaka too much freedom down the flank. Perhaps the fight simply isn’t in them anymore?