Leicester City entertain West Bromwich Albion in the English Football League Championship division at King Power Stadium on Monday night. The match, a crucial one for the Foxes, as they all are, is set to be boycotted by a large amount of LCFC supporters judging by reports and talk on social media. Not to mention a significant and dedicated fan group disclosing their absence from the Leicestershire ground when the new week begins.
However, City manager Marti Cifuentes would prefer to have the Blue Army fan base in full support and full voice on January 5. The first game of the New Year was an absolute disaster, with Cifuentes' men capitulating from the start versus an uninspiring Sheffield United. The former Queens Park Rangers head coach would like to have spectators in seats, and has made that request.
Here is what is going on behind the scenes on Filbert Way, what is likely to happen next, and what we make of it all.
Unrest in LE2
Why are Leicester fans protesting? Well, I won't have to tell any serious or plugged-in members of the faithful any of this; if that is you, you're welcome to skip the following two paragraphs.
The LCFC support are collectively fed up of how badly Khun Top (chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha) is running the club. They want his director of football, Jon Rudkin, gone for starters.
Performances and league standing have also made for a justifiably poor mood. A likley points deduction and financial disasters exacerbates negative fan feeling.
Leicester City manager Marti Cifuentes politely pushes back on boycott protest with challenging West Bromwich Albion clash upcoming
So a protest is planned for the WBA visit. It isn't ideal when we need points; nor when a Midlands rival is expected. Though the dreadful overall LCFC situation outweighs one fixture.
Foxes of Leicester backs dissenters and Union FS. Cifuentes, however, requested devoted attendees:
"Asked about the planned boycott, Cifuentes said: “I’m not aware about anything unfortunately. I know that, as a team, we’re not in a situation we would like to be. I understand the frustrations of many fans.
“I’ve been in situations like this before. Everybody is free to express their opinion but at the same time, the only way to improve things is to stay together.
“I’m aware about the expectations and the club ambitions. At the same time, we appreciated it, for instance the last time against Derby, the atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic. I hope they can help us to get the three points and we’ll get the support during the 90 minutes."