The disconnect between the club and the fanbase is only growing, as evidenced on Friday.
Whelan and club directors did meet Foxes Trust co-chairs Lynn Wyeth and Steve Moulds, members of the Supporter Engagement team, and the supporter representatives on the LCFC Fan Advisory Board last week in what was described as a frank and candid discussion.
“You need some leadership when it goes wrong. You need people to come out and reassure us,” said Wyeth.
“That lack of communication was causing frustration, anger and toxicity in the games.
“Other fans can’t understand it. They’re like, ‘Leicester fans are so ungrateful, they’re so entitled. They think because they won the Premier League once they don’t know how lucky they are with their owner’.
“It’s not about that. We are so grateful for what that family’s done [owners the Srivaddhanaprabha family] and what an amazing time we’ve had, but it’s how badly wrong it’s gone in the last few years.”
It is up to Van Nistelrooy to get a tune out of what he has, but of Leicester’s summer buys, none have made a consistent impact.
Midfielder Oliver Skipp, a £20m signing from Tottenham, has struggled for form, while defender Caleb Okoli, who joined from Atalanta for £15m, only made his first start under the Dutchman last week.
Moroccan attacker El Khannouss, a £21m arrival from Genk, has shown flashes of potential – including the winner at Spurs – but remains green to the league.
Odsonne Edouard has made just four substitute appearances in the top flight, with the striker’s move from Crystal Palace useless and tying up a vital loan spot, while right-back Woyo Coulibaly was the only January arrival.
“It’s really difficult to judge him (Van Nistelrooy) because he hasn’t got the squad,” added Wyeth. “They weren’t good enough to stay up last time and we’ve got worse players now.”
Despite a miserable run of form, Leicester are by no means cut adrift in the table.
They are level on points with Ipswich in 18th and only two points behind Wolves in 17th, although they have played a game more than both.
The Foxes’ Premier League-winning captain Wes Morgan, who also helped them avoid the drop in 2013-14, is confident they can defy the odds once again.
“It has been proven that it can be done [teams can get out of the relegation battle]. I was part of the team that did it,” he said.
“I am sure the fans are disappointed with how things have been going in recent weeks. Things can change, we know it has happened in the past.
“It is not too late.”
