This time last year, Leicester City was the darling of the sports world, on track to overcome 5,000-to-1 odds and win the English Premier League championship. But that epic fairy tale has turned into a nightmare, with the club struggling so badly it risks being knocked out of the league altogether.
Leicester sits just one point above the relegation zone, and by the time the team plays Swansea City on Sunday, the Foxes could be among the bottom three and facing the real prospect of being the first club in 79 years to be relegated just one season after winning the league title.
The team that could do no wrong last year has lost four in a row and scored just one goal in its past seven league games. After losing just three Premier League matches in all of 2015-16, Leicester has been defeated 13 times this season, and has yet to win a single road game.
The once-cohesive unit of endearing misfits dubbed the "band of brothers" has become unglued and unsightly. There are reports of disgruntlement in the locker room, complaints about lineup changes and open despair from some players. Things have gotten so bad that manager Claudio Ranieri, last year's FIFA Coach of the Year, has reportedly banned chicken burgers from the training table as punishment.
Fans are getting restless too. Some, such as Chris Forryan, are saying what many thought unthinkable only a few weeks ago: Fire Ranieri.
"At the end of the day it's been a bad season," said Forryan, 55, who runs a website called Leicester Till I Die.
"None of the fans really expected Leicester to repeat last year – that was never, ever, ever going to happen. What we didn't expect was come 14 games to go we'd be one point ahead of possibly slopping down to the next division … Where does the buck stop?"
He recently conducted a poll on his site, and 61 per cent of respondents agreed that Ranieri had to go.
Forryan and others say the players have lost their desire and grown complacent after receiving new contracts last summer.
"Before, we were fighting. Players were giving their all. Now, for whatever reason, that hasn't happened."
The problems are many and varied.
The loss of midfielder N'Golo Kanté, who was sold to Chelsea last summer, has proved devastating because he drove so much of the offence and gave the team's main defenders, Robert Huth and Wes Morgan, a sure-footed outlet target to move the ball up field quickly.
The players brought in last summer to replace Kanté have failed to live up to expectations, and hopeful Nampalys Mendy has been stricken with injury.
Power duo Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have been ineffectual, brought down by injury and shrewder tactics from opponents. Last year the two scored 41 goals between them, with Vardy netting 24; this season Vardy has five goals, and Mahrez just three.
And while winning the title meant qualifying for play in the prestigious Champions League, it's caused more wear and tear on the players and given Ranieri less time to prepare.
For now Ranieri has the backing of the team's owner, Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and he's keeping up a brave face. The 65-year-old Italian still smiles broadly, mocks his poor English and shakes hands with every journalist before each news conference.
"When we won the title, all the world said it's a fairy tale," Ranieri said Friday. "It's true. A lot of sacrifice. We connect together in a fantastic season – terrific season. Okay, when you achieve something so special it's normal, a little down, was normal, it's human, is human. That's it."
He pointed out that prior to last season, Leicester had a history of failure and barely stayed in the Premier League in 2014-15, when the club pulled off "the great escape," winning six of its last eight matches to avoid relegation in one of the most remarkable comebacks in league history.
He acknowledged the importance of Sunday's game, saying it's the closest thing to a must win, particularly given the club's woeful record on the road. "We have to believe and we have to try, try, try again. That is my philosophy."
The manager is trying to find answers. He has met with Vardy and Mahrez to figure out what's gone wrong. And he is especially desperate to build up the confidence of Mahrez, who set up so many Vardy goals last year. His message to the Algerian has been simple: "I said, 'Come back to last season.' Two words: 'Come back.'"
While Ranieri stays confident and cool, some of his players are showing signs of stress. "We're the reigning champions, and quite frankly it's been terrible. It's been embarrassing," goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel said after last Sunday's 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester United. "It's time for every single one of us, right from the top to the bottom of this club, to stand up and be counted – because if we don't, we're going to end up getting relegated."
There's more than just pride at stake. Relegation is costly; teams that go down face financial hardship that can take years to overcome. The financial gap between the Premier League and the next rung down, the Sky Bet Championship, is staggering when it comes to television and ticket revenue. Thanks to a new television deal, each Premier League club will see its TV revenue climb to an average of £120-million ($195-million) this season, up from about £80-million last year. And that doesn't include extra revenue from tickets, merchandise and Champions League. By contrast, TV revenue in the Championship is about £3-million a season and other revenue is far less. Relegated clubs get "parachute payments" from the Premier League to cushion the blow, but it can be hard to recover. Players also typically have clauses in their contracts allowing them to bolt if the club is demoted, meaning Leicester could lose some of its top talent.
There are some signs of hope. On Wednesday, Leicester beat Derby County 3-1 in an FA Cup match, with recently acquired Wilfred Ndidi scoring a stunning goal. Leicester has also qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League, meaning the club has at least an outside shot at winning a tournament this season.
But for fans like Matt Davis, the nail biting is far from over. "Sunday's game certainly is crucial," said Mr. Davis, 46, a lifelong fan who is also vice-chairman of the fan club Foxes Trust. "It's been a surprisingly bad season."
When asked if he thought Leicester will stay up, he replied: "Yes. I do think so. And yes, obviously I hope so. We've done this great escape before. There's no reason why we can't do it again."
Paul Waldie