Last season under Amandine Miquel, Leicester achieved their WSL record points tally of 20, winning five games at King Power Stadium to help them finish 10th.
However, summer departures of key players Yuka Momiki and academy graduate Ruby Mace, both to Everton, significantly weakened the squad.
Even more damaging, just 10 days before the start of the 2025-26 season and with two years remaining on her contract, Miquel left the club.
It left the Foxes scrambling for a replacement, bringing in former West Ham assistant Passmoor, initially as interim and then appointed permanently.
To those in the know, he has made a positive impact with the players but this has not translated to on-field performances.
“Last season under Amandine, there was a lot of disconnect between staff and players,” McGrady explains.
“But now, it’s odd because Hannah Cain told me [in March] that it was the best mood in the dressing room she’d experienced in the five-and-a-half years she’d been at Leicester. Other players all seem to agree.
“Rick has made it a priority to get them happy and he has done that, but the results aren’t showing.”
After a poor start, Leicester tried to make amends in January, opting for players with WSL experience including Alisha Lehmann, Rachel Williams and Ashleigh Neville.
It hasn’t worked.
“It’s really difficult to buy that they are all really happy,” says fan and Her Football Hub writer Lucy Jones. “It feels like we’ve got players that have signed because they weren’t getting a starting position for their club.
“The real home-and-away fans are not the ones that will be impressed by a big-name signing. We want someone that will fight for the club.”
With the media, Passmoor is upbeat and honest, stressing in the aftermath of Wednesday’s defeat that Leicester now have “clarity” about what they have to do.
He has also previously recognised there will be a “reset” if relegation is confirmed.
What that looks like is uncertain.