It is unlike Leicester to be in a position resembling that of the RFU, but there are distinct parallels now between the position of their head coach, Marcelo Loffreda, and that of England's Brian Ashton. Last month, the RFU decided Ashton could not remain, only four months after confirming him in post; six months into his first season as a professional club coach, the vultures hover around Loffreda.

Saturday's game against Harlequins at Welford Road could be the tipping point. Win, and Leicester are assured of qualification for next season's Heineken Cup and have an outside chance of the Guinness Premiership play-offs, should other results at the head of the table go their way. Lose and there is the possibility that Europe's top tier will be beyond them.

The decline is made the more striking because last season, Leicester were Premiership and EDF Energy Cup champions and Heineken Cup finalists. This season they failed to make the knockout phase in Europe and underperformed in losing the EDF Cup final to the Ospreys. In the Premiership, they have fallen from second place to sixth after losing three of their past four games.

“I have to be patient, I am trying to be patient, but things happen very quickly,” Loffreda said yesterday. “You can be very happy one week, then another week brings anguish, sadness and frustration. But I will face it as I have other challenges all through my life. It's a very big challenge at this club and it will take some time, as I knew when I accepted the job.”

Where the RFU went through a lengthy review process with Ashton, Leicester embarked on a worldwide search for a successor to Pat Howard. They decided that Loffreda, coach to Argentina at the time, was their man, knowing he would not arrive until this season was two months old and that he would have to cope with the culture of the club and language difficulties. If the board decided that, after six months, he is not its man, that reflects on those who appointed him.

“I have felt high-pressure situations with the national side but that wasn't about professionalism, this is,” Loffreda said. “I'll tackle it with a lot of hard work, commitment and mental toughness. I come from a very different environment, a different type of game, but that was in the international arena.

“In six months I have learnt a lot and I'm in a better position to move [forward], but it depends on the board's decision and how we finish the season. You have to analyse the behaviour of the club compared with the previous World Cup year - that wasn't a great success also [in February 2004, Leicester parted company with their director of rugby, Dean Richards]. Sometimes there are cycles and you have to face them, turn them around as strong as you can.”

One of Leicester's home-produced players, Luke Abraham, followed James Hamilton away from Welford Road yesterday, the flanker agreeing a two-year contract with Sale Sharks, and other players are said to be unhappy. The confirmation, though, of the arrival of Toby Flood and Ben Woods from Newcastle Falcons is imminent and, in recent weeks, the board has been supportive of Loffreda.

The RFU, still waiting to hear if Ashton has accepted the role of national academy coach, has appointed Stuart Lancaster as head of elite player development in succession to Conor O'Shea. Lancaster, 38, has spent 16 years with Leeds Carnegie, the past two seasons as coach, and although the club will be relegated from the Premiership this month, he has worked hard with a limited squad.