Marti Cifuentes appointed new manager

[brookfox]

Time will tell but I’m really positive about the appointment. Two things we needed from a manager; can bring through youngsters and plays a style that matches the squad (given we can’t afford a revamp and don’t have time to train a new system). On paper he ticks both boxes. Hoping for a slightly more entertaining version of possession based football but let’s see.

 

If he can oversee a revamp of the squad (ie reduce the age and wage bill) and reach the play offs while being mildly enjoyable to watch I’ll be happy.

[CornwallFox]

No idea if he's any good but I'm over the moon we've got a Spanish manager. It's summer (don't look at the grey sky outside), we get to shout things like Viva Leicester! from the stands, in 100% sure the club will start selling tapas in the concourse, washed down with Spanish lager. The good times are here people.

[Gamble92]

4 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

No idea if he's any good but I'm over the moon we've got a Spanish manager. It's summer (don't look at the grey sky outside), we get to shout things like Viva Leicester! from the stands, in 100% sure the club will start selling tapas in the concourse, washed down with Spanish lager. The good times are here people.

Peri peri pies are good

[Lesta Legend]

4 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

Peri peri pies are good

That's Portuguese, that's blasphemy to a Spaniard.

[FrankieADZ]

glad to finally have it all confirmed, just got to shift some of the deadwood and bring in a striker or 2

[Ashley]

7 minutes ago, Lesta Legend said:

That's Portuguese, that's blasphemy to a Spaniard.

South African? No? 

[murphy]

10 hours ago, inckley fox said:

In a way, you asking that question is proof of the point I was trying to make about expectations. It all depends on what happens next. If that consists of a huge deduction, followed down the line by the threat of another, the sale of numerous key players without replacement, further widespread unrest... then that might be the sort of scenario in which a club could easily implode.

 

When Enzo came in, we were the clearest favourites there had ever been to win the division. That's not the case this time. As you imply, it could be that the pundits and bookies are wrong - only a few may leave, we could make a shrewd signing or two and the kids could step up. But are you sure that the squad will be as good, or better than it was two years ago? The addition of promising young talent (and the better 2024 signings) is counterbalanced easily by the losses of KDH and Vardy, likely to be followed by the losses of Ndidi / Bilal / Mads etc. You can't guarantee it being such a 'done deal' on this occasion, and fans who expect it to be - and get unhappy when it isn't - could pose a problem for the boss.

 

I see a lot of people confidently stating that, even without replacing those players, we'll be fine. Maybe we will, but there's little question that, if that did happen, we'd be a lot weaker than we were two years ago. In the coming weeks and months that may well change for the better. But it wouldn't be a huge shock if it changed for the worse.

 

When we finished 4th in this division under Little, or 5th under Pearson, these were far greater managerial achievements than - in spite of all the praise he deserves - Enzo delivering a widely-anticipated title. It's not unthinkable that a set of circumstances unfolds from hereon in which makes a mere play-off push in 2026 an achievement which is comparable with finishing first in 2024. In that case, it's important that people appreciate that managers can't always be judged by how high they finish in the end-of-season table. My suspicion is that a great many won't.

You can only judge our expectations as things stand and as it stands we have the strongest squad in the division by a distance and in my opinion a stronger squad than Enzo's.  If and when things change such as departures and points deductions then expectations will be adjusted accordingly.  Obviously.  

 

Without a very drastic exodus (and we have had next to no interest so far) and a points deduction, this squad should be on a promotion charge.  7th would be a failure.  But let's see how we look when on August 10th.

Edited 16 July 2025 by murphy

[MonarchFox]

I wish him all the best.  Needs to get to grips within a week of who is good for the squad and who isn't.

 

Probably has the toughest Leicester gig since the 80s

[Buzzell]

I have no idea about this guy which worries me but in the same breathe I’m excited to see what he brings to the table. The thought of us playing attractive attacking football with the development of youth is exciting. I just hope he hits the ground running and the club.

[Lesta Legend]

33 minutes ago, Ashley said:

South African? No? 

Portuguese Empire which had South African territories, they used new & mixed local African spices then this became a Portuguese staple back in the home country. So bit of both I guess.

[Beliall]

just happy to see a tweet that wasnt happy birthday. welcome marti, lets hope you can turn our holiday camp into a training complex and start moving us in the right direction again. if you can do that im sure you'll be at chelsea within 2 years 

[Lesta2014]

Big fan of him whacking some adidas predators on for training. 

[Chelmofox]

 

Nice to see Kingy pointing out that Bouba is 'shit'

[ronnup]

3 minutes ago, Lesta2014 said:

Big fan of him whacking some adidas predators on for training. 

 

Rudkin?

[EnderbyFox]

2 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

 

Nice to see Kingy pointing out that Bouba is 'shit'

 

"Oh, the dog? That's Janniks, sometimes he likes to join in training"

[robski]

I got a QPR mate who described his football as ‘ ticky tacky ‘ but I guess that’s what we want if we’re after possession based football.

Their fans would sing…….’ He eats paella….drinks Estrella and he hates Chelseeeeea’

 

 

 

[winteriscoming]

9 minutes ago, EnderbyFox said:

 

"Oh, the dog? That's Janniks, sometimes he likes to join in training"

Marti replies - why is the dog better than Jannik? 

[Tommy G]

Cruzcampo on tap at the KP please*
 

*for all your beer and craft ale geeks I haven’t a clue whether this is still brewed in Spain or not but please feel free to correct me. 

[AjcW]

2 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Cruzcampo on tap at the KP please*
 

*for all your beer and craft ale geeks I haven’t a clue whether this is still brewed in Spain or not but please feel free to correct me. 

The bottled stuff is. Not draught sadly. Still a tasty pint though when compared to the other piss  

[Finnegan]

7 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Cruzcampo on tap at the KP please*
 

*for all your beer and craft ale geeks I haven’t a clue whether this is still brewed in Spain or not but please feel free to correct me. 

 

He's from Barcelona, it's all about the Estrella Damm. Maybe a Turia if he's not a lager man. 

[Pliskin]

Whistle, stop watch, and ball under the arm. Shades of the great Shakey….

[Pliskin]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

He's from Barcelona, it's all about the Estrella Damm. Maybe a Turia if he's not a lager man. 

Cracking taster session at the Estrella brewery. Tour is a bit shit but the Spanish don’t do “small” taster measures. You’re getting a bottle of beer and you’ll drink the bastard. 

[inckley fox]

1 hour ago, murphy said:

You can only judge our expectations as things stand and as it stands we have the strongest squad in the division by a distance and in my opinion a stronger squad than Enzo's.  If and when things change such as departures and points deductions then expectations will be adjusted accordingly.  Obviously.  

 

Without a very drastic exodus (and we have had next to no interest so far) and a points deduction, this squad should be on a promotion charge.  7th would be a failure.  But let's see how we look when on August 10th.

I think we're in agreement, to be honest. The only possible caveat is that, while you and me will see how things are on August 10th and adjust expectations accordingly, there's the danger that some others will still expect him to match Maresca's achievement if things take a turn for the worse.

 

Which, when it comes to player sales and poor recruitment and points deductions, they may well!

 

It's an interesting debate as to whether the squad is stronger or not. We're missing the player-of-the-season and the top scorer, and on top of that Ricardo and Vestergard are a couple of years older. If we were to keep Mads and Bilal, and if Monga / Evans make a major impact, then I'd say it was a close run thing.

[LVFox]

“So you’re our only good centre back?”

[Jordan]

Forget the beer; Cifuentes is Catalonian, so if the New York Foxes travel over to visit and see a game, I hope we are greeted with his homeland’s customary greeting of water gun blasts to the face while we are ambling down the New Walk