Marti Cifuentes appointed new manager

[Eskay]

47 minutes ago, winteriscoming said:

I’m not reading anything into one training session. Ruud looked like he knew what he was doing in his training sessions and he didn’t have a clue. 
I’m more confident in this guy but that’s not saying a great deal. 
I’m cautiously optimistic with Cifuentes. 
 

I'm with you. Ruud looked like prime Fergie in his videos. 

 

They're hardly going to put footage up of him scratching his head and pumping up balls are they?! 

[ALC Fox]

I think Ruud's energy was completely different. He often wandered round with a face like a smacked arse as if he couldn't believe how crap the players were.

 

Cooper tried to give the players autonomy but they didn't want it, they wanted intensity and instructions and the Enzo way.

 

I think Cifuentes could be good in a similar, but not entirely identical, way to Maresca, especially among the young players who are going to be ready to learn and take on detailed instructions.

Edited 17 July 2025 by ALC Fox

[Wymsey]

Need an emoji for him..

@Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo, @HankMarvin, @Finnegan, @21st Century Fox?

Edited 16 July 2025 by Wymsey

[Bluearmyfox28]

He’s got a dad bod… LOVE IT!

[hejammy]

He's a year younger than me....... 

[Ian Nacho]

Day one with the preds on  Surprised he didn't have the short sleeve and gloves combo too. 

[baldeagle]

2 hours ago, Molson Canadian said:

Didn't occur to me. 

Missed a trick 

[Verumex]

Marti after watching the squad for 10 minutes and realising what he's signed up to...

[Cropwellfox]

Just now, Verumex said:

Marti after watching the squad for 10 minutes and realising what he's signed up to...

He’s aged 5 years in 24 hours 🤣 - the Seagrave effect 

[MPH]

40 minutes ago, Bluearmyfox28 said:

He’s got a dad bod… LOVE IT!

 

it’s not a dad bod, it’s a father figure  

[whoareyaaa]

King Xavi Cifuentes 

 

no it's not a king.. yet

[Molson Canadian]

3 hours ago, baldeagle said:

Missed a trick 

Call the police

[PhillippaT]

6 hours ago, hejammy said:

He's a year younger than me....... 

He's younger than me, too.  Time stops for no-one I'm afraid   

[Bablemikey]

4 hours ago, PhillippaT said:

He's younger than me, too.  Time stops for no-one I'm afraid   

He’s young enough to be my son!!!!!

[FoxesTalker]

This is a good appointment in my view, and feels like the right fit for Cifuentes and the club. He's not going to have a full pre-season and with the expected integration of some of the academy talent in the coming campaign, patience is going to be required.

 

It's been mentioned already that it would be nice to have a manager who sees through his contract, and my early impression is, that could well happen with Marti. Of course, there are going to be some well founded doubts, but that would be the same for any manager given the market the club has been working in.

 

The conditions of the job at this moment in time meant it was going to be a real challenge for whoever took it on. Marti has shown a willingness to be here, so let's give him our full support.

[roblcfc84]

Just from that video I’m impressed. Modern game is all about player management and relationships. The fact that he greeted Okali in Italian was a nice a touch, can make a difference getting buy-in from the players. 

[Spudulike]

27 minutes ago, FoxesTalker said:

This is a good appointment in my view, and feels like the right fit for Cifuentes and the club. He's not going to have a full pre-season and with the expected integration of some of the academy talent in the coming campaign, patience is going to be required.

 

It's been mentioned already that it would be nice to have a manager who sees through his contract, and my early impression is, that could well happen with Marti. Of course, there are going to be some well founded doubts, but that would be the same for any manager given the market the club has been working in.

 

The conditions of the job at this moment in time meant it was going to be a real challenge for whoever took it on. Marti has shown a willingness to be here, so let's give him our full support.

Not having a full pre-season with the players isn't necessarily a disadvantage, in my opinion. The early weeks are just about fitness and conditioning and we have staff to cover that. Cifuentes will have known about his appointment during this time when he will have been studying the squad and developing plans. His arrival, together with Calm, at this stage will have given the players a boost at a time when the build up has started to become a drag. The Austria trip is now the big chance for players to make an impression.

[Richmondfox]

12 hours ago, ALC Fox said:

I think Ruud's energy was completely different. He often wandered round with a face like a smacked arse as if he couldn't believe how crap the players were.

 

Cooper tried to give the players autonomy but they didn't want it, they wanted intensity and instructions and the Enzo way.

 

I think Cifuentes could be good in a similar, but not entirely identical, way to Maresca, especially among the young players who are going to be ready to learn and take on detailed instructions.

Hopefully he has an idea and can drill it into the right players.  Enzo made Ndidi look like a good player because he had two plays to do. Cooper played him high up expecting him to be the play maker and he would stink out every attack. 

 

Cooper and Ruud allowed too many problems and didn’t seem to be able to coach players into being better, working on their skills to our advantage or at least stopping true mistakes.  Part of me thinks they didn’t have a clue what was wrong in the first place. 

 

What sort of manager would want Ayew falling over on the half way line during a counter attack, JJ running with the ball to stop and pass back or watch Soumare walk around doing nothing positive. 

[BrummieFOX]

I think he's our greatest ever manager. 

[les-tah]

28 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

Not having a full pre-season with the players isn't necessarily a disadvantage, in my opinion. The early weeks are just about fitness and conditioning and we have staff to cover that. Cifuentes will have known about his appointment during this time when he will have been studying the squad and developing plans. His arrival, together with Calm, at this stage will have given the players a boost at a time when the build up has started to become a drag. The Austria trip is now the big chance for players to make an impression.

Exactly this he has probably been learning whos who for the last 3 or 4 weeks and studying what he can do with every player in his style etc

 

im sure he probaly knows who is staying and who is likely to go at this point aswell and will be building his games around them.

[mozartfox]

1 hour ago, Richmondfox said:

Hopefully he has an idea and can drill it into the right players.  Enzo made Ndidi look like a good player because he had two plays to do. Cooper played him high up expecting him to be the play maker and he would stink out every attack. 

 

Cooper and Ruud allowed too many problems and didn’t seem to be able to coach players into being better, working on their skills to our advantage or at least stopping true mistakes.  Part of me thinks they didn’t have a clue what was wrong in the first place. 

 

What sort of manager would want Ayew falling over on the half way line during a counter attack, JJ running with the ball to stop and pass back or watch Soumare walk around doing nothing positive. 

Cooper failed mainly due a disasterous summer window and never be accepted by most players and 100% of the fan-base.  Ruud on the otherhand was deprived of a window and had to put up with Winks and Vesty and a Team that had given up.

 

The future looks promising but we need Fluffkin to shift out some deadwood and raise some cash from Mads. The with Marti at the wheel I am hopefully we can have a good crack at this league.

[Les-TA-Jon]

1 hour ago, Spudulike said:

Not having a full pre-season with the players isn't necessarily a disadvantage, in my opinion. The early weeks are just about fitness and conditioning and we have staff to cover that. Cifuentes will have known about his appointment during this time when he will have been studying the squad and developing plans. His arrival, together with Calm, at this stage will have given the players a boost at a time when the build up has started to become a drag. The Austria trip is now the big chance for players to make an impression.

Agree - but it can both, right? It's not a 'the sky is falling' disadvantage. But also having 3 more weeks with the players + more time before that to get started on planning/recruitment etc would be beneficial. 

 

And the only reason we've not had that is the completely self-inflicted stasis the club has had the last 3 months. 

[RyCleary]

Sounds like Rohl is leaving SWFC - should we have waited?

[ALC Fox]

1 hour ago, Richmondfox said:

Hopefully he has an idea and can drill it into the right players.  Enzo made Ndidi look like a good player because he had two plays to do. Cooper played him high up expecting him to be the play maker and he would stink out every attack. 

 

Cooper and Ruud allowed too many problems and didn’t seem to be able to coach players into being better, working on their skills to our advantage or at least stopping true mistakes.  Part of me thinks they didn’t have a clue what was wrong in the first place. 

 

What sort of manager would want Ayew falling over on the half way line during a counter attack, JJ running with the ball to stop and pass back or watch Soumare walk around doing nothing positive. 

One of the best things Enzo did was sort Ndidi out imo. I know it's a level below where he was at, but he took advantage of Wilf's athleticism by playing him box-to-box and getting those movements where he arrived in the box and was able to chip a cross over the keeper's head.

 

Playing him as a deep defensive midfielder just didn't suit his game anymore but in no way is he an advanced playmaker either. If he stays, hopefully Cifuentes plays to the actual strengths he currently has rather than what he was perceived to be when he was 19/20.

[Aleksz]

1 minute ago, RyCleary said:

Sounds like Rohl is leaving SWFC - should we have waited?

No. We've got a better fit in Marti even if Rohl perhaps has the better potential ceiling as a manager, but that's merely conjecture. 

 

Plus this place would have burnt down by now if we'd waited.