Marti Cifuentes appointed new manager

[Claudio Fannieri]

I am really not sure what people expect, he has 3 central midfielders to choose from Skipp, Winks and Soumare that is it, he is also having to deal with loads of uncertainty around outgoings. 
 

Winks started last week and was awful and looked like he has checked out of the club. He is doing the best he can whilst being dealt an appalling hand. 

[cityfanlee23]

1 minute ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

I am really not sure what people expect, he has 3 central midfielders to choose from Skipp, Winks and Soumare that is it, he is also having to deal with loads of uncertainty around outgoings. 
 

Winks started last week and was awful and looked like he has checked out of the club. He is doing the best he can whilst being dealt an appalling hand. 

At this point I'd snap your hand off to sign Brownhill.

[CornwallFox]

45 minutes ago, Tuna said:

His team selections and tactics are beginning to concern me.

He's got basically nothing to work with. There isn't a good team at can choose.

[Bozman]

19 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

He's got basically nothing to work with. There isn't a good team at can choose.

He had a far better starting 11 than the one he chose..

[coolhandfox]

Never seen a team put as much effort into playing backwards and play themselves in trouble.

Edited 23 August 2025 by coolhandfox

[Tielemans63]

Not a great performance, but there was resilience and a bit of character. Take the positives 

[honeybradger]

I like the fact that he's willing to bench Winks and Faes. Need the first XI to be our most committed XI first and foremost.

 

I think Pereira adds a lot of much needed quality and we will look a lot better with him in the side. Probably play him at right back and Choudhury instead of Skipp until we get another midfielder in.

[Claudio Fannieri]

The club is in chaos at the moment players being sold and players in and out the squad due to potential moves, must be a nightmare trying to work on tactical and team shape/play when you genuinely haven’t got a scooby as to who will be available to you to select. 
 

It’s far from pretty at the moment but we have 6 points from 3 games and our first clean sheet. We looked a lot more together today. 
 

Once we get to September it will settle down and I think we will see a very different level of performance. 

[winteriscoming]

Imo he’s done well to get 2 wins out of 3 league games with the players he’s got at his disposal. 
We desperately need signings especially in midfield and up front. 

[EastAnglianFox]

5 minutes ago, honeybradger said:

I like the fact that he's willing to bench Winks and Faes. Need the first XI to be our most committed XI first and foremost.

 

I think Pereira adds a lot of much needed quality and we will look a lot better with him in the side. Probably play him at right back and Choudhury instead of Skipp until we get another midfielder in.

Definitely could do with Hamza in the middle against Birmingham or it could be a very long night.

 

Riccy P is a cheat code at this level, begging he stays fit from now.

[Gevans_97]

Benefit of the doubt for Martí until 5 or so games after the window shuts. He needs time to settle with this group of players. So much turbulence behind the scenes. It will get better I’m sure. 

[Swarles Barkley]

39 minutes ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

The club is in chaos at the moment players being sold and players in and out the squad due to potential moves, must be a nightmare trying to work on tactical and team shape/play when you genuinely haven’t got a scooby as to who will be available to you to select. 
 

It’s far from pretty at the moment but we have 6 points from 3 games and our first clean sheet. We looked a lot more together today. 
 

Once we get to September it will settle down and I think we will see a very different level of performance. 

Absolutely spot on. Poor guy has to deal with no incomings either and get in players he wants.

 

 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Doing alright with players that hate the club and actual children.

 

Hopefully he gets at least a couple of new signings but don't hold your breath.

Edited 23 August 2025 by Sol thewall Bamba

[Paninistickers]

1 hour ago, honeybradger said:

I think Pereira adds a lot of much needed quality and we will look a lot better with him in the side. Probably play him at right back and Choudhury instead of Skipp

If Ricky is fit we desperately need to get him ahead of Luke Thomas. Hamza is perfectly ok at RB. Ricky can do the inverted thing from the left. 

 

 

[ThurmastonFox]

This season the manager cannot be blamed for poor player performances. As cliched as it seems, we need a complete refresh. Until that happens we’re pretty much where we are

[ronnup]

Doing a great job given the circumstances , his squad his grtting ripped to pieces

[gerrytaggart]

1st competitive win with a clean sheet.

 

[Richard]

He's saying the right things:

 

"It was a fantastic goal that summarises really clearly what Abdul means for us, extreme quality especially in the last third.

"We played against a team that was very aggressive in the high press, very physical, it can create some frustration because everything is happening around our box.

"For me today the most important thing is that we took a step forward in the identity and culture that I want to build at the club.

"I saw a team that, despite there is 100 things we can do better, and that's on me, I saw a team that cared, that wanted to work hard for each other, we had to defend low and make a run with each other for it.

"And for me that's the most important, that connection with the fans, the fans played their part, they were really strong throughout the game and that sets the foundation.

"It was far from perfect. But what we can learn from this one is stronger than just having a fantastic game and winning 4-0."

[sm1]

1 hour ago, EastAnglianFox said:

Definitely could do with Hamza in the middle against Birmingham or it could be a very long night.

 

Riccy P is a cheat code at this level, begging he stays fit from now.

Exactly,  what we are missing in CM is energy and some bite (Skipp and Soumare hardly make any tackles). That's exactly what Hamza offers. With Aluko and now Ricky available at RB, Marti doesn't need to persist with Skipp and Soumare, but something tells me he will. 

[Foxin_Mad]

28 minutes ago, ThurmastonFox said:

This season the manager cannot be blamed for poor player performances. As cliched as it seems, we need a complete refresh. Until that happens we’re pretty much where we are

But surely the same could have been said for Rudd, at least this joker had a preseason camp where he seems to have made us worse!

[lanefox]

1 hour ago, Bozman said:

He had a far better starting 11 than the one he chose..

What's your 11 then? 

 

Too many people slate selections but then don't say what they'd pick, people moan just to moan 

 

He's been dealt a shit hand just like Ruud has not been backed and having to select players that don't want to be here

[Chelmofox]

30 minutes ago, Foxin_Mad said:

But surely the same could have been said for Rudd, at least this joker had a preseason camp where he seems to have made us worse!

Of course we are worse - we've lost a bunch of players (including 2 very talented creative midfielders) and our talisman striker.

[brockmyster]

One thing I do think he's getting right are his subs. He seems to make the right subs and not wait too long which is refreshing compared to some of our previous!

[Claudio Fannieri]

1 hour ago, Foxin_Mad said:

But surely the same could have been said for Rudd, at least this joker had a preseason camp where he seems to have made us worse!

Calling him a joker is bang out of order after 3 league games and one carabao cup match, yeah we look a million miles away from the finished article but feck me Marti is the last one to be getting pelters. 
 

We have lost a few players and signed a goalkeeper on a free transfer and players are being linked left right and centre to moves away so are highly likely distracted to say the very least and worse case already checked out. 
 

we can all see what a shit show the club is at the moment and yet the manager gets called out, unbelievable. 

[Tielemans63]

1 hour ago, Richard said:

He's saying the right things:

 

"It was a fantastic goal that summarises really clearly what Abdul means for us, extreme quality especially in the last third.

"We played against a team that was very aggressive in the high press, very physical, it can create some frustration because everything is happening around our box.

"For me today the most important thing is that we took a step forward in the identity and culture that I want to build at the club.

"I saw a team that, despite there is 100 things we can do better, and that's on me, I saw a team that cared, that wanted to work hard for each other, we had to defend low and make a run with each other for it.

"And for me that's the most important, that connection with the fans, the fans played their part, they were really strong throughout the game and that sets the foundation.

"It was far from perfect. But what we can learn from this one is stronger than just having a fantastic game and winning 4-0."

I'd agree with everything he's said here. The team put in a shift, been a while since we actually successfully got through a 'backs to the wall' type of game.