Marti Cifuentes appointed new manager

[cityfanlee23]

42 minutes ago, Greg2607 said:

It will most likely be Faes and Nelson in defence and Winks and Ndidi in midfield with Bilal in front.   Mavididi and Fatawu out wide with Monga and Mcaterer coming on against tired legs. 

 

Hamza or Ricardo at Right back will.offer a bit of cover.  

 

We know from last time that Ndidi is effective on the underlap. 

I hope you're right, my thinking with not including bilal is that given we might struggle to get rid of all of our 4 midfielders, Bilal will likely end up being a PSR sale. But I hope we can somehow shift Winks/Skipp/Soumare and keep him. 

[Staff]

48 minutes ago, Greg2607 said:

It will most likely be Faes and Nelson in defence and Winks and Ndidi in midfield with Bilal in front.   Mavididi and Fatawu out wide with Monga and Mcaterer coming on against tired legs. 

 

Hamza or Ricardo at Right back will.offer a bit of cover.  

 

We know from last time that Ndidi is effective on the underlap. 

Can't wait to see ndidis little dinks from the byline landing on the roof of the net 9 times out of 10

[Greg2607]

13 minutes ago, Staff said:

Can't wait to see ndidis little dinks from the byline landing on the roof of the net 9 times out of 10

Would you prefer that or skipp being 40 yards further back?

Edited 25 July 2025 by Greg2607

[Staff]

14 minutes ago, Greg2607 said:

Would you prefer that or skipp being 40 yards further back?

I would prefer none of them in the lineup or even at the club to be honest

[Dahnsouff]

Try Kasey up top, Ayew backup. Fancy he might be problem for defences with his relentless running.

 

After today, would not be surprised to see it.

[nnfox]

I'm liking Cifuentes so far.  Confident, knows what he wants, some clear direction.  This is exactly the type of leadership we lacked last season.

 

There's going to be ups and downs, but I have a good feeling about the trajectory.

[AjcW]

I thought the team mix was actually really clever today.

 

A lot thought this mornings XI was the unfancied lot. But after watching that back 4 in the second game, I actually think it was Marti thinking "I'm really not sure about JJ, Vesty, Coady and I want to see them against a proper test"

 

Given that Fiorentina will be the closest to a starting XI possible, today really was his last chance to give people in that Koln game a chance to show what they're made of.... a lot of them failed.

 

 

 

[lcfc sheff]

14 hours ago, ithuriel said:

Who would want them for the wages they are on and  the price we might want?

Hopefully, a few have pretty low book values therefore are more sellable than previous seasons. 

[Paninistickers]

I think Kingy will prove to be reliable counsel. He knows the history with a lot of the current squad (as a fan I mean, even at Bristol I'm gonna assume he looked out for us and kept in touch with Albrighton) and can give that little hidden background that stats, videos and training don't show. 

 

The fabric, soul and continuity of a club depends on those behind the scene lifers. Which is why some of us criticised the bizarre celebrations that met the departures of Sadler and Stowell. Clubs need lifers like them, like Kingy and  (in the past) Birch 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

He needs the fans on side quickly and the best way to do that is to freeze out the players that don't want to be here. He can say the right things and coach the team well but he's always going to struggle if he's picking Faes, Soumare etc and making Coady the captain.

[Tielemans63]

I would love it if Marti were to get Jannick and Coady in tomorrow and just said "I've seen you play, you're not for me, you won't be playing while I'm here."....and just basically froze them out. Sick of seeing them amble half-heartedly through games.

 

Would love it if Marti said enough is enough and shoved them in the reserves. I'll be really disappointed if either of these useless ****ers start over Ben Nelson when the season starts 

[Dahnsouff]

28 minutes ago, Tielemans63 said:

I would love it if Marti were to get Jannick and Coady in tomorrow and just said "I've seen you play, you're not for me, you won't be playing while I'm here."....and just basically froze them out. Sick of seeing them amble half-heartedly through games.

 

Would love it if Marti said enough is enough and shoved them in the reserves. I'll be really disappointed if either of these useless ****ers start over Ben Nelson when the season starts 

He needs to say “you play like that, find another club, no room for passengers in my teams”. Nobody should be beyond redemption, the pathway to play should be clear for everyone, especially youth.

[Chelmofox]

51 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

He needs the fans on side quickly and the best way to do that is to freeze out the players that don't want to be here. He can say the right things and coach the team well but he's always going to struggle if he's picking Faes, Soumare etc and making Coady the captain.

If Faes stays, freezing him out would be stupid. I know he is the no 1 boogie man on here but he is more than capable at championship level. Ideally i would like to see him move on but we have to be realistic that it might not happen.

 

Soumare i agree with.

[FoxinNotts]

Just now, Chelmofox said:

If Faes stays, freezing him out would be stupid. I know he is the no 1 boogie man on here but he is more than capable at championship level. Ideally i would like to see him move on but we have to be realistic that it might not happen.

 

Soumare i agree with.

Have to agree. Really hope he goes, but if we can't shift him, he should be rotated with Nelson and Okoli.

[Legend_in_blue]

Of the three, Faes, Coady and Vestergaard, you can get rid of two and keep one, which one would you keep?

 

I'd keep Faes based on yesterday.  Shocking from Coady and Vestergaard.  A useful exercise for Cifuentes seeing us lose.  He needed that loss to see what happens when the dross is picked.

[Dahnsouff]

4 minutes ago, Legend_in_blue said:

Of the three, Faes, Coady and Vestergaard, you can get rid of two and keep one, which one would you keep?

 

I'd keep Faes based on yesterday.  Shocking from Coady and Vestergaard.  A useful exercise for Cifuentes seeing us lose.  He needed that loss to see what happens when the dross is picked.

Agree, if we had to keep one would prefer Faes, but suspect he has the most value so likely to be sold assuming decent offer arrives.

[fox_favourite]

7 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

If Faes stays, freezing him out would be stupid. I know he is the no 1 boogie man on here but he is more than capable at championship level. Ideally i would like to see him move on but we have to be realistic that it might not happen.

 

Soumare i agree with.

I think I have to agree. Hopefully the club are doing what they can to shift him, but he's more mobile than Vesty. 

 

But I would prefer to shift him out as he's a bozo moment at any point. 

[Dahnsouff]

11 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

If Faes stays, freezing him out would be stupid. I know he is the no 1 boogie man on here but he is more than capable at championship level. Ideally i would like to see him move on but we have to be realistic that it might not happen.

 

Soumare i agree with.

Yup, we are going to need to reduce the size of the “must leave” list, as it’s just not practical to offload everyone we might ideally like too, as desire to leave, and desire to join against our financial backdrop will scupper the movement of many.

We have to accept that some of our ‘duffers’ just might not be as awful as we have previously seen, now we are down in the Championship.

 

Then their is the chuckle brothers at the back, they can just #### off.

[Chelmofox]

17 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Yup, we are going to need to reduce the size of the “must leave” list, as it’s just not practical to offload everyone we might ideally like too, as desire to leave, and desire to join against our financial backdrop will scupper the movement of many.

We have to accept that some of our ‘duffers’ just might not be as awful as we have previously seen, now we are down in the Championship.

 

Then their is the chuckle brothers at the back, they can just #### off.

Okoli is still a big question mark for me. There were times last season he looked very very shaky but it felt he would be cut from the 1st team quickly. Ideally issues there get resolved and him an Nelson are the first 2 choices. Constant transfer rumours with Okoli worry me but i presume he is marketable in Italy and so will always be subject to these i imagine.  Faes is fine at this level, he just doesn't want to be at this level. But for all the stick he gets (and ive piled in myself) I never think he's downed tools nor has he had any significant time off with injury. He has poor decision making that means he can't be relied on when we are under the cosh and we need a level head, and he has an arrogance and lack of humility that doesn't sit well with me.

 

Ideally Vesty, Coady and Bouba will go. However, i can't see anyone buying Vestergaard, i think Coady will have interest (aka Rangers) but i doubt anyone will match his salary. I think Bouba will run his contract down and the best we can hope for is a loan that slightly limits the damage. I don't think Bouba or the club will want to see him starting for us next season. Im not really sure where his career goes from here. Therefore, i can see all 3 still being here next season.

 

I'm not massively astute tactically, but for all the plaudits Vesty got under Enzo im not sure we really want him playing the same way anymore. Seems to me Marti's team needs to operate with a bit more pace, and Vestergaard really slows things down.  

Edited 26 July 2025 by Chelmofox

[coolhandfox]

For all the dislike of Faes by some there is a player in there, if he sorted out his discison making he could be a OK PL CB.

 

I'd happily see him, Nelson and Okoli fighting out for the two starting places.

 

Try to get rid of Vestergaard and Coady.

 

[suffolk fox]

4 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

For all the dislike of Faes by some there is a player in there, if he sorted out his discison making he could be a OK PL CB.

 

I'd happily see him, Nelson and Okoli fighting out for the two starting places.

 

Try to get rid of Vestergaard and Coady.

 

Having seen Faes a number of times playing in the premier league, he is not a premier league centre back.  How, he starts for Belgium at International level I really don't know.  His decision making is very poor, and he is often positionally caught out.  Take Chelsea at home last season for example their first goal Jackson scored when he allowed it to  bounce, (Faes).  I would say, in his benefit, he is Championship standard.  For that reason, that's good enough for the level we are at.

[Scotch]

7 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

For all the dislike of Faes by some there is a player in there, if he sorted out his discison making he could be a OK PL CB.

 

I'd happily see him, Nelson and Okoli fighting out for the two starting places.

 

Try to get rid of Vestergaard and Coady.

 

I don't think think that his ability is really in question. Like you say, it's his decision making and his attitude. His over confidence in himself often puts him in bad positions and that throwing his hands up and looking around accusingly every time he makes a mistake drives me absolutely mental. 

[Philkeavo]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

He needs to say “you play like that, find another club, no room for passengers in my teams”. Nobody should be beyond redemption, the pathway to play should be clear for everyone, especially youth.

Reading between the lines he implied this in his end of tour interview on LCFC tv. 

Edited 26 July 2025 by Philkeavo

[honeybradger]

Wout Faes is the latest Belgian to have him being an international player used as to why he is actually good. I remember it being used as a reason that Praet should play over Maddison and now Praet is back in the Belgian league.

 

Belgium is a small country with a s

shallow talent pool that happened to produce a few exceptional talents over the last decade that raised the level of their entire team. Just because their star players are good does not mean Faes is good, he has little competition for his position.

 

Faes's career will go the same way as Praet, back to the Belgian league once he has left us

[Dahnsouff]

Just now, honeybradger said:

Wout Faes is the latest Belgian to have him being an international player used as to why he is actually good. I remember it being used as a reason that Praet should play over Maddison and now Praet is back in the Belgian league.

 

Belgium is a small country with a s

shallow talent pool that happened to produce a few exceptional talents over the last decade that raised the level of their entire team. Just because their star players are good does not mean Faes is good, he has little competition for his position.

 

Faes's career will go the same way as Praet, back to the Belgian league once he has left us

This might hold some weight if Belgium were not so high in the FIFA rankings.