Marti Cifuentes - Style of Play, Tactics and Analysis

[StriderHiryu]

 

Going live at 7PM!

[urban.spaceman]

I’m glad he has all three. Ruud had **** all. 

[BeaumontFox]

A good topic of conversation is why to be positive about this appointment given his win/loss ratio at QPR in the same league we’re in. I think it’s a good topic anyway.

[Aleksz]

I think the key difference for me, is yes it will likely be a similar style of play to enzo in terms of possession and build up shape - but there will be positional rotations for sure. With Enzo you knew where every player was going to be at any given time - his most predictable and biggest negative factor imo. Under Cifuentes you'll see much more positional rotation e.g perhaps the deepest midfielder (Winks/Skipp) drops in to the back line, or Ricardo wanders in to midfield, or on the next move Ricardo is very much high and wide. He’s very much more flexible than structured unlike Enzo.

 

I also wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t got as much of a desperation for a new striker as some of you guys - he’s used a false 9 a lot in the past. Perhaps Mavididi or Bilal (in event of the miracle that he stays) could end up filling that spot.

 

Finally, in some of the games and clips I’ve watched he’s much more of a pressing manager than we’ve had in a long time, even more than Enzo who had an aggressive man to man marking set up most of the time.

 

Glad @StriderHiryu started this thread as I’ve watched a lot of clips but couldn’t be bothered to start a thread 

[StriderHiryu]

13 minutes ago, Aleksz said:

I think the key difference for me, is yes it will likely be a similar style of play to enzo in terms of possession and build up shape - but there will be positional rotations for sure. With Enzo you knew where every player was going to be at any given time - his most predictable and biggest negative factor imo. Under Cifuentes you'll see much more positional rotation e.g perhaps the deepest midfielder (Winks/Skipp) drops in to the back line, or Ricardo wanders in to midfield, or on the next move Ricardo is very much high and wide. He’s very much more flexible than structured unlike Enzo.

 

I also wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t got as much of a desperation for a new striker as some of you guys - he’s used a false 9 a lot in the past. Perhaps Mavididi or Bilal (in event of the miracle that he stays) could end up filling that spot.

 

Finally, in some of the games and clips I’ve watched he’s much more of a pressing manager than we’ve had in a long time, even more than Enzo who had an aggressive man to man marking set up most of the time.

 

Glad @StriderHiryu started this thread as I’ve watched a lot of clips but couldn’t be bothered to start a thread 

Bang on. You can check out the stream we did tonight, but it was a history lesson on that Cruyff Dream Team and how Cifuentes has taken elements from it and applied it to QPR, and hopefully Leicester.

 

"The Dream Team" was one of the most exciting teams I ever saw play, and was massively influential to me growing up. At the time we had Graham Taylor playing 442 hoof ball in England, and you had 3133 on the continent with false 9's, rotating players and full backs running 60 yards to make it 5-0 against Real Madrid. Chalk and cheese to put it mildly!

 

My expectations are for this to be a more exciting brand of football, but I also expect more than our fair share of "bozo moments" where we are 4 on 2 after a turnover. But I think his style will work. In the Premier League it would require a bit of adaptation, but let's worry about that when we get there!

 

Roll on the Marti Party!

[LVFox]

If the players were missing Enzo, they should relish this in comparison to Cooper and RVN.

 

Strikes me as similar to Enzo but with a little more risk in the final third. More rotations rather than complete tactical discipline, but definitely similar principles and shape.

 

 

[whoareyaaa]

2 hours ago, BeaumontFox said:

A good topic of conversation is why to be positive about this appointment given his win/loss ratio at QPR in the same league we’re in. I think it’s a good topic anyway.

We have better players ?

[Loxm]

3 hours ago, BeaumontFox said:

A good topic of conversation is why to be positive about this appointment given his win/loss ratio at QPR in the same league we’re in. I think it’s a good topic anyway.

Our squad at the start of the season will be leaps and bounds above the level QPR's squad was under Marti.

[BeaumontFox]

18 minutes ago, Loxm said:

Our squad at the start of the season will be leaps and bounds above the level QPR's squad was under Marti.

Whilst it’s almost alien to hear people singing our squads praises these, I understand and agree on this completely.

 

However I thought it might still be a good thing to discuss in greater depth - perhaps on BTG Lox? Obviously one could also argue that RVN would’ve been more successful with a better squad 😂😂

 

Anyway, I’m just pleased we have some clarification on the direction we’re moving in at long last!!

[Muzzy_no7]

Seems to be closer to Luis Enrique in style than Maresca.

 

Be interesting to see what he does with the likes of Daka, Ndidi (if he’s here), Hamza and Ayew

[Tielemans63]

3 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

 

Going live at 7PM!

Good stuff as always, mate. Keep up the good work 

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

17 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Seems to be closer to Luis Enrique in style than Maresca.

 

Be interesting to see what he does with the likes of Daka, Ndidi (if he’s here), Hamza and Ayew

 

[Scotch]

40 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Seems to be closer to Luis Enrique in style than Maresca.

 

Be interesting to see what he does with the likes of Daka, Ndidi (if he’s here), Hamza and Ayew

I actually think Ayew might do well in this system as the false 9 but hopefully as a backup option. 

 

Hamza is an interesting one. He can play several positions that would make hime a candidate for that free man role but as @StriderHiryu said, that role takes football intelligence and that IMO is what holds Hamza back. 

[Aleksz]

57 minutes ago, Muzzy_no7 said:

Seems to be closer to Luis Enrique in style than Maresca.

 

Be interesting to see what he does with the likes of Daka, Ndidi (if he’s here), Hamza and Ayew

Spot on in terms of what I said about rotations. Thought the same but didn't want to over egg it.  Maresca is closer to Guardiola (shock) style in terms of lots of structure. It seems like Cifuentes leans much more towards of fluidity of positions. 

Edited 15 July 2025 by Aleksz

[lanefox]

39 minutes ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

 

 

[StriderHiryu]

16 minutes ago, Scotch said:

I actually think Ayew might do well in this system as the false 9 but hopefully as a backup option. 

 

Hamza is an interesting one. He can play several positions that would make hime a candidate for that free man role but as @StriderHiryu said, that role takes football intelligence and that IMO is what holds Hamza back. 

Given we are in the Championship, sometimes the physical approach is better than the technical one. As you'll see in the video, QPR used Jimmy Dunne effectively, and used his physicality to find him for headers frequently. Hamza has the engine and aggression to get into good positions, so it's possible.

 

Let's keep an eye on the preseason matches to see how exactly Marti sets up and who is used where. We should see quite a few players used in different roles. Even in the Dream Team there were a number of subtle tweaks made over the years, which gave them different dimensions to their attack. 

[Realist Guy In The Room]

GERRIT FORWARD MARTEH!!

[Scotch]

19 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

Given we are in the Championship, sometimes the physical approach is better than the technical one. As you'll see in the video, QPR used Jimmy Dunne effectively, and used his physicality to find him for headers frequently. Hamza has the engine and aggression to get into good positions, so it's possible.

 

Let's keep an eye on the preseason matches to see how exactly Marti sets up and who is used where. We should see quite a few players used in different roles. Even in the Dream Team there were a number of subtle tweaks made over the years, which gave them different dimensions to their attack. 

I think even for the Championship, Hamza struggles in this regard. 

 

With his physical attributes, he SHOULD be better than he is. Like I say, I think it's his football intelligence that let's him down and like you say in the video, that is required for that free man role. 

 

With Hamza, even at CDM, he doesn't seem to be able to read the game. He doesn't know where he has to be until he has to be there if that makes sense and it leads to him looking like he is always chasing to catch up, which then leads to the rash challenges. 

[FoxTrott]

Basing my opinions purely off the video from Anil, and an interview from the QPR BBC correspondent, it is hard not to be excited.

 

Despite the success of our Championship winning year, it was hard to be exhilarated over much of Enzo-ball (and definitely had a few dads around me who thought their time of following football was done), it seems like we will forgo security for a more direct, more free flowing and risk tasking style of football.  
 

I think many people, myself included, were done with seeing Leicester either play it safe, or just play terrible football. It sounds like the football Martí will bring is exciting but won’t always come off (we will need to be prepared that we won’t be the same, dominant low stakes but high impact football we saw last time around). 
 

it is exciting, I hope people don’t get too put off when we are inevitably less stable at the back than we were under Enzo. I’m hoping the trade off is fast, free-flowing football.

 

Go well Martí, the whole of Leicester is behind you!

Edited 16 July 2025 by FoxTrott

[Mendi]

He will do brilliant job. QPR will regret letting him go.

[Claudio Fannieri]

6 hours ago, Scotch said:

I think even for the Championship, Hamza struggles in this regard. 

 

With his physical attributes, he SHOULD be better than he is. Like I say, I think it's his football intelligence that let's him down and like you say in the video, that is required for that free man role. 

 

With Hamza, even at CDM, he doesn't seem to be able to read the game. He doesn't know where he has to be until he has to be there if that makes sense and it leads to him looking like he is always chasing to catch up, which then leads to the rash challenges. 

Hamza is a fantastic reactionary player, but proactively he lacks football intelligence, he doesn’t read the game well at all, what has got him though his career is he is quick, has a good engine and is aggressive which means he can recover situations well, often that he has created by switching off …..if that makes sense. 

[Jazzy_Jeff]

I think Hamza is perfect for our bench.

He can fill in a number of positions meaning he can be used effectively regardless of the score at the time. 

[BeaumontFox]

1 hour ago, Jazzy_Jeff said:

I think Hamza is perfect for our bench.

He can fill in a number of positions meaning he can be used effectively regardless of the score at the time. 

I rate Hamza in the championship. Not the most technical, but sometimes you just need him to bully the opposition.

[SB87_LCFC]

10 hours ago, whoareyaaa said:

We have better players ?

When they can be bothered!

[SB87_LCFC]

1 hour ago, Jazzy_Jeff said:

I think Hamza is perfect for our bench.

He can fill in a number of positions meaning he can be used effectively regardless of the score at the time. 

I totally agree on this, but if rumors' are true and he is one of those tossing if off, I'd sooner he be shown the door.