Cifuentes OUT

[Fox92]

20 minutes ago, 5waller5 said:

I don’t disagree entirely, and with hindsight it didn’t work. But if his thinking was to play in a more counter attacking way then the sub makes some sense…. Until Daka proves that he really is as useless as his worst critic suspects. Imagine Vardy coming on to do that role, the substitution wouldn’t have looked so bizarre

We did nothing though. One shot, I think it was, in the whole of the second half and that was way off target. Bristol City battered us second half and another 10 minutes would have seen us lose. Ayew is good at holding the ball but looked more ineffective as the second half went on.

[teblin]

9 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

We did nothing though. One shot, I think it was, in the whole of the second half and that was way off target. Bristol City battered us second half and another 10 minutes would have seen us lose. Ayew is good at holding the ball but looked more ineffective as the second half went on.

2 shots but both in injury time.

[Lesterlad]

11 hours ago, C.J said:

What difference is sacking him going to make? Can't afford to pay him off, it's a transitional year. Might as well just let the season pan out as nobody think we're going up...... hopefully not going down!

The past three managers have failed to get a tune out of most of the players. Another one isn't going to. 

Maybe he'll get some loans to work with in January and we can finish in the top half/mid-table. I'd be happy with that (obviously depends on the possibility of a points deduction). 

 

What I will say is the past 3 managers were employed on the cheap and shouldn’t have been given the jobs in the first place. We are awful at recruitment and have the scouting network of zilch ability so new players are dreadful to start with 

[CarolinaFox]

Marti has only himself to blame for that 2nd half performance. A draw from a winning position is a loss in my book. How many points has Marti dropped from winning positions? For me he inspires no confidence. We either look inept and slow and lazy at the beginning of a match and get blown out or we start well but give our opponents belief they can come back. I honestly think he worse than Cooper or RVN and will be glad to see the day he leaves. It’s not a question of if, but when. The festive season is going to be brutal for us. Don’t see us winning too many matches with this charlatan. 

[Happy Fox]

Hopefully Saturday is his last game in charge.

[Happy Fox]

2 hours ago, Gamble92 said:

Exactly this. Constant predictions we are going to get beat and I look at the opposing line ups and see 35 year old journeymen who haven't played in the Premier League for 8 years. It's a disgrace we are being gaslit into believing this is about where we are at. 

 

The amount of second chances this club has had and still could have if they got things just a bit right. It's a disgrace to have this budget and perform this bad. It's Man United levels of underperforming. 

 

I don't understand the Marti symphasisers yes I know our ownership is rank and abysmal, but certainly we shouldn't be doing this badly and a  managerial change is definitely needed.

[smudgerfox]

3 hours ago, RedSoxUK said:

letting Daka Fatawu and Mav be the outlets. ..

 

I see a flaw in your cunning plan

[Nolucklcfc]

39 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

Hopefully Saturday is his last game in charge.

Nah, I think even if we finish bottom half the club won’t act. They’ll only sack him if we look like being in serious danger of going down. 

[Pliskin]

1 minute ago, Nolucklcfc said:

Nah, I think even if we finish bottom half the club won’t act. They’ll only sack him if we look like being in serious danger of going down. 

They will wait until after any PSR decisions have been made. 

[5waller5]

2 hours ago, Fox92 said:

We did nothing though. One shot, I think it was, in the whole of the second half and that was way off target. Bristol City battered us second half and another 10 minutes would have seen us lose. Ayew is good at holding the ball but looked more ineffective as the second half went on.

I agree, we were abysmal and whatever plan he had didn’t work. But did you see Daka?? It was worse than playing with 10 men. The manager is responsible for a lot of what happens in the pitch, and I’m ambivalent towards keeping / sacking him… he’s not responsible for just how awful our strikers are and the problems in the squad will be there for the next guy too

[Happy Fox]

6 minutes ago, 5waller5 said:

I agree, we were abysmal and whatever plan he had didn’t work. But did you see Daka?? It was worse than playing with 10 men. The manager is responsible for a lot of what happens in the pitch, and I’m ambivalent towards keeping / sacking him… he’s not responsible for just how awful our strikers are and the problems in the squad will be there for the next guy too

 

He can play the likes of Jake Evans, we have some promising young players play them!

[5waller5]

2 hours ago, Richmondfox said:

But then that putting Daka on for a counter attacking style and having Ayew drop deeper negates the counter. Thats clear for everyone to see, apart from Marti. All it did was include another clown for JV to try and blast the ball to. 
 

I can’t understand how we played like the first half at Derby to then reset the next match, even though we all knew it would. 

I thought we did carry on from where we left off in the first half. I was happy enough that we were doing OK and had a 2-0 lead at half time.

 

The problems came in the second half, and as a result of the opposition closing us down infinitely quicker and giving no space. 
 

Putting Daka on to exploit the space behind the defence that BC had pushed further up the pitch to reduce the playing area is a perfectly logical thing to do. Use his pace and a long ball to counter.

 

Unfortunately Daka looked like he’d won a competition and the plan could never work when reliant upon such a poor footballer

[5waller5]

Just now, Happy Fox said:

 

He can play the likes of Jake Evans, we have some promising young players play them!

I’d like to see that too … playing with Daka is handing the opposition the points

[CUJimmy]

6 hours ago, winteriscoming said:

Be interesting to know if he’s won 3 on the trot in this league. 
Really shouldn’t be that difficult in this shit league. 
Reminds me of when Cooper was here. 
Has not got a clue if the opposition change anything tactically during a match. 
 

This is the crux of the matter for me.  In the first half we looked ok, not great, but pretty much in control and 2-0 felt like a comfortable position.

 

Bristol City made a couple of tactical changes, went two up top and shuffled the midfield so all of a sudden our back line was under pressure and our midfield couldn’t get a foot on the ball.  Any decent manager has a list of ‘if they do X then we do Y’ or at least has the nous to solve the problem on the fly.  This was Enzo was good at, I haven’t got the numbers to hand but it felt like we scored a lot in the 15 mins after half-time.  Marti, sadly, doesn’t seem to have a clue.  I assume the subs were to protect 2 of our best players for Saturday but if that is really necessary then there is something wrong with the fitness and conditioning.

 

 

[StriderHiryu]

The manager has found the best system for the team, sit in a mid-block and hit the opposition on the counter attack. That's the good news. 

 

The bad news is that he is really struggling to find an out ball and a way to relieve the pressure when teams go for it against us. The lethargic start to the second half was one thing, but that can happen to anyone. After that is where I was most disapointed. I would expect a competent manager to be way more animated and demand that some of this players keep the ball in the middle of the park to restore some control. JJ might have had a knock, but bringing on Daka so we ended up with a midfield duo of Skipp and Reid was honking. 

 

I think this manager points the finger way too often and doesn't look at himself. "The players don't listen to me"... mate you are the MANAGER and managing players is what you are there to do. Communication with your team and getting them to understand what you want from them IS the art of management. Rodgers and Maresca were able to get their ideas across within weeks, this guy can't.

 

He can still save himself, but he's got to work on better transitions when we are under the kosh, and also needs to be able to coach the team to be proactive in those situations, IE to step up and play higher and have the confidence to play with the ball to calm the game down and ride the storm. 

[gurru991]

23 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

They will wait until after any PSR decisions have been made. 

Agreed !! We probably cant afford to fire him anyway.

[Mythyaar]

The James for Daka sub last night was evidence of how limited a coach he is. Unfathomable and unforgiveable in equal measure.

 

But it also lends to another key issue. None of the players look fit. They appear gassed after 60 minutes. What on earth are our fitness, strength and conditioning coaches playing at?

 

Jock Wallace would be turning in his grave.

[Kitchandro]

1 hour ago, 5waller5 said:

I agree, we were abysmal and whatever plan he had didn’t work. But did you see Daka?? It was worse than playing with 10 men. The manager is responsible for a lot of what happens in the pitch, and I’m ambivalent towards keeping / sacking him… he’s not responsible for just how awful our strikers are and the problems in the squad will be there for the next guy too

Do you not think other Championship teams have bad strikers?

 

We were 2-0 up, Daka’s lack of quality shouldn’t have been the be all and end all.

Edited 11 December 2025 by Kitchandro

[slymunn]

8 hours ago, winteriscoming said:

Be interesting to know if he’s won 3 on the trot in this league. 
Really shouldn’t be that difficult in this shit league. 
Reminds me of when Cooper was here. 
Has not got a clue if the opposition change anything tactically during a match. 
 

3 times at QPR he won three on the trot.

Also a couple of 4 wins in 5.

[5waller5]

10 minutes ago, Kitchandro said:

Do you not think other Championship teams have bad strikers?

 

We were 2-0 up, Daka’s lack of quality shouldn’t have been the be all and end all.

I’m not suggesting it’s the total sum of problems at the club, but we have a striker that avoids the ball… It’s unfair to criticise MC for a logical tactical sub that didn’t work because Daka

[winteriscoming]

27 minutes ago, slymunn said:

3 times at QPR he won three on the trot.

Also a couple of 4 wins in 5.

I’m genuinely surprised at that. 
I just don’t see him doing it here. 
 

[slymunn]

3 minutes ago, winteriscoming said:

I’m genuinely surprised at that. 
I just don’t see him doing it here. 
 

Same here actually, which is why I had a look into it. He actually did win 4 in a row in the league, with the 6-2 cup defeat in the middle.

 

 

Martí Cifuentes - Detailed Stats | Transfermarkt

[ceebeefox]

I can’t believe the spaces we have between defence and midfield you can’t see a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-5-1 in defence, there’s gaps everywhere and no plan. It must start with Vesty sitting too deep due to lack of pace? 

[Richmondfox]

2 hours ago, 5waller5 said:

I thought we did carry on from where we left off in the first half. I was happy enough that we were doing OK and had a 2-0 lead at half time.

 

The problems came in the second half, and as a result of the opposition closing us down infinitely quicker and giving no space. 
 

Putting Daka on to exploit the space behind the defence that BC had pushed further up the pitch to reduce the playing area is a perfectly logical thing to do. Use his pace and a long ball to counter.

 

Unfortunately Daka looked like he’d won a competition and the plan could never work when reliant upon such a poor footballer

That’s fair enough.  I feel the score line flattered us in the first half.  Thomas was making no runs and offering help.  It was a lot of JV trying to take over to control and piss around.  Fatawu was crap until he remembered he can actually run with a ball that’s been passed in front on him.  It was scrappy, like they didn’t know what to fully do, the Derby game seemed to flow. JJ seemed to be doing everything with only Reid looking like he knew what to do. 
 

Bristol had a few chances in the first half as well. 
 

I don’t think Hamza even looked at the half way line let alone crossed it. 
 

I can’t stand seeing Ayew play for us, let alone start.  He couldn’t even be bothered to stick his foot out for a player walking right next to him. 

[Fox92]

1 hour ago, slymunn said:

3 times at QPR he won three on the trot.

Also a couple of 4 wins in 5.

QPR were very streaky under him. They would win a few, then lose a few. It seems once on runs he found it hard to get out of (winning and losing). This is what we see now.