Cifuentes OUT

[filbertway]

Reading the Enzo comparison's is so annoying

 

I would like a new gaffer, just to cement that in fact our squad is the absolute pits. I'm sure some people will still be pretending we've got the same squad that Enzo had.

 

Cifuentes, Enzo. Dyche. It doesn't matter. The squad will continue to get weaker year on year, our best hopes of enjoyment will be random cup victories and digging out a late winner against someone like Preston. 

 

The genuine fascination is whether they're capable of taking us to league two if given enough time. It won't be easy even for them, but if anyone can do it, it'll be Top and Rudderz.

[The boy Linacre]

In the end many of these took us up 2 seasons, now their level has dropped dramatically, BUT managers CAN get a tune out of underperforming players, he isn't.

No point in sacking him BUT the guy is clueless, the whole thing is bust at least for the foreseeable.  That is a pretty decent level of ineptitude, that not many clubs can match in the last 10-20 years. 

From a Cup win and a European semi to 13th in EFL Champs in 4.5 years looking shocking too repeatedly.

Edited 25 November 2025 by The boy Linacre

[Ted Maul]

We're in a position where there's no point sacking a manager who is clearly out of his depth because the people in charge of appointing the replacement are even more out of their depth. Horrendous. 

Edited 25 November 2025 by Ted Maul

[Lad1966]

With the threat of point deduction no signing in the summer and losing a number of 1st team players, I think we are seeing the result of all of the above!!!

Not sure sacking MC would make any difference, at this point in time, maybe in hindsight we should have kept RVN, but he needed to go!

We need a proper rebuild, but we can’t do that until our high earners leave and others leave or are sold. It’s crucial at that point we have the right structure in place ( including a new manager). This will take time, but as you see with Coventry,  things can also change very quickly.

 

 

[Bourbon Fox]

12 minutes ago, lcfcbluearmy said:

What would you change about the line up genuinly curious he played aluko like loads are here were begging for today and look how that turned out

He set us up with a suicidally high line today with a back 4 of a makeshift RB, a clown, the world's slowest man and a 19 year-old with 1 previous appearance as a substitute.

 

The lineup was out of his hands but the tactical mistake was clear to see from the off. He then stuck with it as we conceded 3 goals.

 

I actually thought Aluko was unlucky, Fatawu forced him into his first card. He got forward well, battled, had good positioning and played like he'd die for the shirt. Would pick him over Thomas.

[Guest]

He's crap. It's alright saying Top and Rudkin need to go first, the squad needs an overhaul first - Top and Rudkin aren't going anywhere (best case the latter sees his power slightly diluted but realistically he's still going to be heavily involved). If the squad does get overhauled it's a) going to take quite a lot longer than sacking Cifuentes would and b) going to be carried out by Top, Rudkin, and people chosen by Top and Rudkin. It's basically "there's no point sacking him until this very unlikely sequence of events happens" so is he just here until his contract expires irrespective of performances and results? At that point I'm guessing we give him a new deal because you never know, the next appointment could be worse, be careful what you wish for, etc.

 

A lot of our problems are not his responsibility but this does not mean he has no responsibility for anything the team does. It looks like the manager is bad at his job and the fact other people are also bad at theirs doesn't really cancel that out in my book.

[Corky]

Who is represented by the agency we usually work with?

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

Just now, Corky said:

Who is represented by the agency we usually work with?

Wayne Kerr

 

Richard Head 

[filbertway]

Just now, Guest said:

He's crap. It's alright saying Top and Rudkin need to go first, the squad needs an overhaul first - Top and Rudkin aren't going anywhere (best case the latter sees his power slightly diluted but realistically he's still going to be heavily involved). If the squad does get overhauled it's a) going to take quite a lot longer than sacking Cifuentes would and b) going to be carried out by Top, Rudkin, and people chosen by Top and Rudkin. It's basically "there's no point sacking him until this very unlikely sequence of events happens" so is he just here until his contract expires irrespective of performances and results? At that point I'm guessing we give him a new deal because you never know, the next appointment could be worse, be careful what you wish for, etc.

 

A lot of our problems are not his responsibility but this does not mean he has no responsibility for anything the team does. It looks like the manager is bad at his job and the fact other people are also bad at theirs doesn't really cancel that out in my book.

Obviously you have to factor in the cost of sacking another manager and then hiring a new team. Do you think that another manager improves us to the point of getting us up? If so, then it's worth it.

 

If it's because we're not ready to accept that we're overpaying a mediocre squad with very little fight or athletic prowess, never mind footballing talent. Then I don't think sacking achieves much other than slowing down how quickly we can sort out this squad. 

 

Hanging fire till the summer seems logical to me, unless they're willing to spend big on reinforcements and hire an absolute elite gaffer in Jan. I have my doubts that they're capable of either.

[HankMarvin]

9 minutes ago, lcfcbluearmy said:

You really think they look worse than last year? Id agree no better but not worse. But my point would be 3 managers in a row have looked like they have no idea and no tactics. I think its more likely the players are refusing/ are incapable of following the tactics rather than the nanagers just not having anything. 

 

If we could see tactics and they were bad and not working then thats defintly on the manager but not being able to see any tactics makes it look like the players not doing what they are told to

The excuse could be made for the golf in quality, he definitely doesn’t have the 13th worst squad in the division 

[shen]

Look at the goals we scored against Stoke, which came from a good press and and an interception leading to a counter. We scored quite a few of these goals under Maresca too, despite many having you believe it was only ever tippy happy stuff. 

We scored these kinds of goals during our most successful period in the Prem.

 

We still have players whose strength is pace, pressing and direct play. 

Why can't we lean more into this?

[Joe90]

How hard is it to understand that the 11 players are not going to suddenly leave, top and Rudkin unfortunately are not neither the ONLY option short term is to get rid of the horrendous manger, then maybe we will at least get a new manger bounce 

[Bourbon Fox]

4 minutes ago, Guest said:

He's crap. It's alright saying Top and Rudkin need to go first, the squad needs an overhaul first - Top and Rudkin aren't going anywhere (best case the latter sees his power slightly diluted but realistically he's still going to be heavily involved). If the squad does get overhauled it's a) going to take quite a lot longer than sacking Cifuentes would and b) going to be carried out by Top, Rudkin, and people chosen by Top and Rudkin. It's basically "there's no point sacking him until this very unlikely sequence of events happens" so is he just here until his contract expires irrespective of performances and results? At that point I'm guessing we give him a new deal because you never know, the next appointment could be worse, be careful what you wish for, etc.

 

A lot of our problems are not his responsibility but this does not mean he has no responsibility for anything the team does. It looks like the manager is bad at his job and the fact other people are also bad at theirs doesn't really cancel that out in my book.

Don't think they'll move yet, but maybe 'new manager' will be the first thing in this technical director's in tray.

 

Did anyone hear any more about the supposed loud bust-up between Marti and Rudkin within earshot of the players a few weeks ago?

[CarolinaFox]

People criticized Enzo for only having a Plan A, Marti has no plan. Again - its not the losing that gets me, its that we don't ever look like we are being set up by the manager to win. If we lost 1-1 in a tight match I'd be disappointed but understand that these things happen. I want to be proud of my club in terms of their performance on the pitch. These performances are embarrassing. 3-0 to Southampton with 1 shot on target. Really?? If that's the best he can do, we can manage without you Marti. 

[Ric Flair]

Get him gone, King as caretaker and thrn see what happens. Going down this season anyway.

[lee7]

It feels like RVN all over again! Everyone can see that we are shocking with no real structure yet week in week out we underperform and nothing changes. 

 

Get Marti gone asap to give ourselves the best outside chance of reaching the play offs. 

[MC Prussian]

More than a third of the season gone, and I still wonder.

 

What are Marti Cifuentes' tactics? What is his "style"? What does he put emphasis on?

[VLC86]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Get him gone, King as caretaker and thrn see what happens. Going down this season anyway.

If I was King I would avoid the job like the plague.

[AjcW]

12 minutes ago, Corky said:

Who is represented by the agency we usually work with?

Working with them less and less to be fair. Wouldn’t surprise me to see Morris try and recommend someone for the technical director role though to get himself back in favour. 

[TeamRocket]

He ain't going anywhere and no one that is good would wanna come anywhere near this club.

[RedSoxUK]

19 minutes ago, Bourbon Fox said:

He set us up with a suicidally high line today with a back 4 of a makeshift RB, a clown, the world's slowest man and a 19 year-old with 1 previous appearance as a substitute.

 

The lineup was out of his hands but the tactical mistake was clear to see from the off. He then stuck with it as we conceded 3 goals.

 

I actually thought Aluko was unlucky, Fatawu forced him into his first card. He got forward well, battled, had good positioning and played like he'd die for the shirt. Would pick him over Thomas.

The lineup is quite literally in his hands.

[AKCJ]

26 minutes ago, Bourbon Fox said:

I dont know where this idea that Andy King has ever done anything in football management has sprung from

He hasn't done anything. But he'd at least be something for the fans to relate with. I've not had that since Enzo left.

[Pliskin]

7 minutes ago, filbertway said:

Reading the Enzo comparison's is so annoying

 

I would like a new gaffer, just to cement that in fact our squad is the absolute pits. I'm sure some people will still be pretending we've got the same squad that Enzo had.

 

Cifuentes, Enzo. Dyche. It doesn't matter. The squad will continue to get weaker year on year, our best hopes of enjoyment will be random cup victories and digging out a late winner against someone like Preston. 

 

The genuine fascination is whether they're capable of taking us to league two if given enough time. It won't be easy even for them, but if anyone can do it, it'll be Top and Rudderz.

Stolarczyk 

Ricardo 

Faes

Vestegaard 

Winks

Hamza

Fatawu

Mavididi

Daka 

 

All played under Enzo. James, Skipp, BDR and Ayew have all performed comfortably at this level before. 
 

The comparisons are only drawn because some seem to think the squad is completely different to that Enzo had…. It’s largely the same with some differences…. So that argument is flawed. 
 

Is the squad weaker? Yes it is, is the league weaker than it was then? Absolutely it is. Should this squad be doing better than it is…. Absolutely it should. 
 

Can a manager with good man management skills get more out of his group and with the potential to strengthen on January do better? Yes.

 

Even if we got deducted 9 points, we could still have a go at the play offs…. Before beating Stoke we had won what, 2 in 12 or something and ended up 3 points off the play offs? 
 

It is easy to just disregard everything and just flippantly say “well the players are shit so it’s pointless sacking him”… the evidence is irrefutable that Marti is making us worse, tactically he’s not got a clue, he’s trying to play the same formation, regardless of the personnel available to him, because he’s setting the team up to play in his image, rather than focus on the strengths it does have. 
 

The reality is, Top isn’t going anywhere, nor is Rudkin, and if on 3/4 years we haven’t managed to shift the deadwood out, how are we going to do it in January? 
 

Marti has never managed to grasp the dressing room in the time he’s been here, not one single player has shown signs of improvement, some have even regressed…. It’s clear they aren’t having his philosophy and it’s clear he doesn’t know what to do with the team. 
 

If Marti was left in post and we just carried on losing games, and went down and did nothing, people would too have something to say about not trying something different. 
 

Managers are expendable, they’re short term solutions and are there to be got rid of if things aren’t going well…. Even with money, Marti wouldn’t achieve anything, he’s a poor coach who eventually lost his way at QPR, so the warning signs were there. 

[sdb]

I still think he's better than RVN, but the standard of manager we tend to appoint now is absolutely unbelievable. Who would we appoint next if he went tomorrow? 

[shen]

6 minutes ago, MC Prussian said:

More than a third of the season gone, and I still wonder.

 

What are Marti Cifuentes' tactics? What is his "style"? What does he put emphasis on?

It's bizarre really. He seemed tactically knowledgeable in the interview with Pipes early in the season, but now he's reduced to only talking about spirit and character, which deflects from the tactical whoopings we've been getting regularly this season. 

With Enzo at least you had a clear blueprint, but under Marti we're both stubborn and i effective - at both ends.