Cifuentes OUT

[Richmondfox]

1 hour ago, South Shire Fox said:

I dont think it’s the not winning everygame thats the problem. Its the being second best most weeks and not having an actual game plan to go out and try to win that is. A bloke that still has the mentality of being QPR manager where he sets up not to lose rather then to go out and win

His goal record at QPR was 1.2 per game and bottom end of the table. Hardly a progressive manager in the rise.  

 

The players seem to switch to a capable attacking side once the game is too far out of reach. Then next game it’s the same start and same mistakes from the same players.

 

The goals that Ricky scored before he became boring and useless were from neat,

quick attacking play. The winner against Norwich was from quick passes for the winger to run into space and cross first time.  Next game it resets back to the boring pass around until JV makes a stupid pass and gets countered as he’s over the halfway line. 

[Dahnsouff]

Really flop flopping on this.

Could a different manager do better with these players? Sure.

Could the manager we would likely employ do better with these players? Dubious.

[BKLFox]

8 minutes ago, Richmondfox said:

His goal record at QPR was 1.2 per game and bottom end of the table. Hardly a progressive manager in the rise.  

 

The players seem to switch to a capable attacking side once the game is too far out of reach. Then next game it’s the same start and same mistakes from the same players.

 

The goals that Ricky scored before he became boring and useless were from neat,

quick attacking play. The winner against Norwich was from quick passes for the winger to run into space and cross first time.  Next game it resets back to the boring pass around until JV makes a stupid pass and gets countered as he’s over the halfway line. 

The old concede because of the manager and score despite him sketch…those 1st 2 goals had nothing to do with him, all down to the ineptness of players especially JV 

 

 

Edited 30 November 2025 by BKLFox

[JimJams]

I do think there's an element of fans that think that playing the young players is a quick fix to better results, and while I'd like to see more of them, I don't necessarily believe that's the case.

 

However, the point made about the youngsters is this.  Would they be any worse?  Very few senior players are putting in performances where they look undroppable.  The experienced heads were responsible for the game being over as a competition 4 minutes in yesterday.

I think our u21 side probably holds out for at least 5 minutes...

 

If the older players are putting in the performances and getting the results then gripes about youth are just people with an agenda to make complaints wherever possible.  But when they're not getting the results, and they're not getting the performances, and they're making basic errors and most damningly they don't seem to be putting in the effort, then complaints about not using the young players are justified.  They'd be gaining experience and developing.

 

Evans for example did not look particularly at it in preseason, he didn't really make much of an impression.  But assuming he'd be played at CF, which goal machine would he unjustly be taking a few minutes from?  1 goal Daka?  Competition winning Carranza?

You could easily have Daka start with Evans coming on later on for a few minutes.  If there's better alternatives, ok play them, but Carranza is evidently shite.

Ramsey was first choice at 10.  He's injured so understandably Reid gets the nod.  So Page (or Monga) should be the bench 10.

 

Alukos red will be thrown at him, but Ramsey got a red in 30 minutes, but pretty much became our nailed on 10 after that.  If the fullbacks keep operating as they do he'll be back in.

[Richmondfox]

4 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Really flop flopping on this.

Could a different manager do better with these players? Sure.

Could the manager we would likely employ do better with these players? Dubious.

To me the risk is worth it as this manager is letting the players make the same mistake every game.  He has shown no signs of getting JV to stop his mistakes that are at fault for most of our issues.  What’s happened to Ricardo? At least get someone with a bit or authority and balls to work alongside him. 

 

The only improvement in a player so far was putting Skipp at CB and that was because they stopped attacking. He was certainly better at starting attacks than JV. 
 

 

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, Richmondfox said:

To me the risk is worth it as this manager is letting the players make the same mistake every game.  He has shown no signs of getting JV to stop his mistakes that are at fault for most of our issues.  What’s happened to Ricardo? At least get someone with a bit or authority and balls to work alongside him. 

 

The only improvement in a player so far was putting Skipp at CB and that was because they stopped attacking. He was certainly better at starting attacks than JV. 

Ricardo just got old.

 

Personal choice on risk and as I say I am unsure. If they sacked Marti and brought in Russel Martin, people would lose their minds and he would be doomed. He would get no time due to his record, and  they would expect him to fail. I just cannot see the board pivoting from the style they think they need/want.

[Gazza M]

Could Top do us a favour and sack himself? 

[Dahnsouff]

Just now, Gazza M said:

Could Top do us a favour and sack himself? 

He can't afford the pay off.

[coolhandfox]

Surprised by how many jump to his defence.

[Joe90]

What a shitty club we are, we are that much in a mess financially we can’t sack one of  our  worse mangers in over a decade 

[Dahnsouff]

24 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

Surprised by how many jump to his defence.

Not sure how pointing out what a disappointment the replacement is likely to be under this regime is defending him tbh. Speak to a different problem granted.

[coolhandfox]

2 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Not sure how pointing out what a disappointment the replacement is likely to be under this regime is defending him tbh. Speak to a different problem granted.

Plenty doing different to that.

[Gamble92]

I'm as deflated as a bouncy castle at the end of a 9 years olds party and the cake is shit and everything's shit 

[alanf0x]

Was hoping for a Sunday double sacking for Marti and Rudkin

[whoareyaaa]

The only person to replace him with is MON and bring back some kind of culture to the club, every other manager would have the same issues

[Ric Flair]

This bum waited until the 80th minute to bring Jeremy Monga on yesterday. It is quite possibly the biggest myth ever peddled that Cifuentes develops academy players. Disgrace.

[izzymuzzet]

He must be regretting returning to certified bad eggs like Faes and Winks after the first few games when they were in the bomb squad.

 

Would we really be any worse off in terms of points and position if our regular starting XI had looked something like this? 

 

                     Jakub 

Ricardo Nelson Okolo Aluko 

                 JJ   Skipp 

Mavididi Alves/Page Fatawu 

                   Daka 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

3 hours ago, nnfox said:

This argument where he should play the kids is a nonsense.  We have had a good few years where decent talent from the academy has been slim pickings.  Now we have half a dozen genuinely promising prospects, they should all go straight into the team and show the seasoned pros how it's done? Come off it 

 

Ben Nelson.. I have seen him play two games.  Good in one, poor in the other.  Has been injured for a bit.  Would I like to see more of him? Yes.  Does not picking him in every game mean that Marti doesn't know what he's doing? No

 

Louis Page... Has looked out of his depth whenever I've seen him.  Decent prospect? For sure.  Ready to rip up the Championship? Absolutely not.

 

Jake Evans... Hasn't featured.  From what I saw if him in pre-season, he didn't look like someone who was going to get double figures in the Championship.  Do I want him to do well? Definitely (he was in the year above my lad at school) Does he need more development time? Yes, I think so.

 

Jeremy Monga... Exceptionally talented.  Could he go to the very top of the game? Maybe, but he's nowhere near yet.  A lot of pressure for a 16 year old and there are many aspects of his game that need fine tuning.

 

Olabade Aluko... People crying out for him to get a game.  "Marti, give Aluko a game because Thomas is rubbish", "Marti should give Aluko a chance".  Gets a game.  Gets sent off after 30 minutes, what happens? "Marti shouldn't have played him in that game".

 

Silko Thomas... Another one that holds a lot of promise, but needs careful development.

 

The list goes on.

 

What do you do? Play them all? At the same time? What happens when they get battered 5 or 6 nil?  Still Marti's fault.

 

Any manager that comes in at this point in our history is on an absolute hiding to nothing.  Spring follows Winter.  Right now it's Winter.  Things will get better but changing the manager will not all of a sudden bring us sustainable long term success.  It's not possible in the current situation.

 

Do you want to ask yourself more hypothetical questions? Yes.

[Chelmofox]

34 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

This bum waited until the 80th minute to bring Jeremy Monga on yesterday. It is quite possibly the biggest myth ever peddled that Cifuentes develops academy players. Disgrace.

And posters in here complaining that he didn't do enough ! 

[Gazza M]

I am assuming Okoli is out being protected for a January move back to Italy as didn't hear a valid enough reason for his injury lay off. Time for the out of contract players to also not see light of day now also including Ricardo unfortunately. Give Nelson the captaincy and get a new deal on the table. 

 

                      

[Pliskin]

2 hours ago, frany104 said:

Can’t believe he’s not been sacked today. 

If you think about it the timing is terrible. 
 

No doubt in my mind he’s done here, we won’t get another point whilst he is here, dressing room is gone and he’s fighting a losing battle. 
 

But what manager will accept the job? They’ve seen he hasn’t been backed, they will see the ongoing PRS problems and with the potential of a points deduction looming, who in their right mind would want the role? 
 

You’re hoping for a manager who’s not bothered by that and has the hunger and desire to prove themselves. 
 

My opinion is, the board have lost faith and want to sack him, but I don’t think they will until they have a verdict on the PSR breaches. 
 

Once that’s happened it makes life much easier. They waited and waited to boot Ruud, and they will likely do the same here, they will wait until they know what’s happening with that and then make a decision. 
 

The only thing I can think is, they might sack him over the next few weeks and let Kingy take charge until they know what’s happening with the PSR rubbish. 
 

 

Either way, we’re a ****ing shambles. 

[Pliskin]

19 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

And posters in here complaining that he didn't do enough ! 

It just shows the desperation of the fan base, criticising a 16 year old lad. 
 

At 16 I had vecro shoes and spent 90% of my time downloading porn on limewire…. Lads doing significantly a lot better in life than I was at that age, and 99.9% of folk on this forum. You can’t level any criticism at someone who is still legally a child. 
 

Lad can’t even buy two packs of paracetamol…….

Edited 30 November 2025 by Pliskin

[huddersfieldfox]

At the end of the day we have poor players with a poor manager.
We don’t have the money to drain the swamp and get rid of the  kak. So at this time yes I would beg Martin O’ Neill or Nigel Pearson to came back and try and generate some sort of discipline and aggression.  

[Blue ROI]

He'll probably get his marching orders soon.

 

They will be playing to attendances of 15,000 at best if they don't and the empty seats humiliates Top like nothing else.

 

 

 

[STEVIE B]

2 hours ago, Dahnsouff said:

Really flop flopping on this.

Could a different manager do better with these players? Sure.

Could the manager we would likely employ do better with these players? Dubious.

I’ve been wondering how they would react with a Fergy, Roy Keane, Brian Clough type of character scrutinising them, or telling a few home truths.