Cifuentes OUT

[LCFCJohn]

7 hours ago, kingfox said:

Whether you’re Marti in or Marti out, what we’re currently seeing is years of mismanagement coming home to roost. 
 

We’re not the only Championship club experiencing the same problems, Southampton are getting pelters, while Norwich seem like an even shitter version of ourselves. 
 

Nothing changes until the culture changes. 
 

Keep following the wrong trends and producing shit recruitment, we’ll end up where Norwich currently are in a season or two’s time. 

In other words, the possession at all costs philosophy managers and clubs who go down that route.

 

There were plenty of us who didn’t enjoy ‘Enzoball’ as it is dull as hell and so hard to watch. We got piled on and criticised for being behind the times and this way is the only sustainable way. Bollocks is it. Football has moved on again and this method is getting us (and clubs like Southampton and Norwich) nowhere.

[teblin]

I’m not convinced by marti, I’m bored by this type of football. But as others have said it’s as also a reflection of the gross mismanagement of the club since 2021(maybe before).

 

Two things can be true at the same time, the club is badly run and the manager isn’t good enough.

 

Problem is, they have to pick the manager. Russell Martin 🤢 has no job. But I could see it being Gerrard for no reason other than Lampard has done well.(not my choice just how they’re brains might work)

[Claudio Fannieri]

If Marti does get fired this week that will be 3 managers hired and fired in 50 league games, that is why I am not sure anything will happen just yet. 

[trooky]

11 minutes ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

If Marti does get fired this week that will be 3 managers hired and fired in 50 league games, that is why I am not sure anything will happen just yet. 

Plus potential managers will look at that and the support they've had in terms of recruitment, then anyone decent will just refuse the job because of it. 

 

We need to accept it's not Marti's fault, he's not perfect and needs to drop Thomas ASAP, but no manager has a magic wand for our strikers. 

 

Slot has lost four on the bounce in PL, I'm sure they're not going to fire him. 

Edited 26 October 2025 by trooky

[Haywood_6]

I’ve come to the conclusion this team are just crap even in the Championship. We’ve been outplayed against Hull and Milwall, and can have no arguments. I think we were lucky to score one goal. Every time the ball goes forward, the attack breaks down poor decision making, poor touch, poor control. Were not even doing the basics right. We should have better standards but we don't. There's nothing being rebuilt here. It's just more of the same old rubbish every week. Still I don't blame Marti. I blame years of being poorly run by a clueless owner and DOF.

[MS0204]

Im not Marti out (just yet) but if they don’t pick up 4 points from Blackburn and Middlesbrough then I ain’t sure how much longer I can keep sticking up for him as a coach.. 

[l444ry]

48 minutes ago, Haywood_6 said:

I’ve come to the conclusion this team are just crap even in the Championship. We’ve been outplayed against Hull and Milwall, and can have no arguments. I think we were lucky to score one goal. Every time the ball goes forward, the attack breaks down poor decision making, poor touch, poor control. Were not even doing the basics right. We should have better standards but we don't. There's nothing being rebuilt here. It's just more of the same old rubbish every week. Still I don't blame Marti. I blame years of being poorly run by a clueless owner and DOF.

Very probably because Hull, Millwall and the rest of them are getting stuck in playing a simple Draughts game while our lot are working out which complicated Chess Piece we can move. A common problem which so many modern day Coaches and Managers ram down our throats. It's just paralysis by analysis every week.

[Ric Flair]

50 minutes ago, Haywood_6 said:

I’ve come to the conclusion this team are just crap even in the Championship. We’ve been outplayed against Hull and Milwall, and can have no arguments. I think we were lucky to score one goal. Every time the ball goes forward, the attack breaks down poor decision making, poor touch, poor control. Were not even doing the basics right. We should have better standards but we don't. There's nothing being rebuilt here. It's just more of the same old rubbish every week. Still I don't blame Marti. I blame years of being poorly run by a clueless owner and DOF.

It's the deep routed malaise and culture of the place. Whilst this squad has weaknesses, it has enough to challenge top 6 without getting out of 2nd gear but we haven't the desire or wherewithal to do so.

 

Cifuentes biggest mistakes is following the same path previous managers have who think they are finally the ones to get a tune out of serial flops who don't want to be here. If he wants to keep the fans at least tolerating him then he needs to take a hard line but I've already heard the players don't respect him so he's really up against it. He's quite possibly missed his chance to make his mark when he had the nucleus of our best academy players in and around the 1st team squad. If he'd been clear this was the rebuild and would be the priority and anyone outside of that will have to work extremely hard to get a chance then he'd likely have got a bigger % of players with the correct attitude and application that would be fighting for the cause. Instead he's dropped them like a hot cake for the likes of Faes, Reid and Soumare. Hideous.

[LCFCJohn]

7 minutes ago, l444ry said:

Very probably because Hull, Millwall and the rest of them are getting stuck in playing a simple Draughts game while our lot are working out which complicated Chess Piece we can move. A common problem which so many modern day Coaches and Managers ram down our throats. It's just paralysis by analysis every week.

Paralysis by analysis. What a great way to put it. A simple game over complicated by those without a clue. 

[Dickov22]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

It's the deep routed malaise and culture of the place. Whilst this squad has weaknesses, it has enough to challenge top 6 without getting out of 2nd gear but we haven't the desire or wherewithal to do so.

 

Cifuentes biggest mistakes is following the same path previous managers have who think they are finally the ones to get a tune out of serial flops who don't want to be here. If he wants to keep the fans at least tolerating him then he needs to take a hard line but I've already heard the players don't respect him so he's really up against it. He's quite possibly missed his chance to make his mark when he had the nucleus of our best academy players in and around the 1st team squad. If he'd been clear this was the rebuild and would be the priority and anyone outside of that will have to work extremely hard to get a chance then he'd likely have got a bigger % of players with the correct attitude and application that would be fighting for the cause. Instead he's dropped them like a hot cake for the likes of Faes, Reid and Soumare. Hideous.

I agree with a lot of this. We do have a very stale bunch of players here, many of them don’t want to be here themselves and the majority of fans can’t stand watching them, either (Soumare, Faes, Daka, Vestergaard etc).
 

The fact that Ben Nelson can’t get on the bench is laughable. The fact Luke Thomas has started every league game is hideous, he’s the worst defender at the club.

 

Marti’s team selections have been really questionable but I just don’t know what the answers are to most positions as we just don’t have a very good squad. 
 

Monga every time I see him just looks way too young to be consistently starting games at this level. He’s just a kid. I’m not sure chucking a load more youngsters in there based on how he’s looked is the answer either. 
 

[Ric Flair]

1 minute ago, Dickov22 said:

I agree with a lot of this. We do have a very stale bunch of players here, many of them don’t want to be here themselves and the majority of fans can’t stand watching them, either (Soumare, Faes, Daka, Vestergaard etc).
 

The fact that Ben Nelson can’t get on the bench is laughable. The fact Luke Thomas has started every league game is hideous, he’s the worst defender at the club.

 

Marti’s team selections have been really questionable but I just don’t know what the answers are to most positions as we just don’t have a very good squad. 
 

Monga every time I see him just looks way too young to be consistently starting games at this level. He’s just a kid. I’m not sure chucking a load more youngsters in there based on how he’s looked is the answer either. 
 

I'd not throw loads in but there were 3-4 that should have been in the 1st team squad and on the bench at the very least. Nelson, Aluko, Page, Monga. Evans form should propel him in to the reckoning as well given the 1st team struggles.

 

Nelson and Aluko should be starting.

[Dickov22]

4 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I'd not throw loads in but there were 3-4 that should have been in the 1st team squad and on the bench at the very least. Nelson, Aluko, Page, Monga. Evans form should propel him in to the reckoning as well given the 1st team struggles.

 

Nelson and Aluko should be starting.

Is Aluko a left back? If so, chuck him in please because the current one and his back up are abysmal. The Nelson one is weird- so highly rated by the Oxford Manager yet Marti does not seem a fan at all. 

[foxinsocks]

Guys... I think the biggest problem is the squad.... and that's  down to rudkin.  We have players we dont want yet we cant get rid of... as we as we splurged cash.  We are still buying nonsense.

Rudkins position is down to top.

 

Top's patronage of rudkin has ****ed the club up.

Edited 26 October 2025 by foxinsocks

[mod hero]

16 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

It's the deep routed malaise and culture of the place. Whilst this squad has weaknesses, it has enough to challenge top 6 without getting out of 2nd gear but we haven't the desire or wherewithal to do so.

 

Cifuentes biggest mistakes is following the same path previous managers have who think they are finally the ones to get a tune out of serial flops who don't want to be here. If he wants to keep the fans at least tolerating him then he needs to take a hard line but I've already heard the players don't respect him so he's really up against it. He's quite possibly missed his chance to make his mark when he had the nucleus of our best academy players in and around the 1st team squad. If he'd been clear this was the rebuild and would be the priority and anyone outside of that will have to work extremely hard to get a chance then he'd likely have got a bigger % of players with the correct attitude and application that would be fighting for the cause. Instead he's dropped them like a hot cake for the likes of Faes, Reid and Soumare. Hideous.

I admire your relentlessness for the acadamy I really do. But these are very young kids. Monga 16, page 17, Evans 17 Aluko 19. They are not ready to be thrust in this shit show of a season. Monga has done absolutely nothing since his cameo against Brum and is really struggling now. Page was completely out of his depth in the handful of games he played. Silko not ready as well clearly.

 

the senior pros we have are mostly a disgusting bunch I agree but to throw in the young kids and expect them to perform is not gonna happen so we are stuck with what Marty is having to pick I think.

 

I am extremely concerned now that we could be in a relegation fight, our form certainly suggests so. Marty is not the man but who the **** do we get?

[MS0204]

1 minute ago, mod hero said:

I am extremely concerned now that we could be in a relegation fight, our form certainly suggests so. Marty is not the man but who the **** do we get?

That’s the trouble with the tunnel vision fanbase.. 

They see the issue with no back up plan. Sack marti with no answer as to what/who next? 
 

Yet they don’t realise that whoever comes in will have exactly the same headache unfortunately..

[Happy Fox]

Top selling up would be a dream but it’s only going to come true if we are back in the premier league we haven’t got a chance of doing this under Marti so it’s all about promotion and finding a manager that can get us up. These players aren’t playing for Marti we need a better manager we should have hired a better manager to begin with, so the blame lies solely with Top and Rudkin as per usual.

[EnglishOxide]

I think I'd genuinely just get Ange or John Terry in at this point.

 

Might aswell gamble on managers until one clicks. 

[Ian Nacho]

Just now, EnglishOxide said:

I think I'd genuinely just get Ange or John Terry in at this point.

 

Might aswell gamble on managers until one clicks. 

[Richmondfox]

19 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I'd not throw loads in but there were 3-4 that should have been in the 1st team squad and on the bench at the very least. Nelson, Aluko, Page, Monga. Evans form should propel him in to the reckoning as well given the 1st team struggles.

 

Nelson and Aluko should be starting.

I would play Page, Nelson and Monga who are known unknowns, rather than the likes of Ayew, Faes and Thomas where you know what they are going to do before they get the ball. Nothing they do is positive yet the manager lets them carry on every game. 

 

It has gone beyond having crap players, the manager is setting whatever team he puts out to fail.  The manager is void of any tactics or tricks or knows how to set them up to get the basics.
 

Not sure why after the first 15 minutes they switched to Okoli starting all the attacks out the back. We went to shit then because everything was then slow and sloppy.  He is unable to move with the ball and stutters before he passes, usually a slow long pass to put everyone else under pressure. After that we stopped making the quick attacks with Fatawu passing into space for JJ to cross. 

 

Enzo ball was dull when it was passing around the back for the sake of it, but the players were drilled when they attacked. 

[Noahfence]

22 minutes ago, mod hero said:

I admire your relentlessness for the acadamy I really do. But these are very young kids. Monga 16, page 17, Evans 17 Aluko 19. They are not ready to be thrust in this shit show of a season. Monga has done absolutely nothing since his cameo against Brum and is really struggling now. Page was completely out of his depth in the handful of games he played. Silko not ready as well clearly.

 

the senior pros we have are mostly a disgusting bunch I agree but to throw in the young kids and expect them to perform is not gonna happen so we are stuck with what Marty is having to pick I think.

 

I am extremely concerned now that we could be in a relegation fight, our form certainly suggests so. Marty is not the man but who the **** do we get?

Don’t think anyone is calling to have them all starting but they’re not even making the bench 

[CloudFox]

46 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I've already heard the players don't respect him so he's really up against it.

Do you mind elaborating on this a bit more please Ric? I'm curious if that means all of them don't, he doesn't have the respect of the older players, he's done something (or not done something) to cause that...etc

 

For me, he came in with all this stuff about building with the academy, having the right people in and around the squad...and then as soon as he's been able to replace them with senior players we know aren't good enough or at least willing to apply themselves, he's put them ahead of the youth showing promise.

 

I would assume that would lose him the trust of the youth players, and potentially some of those who care the most about the club and have seen how some players fail to perform time and again.

[CloudFox]

The disappearance of Page and Nelson is damning.

[Sunbury Fox]

49 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

It's the deep routed malaise and culture of the place. Whilst this squad has weaknesses, it has enough to challenge top 6 without getting out of 2nd gear but we haven't the desire or wherewithal to do so.

 

Cifuentes biggest mistakes is following the same path previous managers have who think they are finally the ones to get a tune out of serial flops who don't want to be here. If he wants to keep the fans at least tolerating him then he needs to take a hard line but I've already heard the players don't respect him so he's really up against it. He's quite possibly missed his chance to make his mark when he had the nucleus of our best academy players in and around the 1st team squad. If he'd been clear this was the rebuild and would be the priority and anyone outside of that will have to work extremely hard to get a chance then he'd likely have got a bigger % of players with the correct attitude and application that would be fighting for the cause. Instead he's dropped them like a hot cake for the likes of Faes, Reid and Soumare. Hideous.

Really interested to know what your starting XI would be, Ric?

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

**** it, give it Kingy 

[CloudFox]

1 minute ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

**** it, give it Kingy 

I know you're joking, and I would never have seriously considered actually making this a reality...but at this point I'm convinced we wouldn't be any worse off for it 😅.