Marti Cifuentes’ job as Leicester City manager is under increasing scrutiny following their humiliating midweek defeat to Southampton.
The Foxes fell 3-0 at St Mary’s on Tuesday, shattering hopes that they had turned their season around after two wins in a row.
As I detailed on the most recent episode of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Leicester worry they will go even farther down the Championship table if their form continues to stagnate, while fans are calling for the manager’s departure.
Further “disappointing” defeats, such as the one against Southampton, may force the King Power hierarchy to make a choice as the pressure builds.
In their next game, Cifuentes’ side will face a resurgent Sheffield United, who have won three straight 3-0 games, including a huge victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
Leicester City consider dismissing Marti Cifuentes.
On November 7, Football Insider reported that Leicester could sack Cifuentes if their results continue to disappoint following their draw with Middlesbrough.
Wins over Norwich and Stoke since then had began to alleviate their anxieties, but a crushing defeat to Southampton raised new questions.
Given how tight the Championship table is, a decision is unlikely to come soon, and another pair of wins could alleviate the strain once more.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “Yeah, certainly, it relieved the strain on him in recent weeks when he won back-to-back games against Norwich and Stoke.
“That relieved some of the strain on him, but another dismal defeat against Southampton in midweek dropped Leicester to 15th place in the table.
“The problem is, they may be at the bottom of the standings, but the Championship is so tight that they are only three points away from making the playoffs.
“A couple of wins would quickly put them back up there, but a pair of losses would send them plummeting down the table.
“Obviously, more defeats for Cifuentes will put additional pressure on him. Nobody expected this with Leicester sitting 15th at this point in the season.
“I am sure Cifuentes didn’t, and neither did the fans.
“If they suffer more big defeats like the one against Southampton, obviously then the club might have to make a decision on his long term future.”
Leicester faces a points deduction under Cifuentes pressure.
Despite the on-field difficulties and calls for Cifuentes’ dismissal, larger concerns are emerging due to the club’s challenging financial situation behind the scenes.
Leicester were punished in May with allegedly violating the EFL’s financial guidelines for 2023-24, the year they were promoted back to the Premier League.
Former Manchester City financial consultant Stefan Borson told Football Insider that Leicester are likely to accept a PSR infringement, but they may fight about the amounts.
This comes after Football Insider exclusively disclosed that Leicester might lose 12 points if they are found guilty at a hearing this week.
Everton previously got two and six-point fines for two different violations, while Nottingham Forest was docked four points.
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