Sky Sports analyst Lee Hendrie has shared his thoughts on whether Leicester City should fire head coach Marti Cifuentes after a spate of disappointing performances and results, or if they should give him more time to work his magic.
Leicester City’s return to the Championship has not gone as predicted.
The Foxes have been relegated from the Premier League twice in three years, with neither Steve Cooper nor Ruud van Nistelrooy able to maintain them in the top flight last season.
Following their relegation, Leicester were unable to spend a fee on any permanent transfer over the summer, despite the sales of Mads Hermansen, James Justin, and Kasey McAteer, with the club facing an impending point deduction, having been charged in May with an alleged breach of EFL financial rules
The Foxes brought in 38-year-old goalkeeper Asmir Begovic on a free transfer as the club’s only permanent addition, and recruited Jordan James, Julian Carranza, and Aaron Ramsey on loan, since the team had become reliant on existing squad members and young players.
It’s not unexpected that they’ve dropped as low as 16th in the Championship league after 18 games, with former Queens Park Rangers head coach Marti Cifuentes under fire at Leicester.
The Spaniard left QPR at the end of last season to join Leicester, but his status with the Foxes is now in jeopardy after two successive defeats to Southampton and Sheffield United.
Lee Hendrie backs Leicester City to continue with Marti Cifuentes amid Foxes sacking speculation.
Sky Sports analyst Lee Hendrie has spoken exclusively to Football League World on whether he believes Leicester should be harsh and remove Cifuentes sooner rather than later, or if they should give him the benefit of the doubt and keep him on longer.
Hendrie believes there have been hints of what the ex-QPR manager can do, and remaining with him in the current situation may be the best move for the Foxes administration.
Hendrie stated, “Yeah, I think he was always going to be under pressure at Leicester because of the expectation levels, clearly coming from the Premier League.
“Listen, they’ve lost a lot of guys and haven’t been able to replace them with equivalent talent.
“Vardy was a key player for them during the seasons. He could sometimes win games on his own, seemingly out of nowhere, but they haven’t been able to produce or bring someone in that is similar.
“You also have to consider the point deduction that will apply to them. So it’s tough.
“I believe Leicester will recognize that they have quality in their squad, and while it isn’t good enough right now, I believe they must stick with him.”
“They have a fantastic group, but I believe that staying with the process and, you know, he has showed hints that they can, and will, achieve results.
“But, given the circumstances, I believe they may also have to stick with him. And I believe it will come through.
Marti Cifuentes must pick up from Leicester City.
Cifuentes has only six wins in 18 league games, falling short of many Leicester fans’ expectations at the King Power Stadium.
The Spaniard has definitely been dealt a difficult hand, with off-field financial concerns casting a pall over the club, but his squad still boasts undeniable quality.
Leicester should be better off than they are with Abdul Fatawu, Stephy Mavididi, and Jeremy Monga in attack, Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks from Tottenham in midfield, and Ricardo Pereira, Wout Faes, and Jannik Vestergaard at the defense.
Cifuentes just needs to find a method to improve his performance and outcomes as quickly as possible; otherwise, he will be out of work before long.
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