Leicester City were in Wales on Tuesday night, and the team were not serenaded by the Blue Army at the end of the match against AFC Wrexham. In spite of the Foxes managing to steal a point at the death thanks to makeshift striker Jannik Vestergaard, the performance was rightly lambasted by the long-suffering, travelling LCFC support. While this outlet does not wish to see players and management verbally abused at the full-time whistle, somebody needed to wake this dreadful City squad up! Few can recall a more uninspiring, contemplative contemporary display from the East Midlands outfit.
Are you Claude Puel in disguise?!
In the damp pockets surrounding King Power Stadium and the Leicestershire city at large, a sense of tactical déjà vu has begun to permeate the air. While Martí Cifuentes arrived with the unearned reputation as a 'Cruyffian' visionary, his current LCFC side is increasingly mirroring the sterile, possession-heavy stagnation that ultimately doomed the tenure of former Leicester underachiever Claude Puel.
Puel’s reign was defined by what had been politely described as 'economical pragmatism'. The Frenchman unsuccessfully transitioned the Foxes from a chaotic yet masterful counter-attacking team circa 2016, to a controlled 4-2-3-1. However, the setups and methodology frequently devolved into a laboured, horizontal grind.
With respect to the ex-Queens Park Rangers head coach who swapped a questionable tenure at Loftus Road for LE2, despite his loftier ideals of inverted full-backs and attempted overlap switches of play, Cifuentes finds himself trapped in a similar paradox. His men regularly dominate the ball, often exceeding 60% possession. But, just like Puel's era, this English Football League incarnation worryingly struggles to convert this control into tangible threat for the full 90 minutes.
The high-pressing intensity promised upon Cifuentes' appointment has, in recent weeks, cooled into a cautious mid-block that feels remarkably 'Puel-esque'. Critics argue that Cifuentes has prioritised the safety of the pass over the risk of the breakthrough, leading to a brand of football that is technically proficient though can feel inspiringly hollow.
Can Marti Cifuentes save Leicester City career?
Unless the Catalonian can rediscover the free-flowing, confident and long-standing penetrative play that once made his QPR side so dangerous, he risks the sack. Not to mention not being remembered as a revolutionary, such as Napoleon Bonaparte - but as a continental replicant of the once Emperor's modern day compatriot's most frustrating days. Even Cifuentes' defence has deteriorated with no clean sheets in months - as did Puel's.