The Leicester City squad was rightly torn apart recently after Sky Sports' throwaway statistical exposé illustrated the lack of effort from the Foxes team. Of course, LCFC head coach Marti Cifuentes was quick to stick up for his players and the organisation. Though the former Queens Park Rangers gaffer (who left QPR in the lurch in peculiar circumstances) seems most concerned with self-preservation.
In addition to that worrying element - there is more. Judging by remarks made before and after the abysmal running stats were disclosed, the Leicester boss appears to have wildly contradicted himself regarding the East Midlanders and football in general. That is very refreshing and appeasing for the Blue Army fan base to hear - not! So what's the score at King Power Stadium?
Leicester City manager Marti Cifuentes seems to contradict himself in astonishing fashion concerning footballing understanding and knowledge
What's all the fuss about? Well, something pretty serious actually which has implications over Cifuentes' capacity to motivate the side and their questionable, collective dedication to the badge. Leicester have covered the least distance as a unit in the English Football League Championship. Wow.
The Foxes have also made the second-lowest number of sprints so far this season. A true indictment of Cifuentes' reign on Filbert Way!
Yet prior to the damning stats being revealed, he said this: "the main thing to compete in this league is to be able to run, to win your duels". This was viewed as rightful criticism of the athletes he manages and inspires.
Subsequently, following Sky reporting on Leicester's immobility, the 43-year-old now claims that 'running numbers are a reference and not something to live and die by'. Which is as bad a U-turn as a prime minister going around a roundabout.
What the Catalonian is attempting to do is illustrate nuance with regards to possession-based football. Whilst protecting his group simultaneously. But he may have forgotten that City are certainly not Manchester City, nor Arsenal.
Nevertheless, either something is lost in translation or Cifuentes is simply out of his depth. Just read the antithetical comment below for a bewildering insight into the beautiful mind of Marti:
"Football is a simple sport but it’s also complex in that there are many factors at play."A rather befuddled Cifuentes