The current first team manager at Leicester City Football Club, Marti Cifuentes, has pleaded with fans of the Foxes to bear with him. The former Queens Park Rangers boss was well aware that the King Power organisation was in a complete mess prior to arriving in LE2. Not that this predicament was a secret or avoidable in any way.
Obviously anyone with a slight interest in English football, or Europe's top five divisions in general, would be all too aware of the East Midlands side's recent downfall. Not to mention their unfathomable success almost a decade ago now. Yet Cifuentes intended on coming to fix Leicester's problems. Indeed, that aim is said to remain his main intention - if the Blue Army will have him!
Leicester City boss Marti Cifuentes knew LCFC was broken before he arrived on Filbert Way to resolve playing issues
While Cifuentes' ambition to sort out the disorder at KPS is extremely admirable, I also consider it rather naive. I am not suggesting that the Catalonian is here just for a payday, quite the opposite actually.
"We need to give much more to the fans than what we are doing so far,” Cifuentes said. “I knew about the situation when I came to the club and I knew we had a fanbase where many feel disappointed about what’s happened over the last seasons."Marti Cifuentes, LCFC Live
I think the 43-year-old is sincere in his desire to solve problems within the squad and thereby improve performances. In theory this would, naturally, increase points from positive results.
"...I have achieved that in the other clubs I’ve been. It’s not the first time I’ve had this song before. Fortunately for me, I’ve always got the confidence to turn things around because that’s what I’ve done in different clubs in different countries."
Yet I would have to argue that Cifuentes most likely drastically underestimated City's complications. They are many and they are drastic: finance, investment, calibre, ticket sales, disillusionment etcetera, etcetera.
Evidently combining these elements mean it is almost impossible for the ex-Sandefjord, AaB Fodbold and Hammarby IF head coach to succeed with Leicester. He doesn't have the tools, nor the necessary support.
If Cifuentes does in fact realise the objective of Premier League promotion at this rate, and with a points deduction threat, it would not be far short of another footballing miracle at LCFC! As you can see below, Cifuentes is under no illusion:
"I’m very committed to giving the fans something back. I just hope they understand that I came here to fix something and that they let me fix this."