Marti Cifuentes is encountering growing demands for his dismissal at Leicester City after what has been a hugely underwhelming campaign so far.
Leicester were beaten 3-2 by Sheffield United at the King Power Stadium on 29 November, having trailed 3-0 at the interval, dropping them to 16th in the Championship standings.
As I disclosed on the latest episode of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the loss to Chris Wilder‘s team has intensified the scrutiny surrounding the manager’s role, and another poor outcome against Derby next weekend could result in him being removed.
This comes after Football Insider reported on 28 November that Leicester are weighing up sacking Cifuentes following their 3-0 defeat to Southampton earlier in the week.
After yet another setback, the Foxes have managed just three victories in their previous 10 matches and supporters have ramped up their calls for the manager to be shown the exit door.
Leicester City could be compelled to dismiss Marti Cifuentes:
Football Insider revealed on 7 November that Leicester might part ways with Cifuentes if their performances continue to disappoint and slide further down the Championship table.
Back-to-back wins against Norwich and Stoke after that claim briefly eased tensions, but two additional defeats have highlighted that the issues remain unresolved.
As a consequence, their trip to Pride Park next week to take on a Derby County side who have recently rediscovered some form will likely be pivotal to the manager’s fate.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I stated: “The thing is, they might be low in the table, but the Championship table is so compact right now.
“A couple of victories would quickly lift them back up, but on the flip side, a couple of losses would send them plunging down the table.
“The major issue for Leicester has been that they’ve just been extremely erratic this season.
“They haven’t been able to put together a genuinely strong run of winning matches, and further defeats for Cifuentes will only heighten the strain on him.
“They’ve got some significant fixtures coming up, after that loss to Sheffield United they’ll face Derby, and if that also goes badly, it would crank up the pressure even more.
“Obviously, then the club might be forced to make a call on his long-term future.”
Leicester face additional misery as points deduction nears:
Despite the on-pitch problems and increased calls for Cifuentes to be removed, bigger anxieties are emerging due to the club’s troubling financial situation behind the curtain.
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness exclusively told Football Insider on 26 November that Leicester are staring at a nine-point deduction as punishment for their recent rule infringements.
Everton previously received separate two- and six-point penalties for two different breaches, while Nottingham Forest were docked four points.
Leicester were charged in May with an alleged violation of the EFL’s financial regulations for 2023-24 – the same year they earned promotion back to the Premier League.
Former Man City financial consultant Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider that Leicester are likely to accept a PSR breach, though they may dispute certain figures involved.