Leicester City are experiencing sustained pressure on Marti Cifuentes’ position as manager following their heavy midweek loss to Southampton.
The Foxes were beaten 3-0 during their trip to St Mary’s on Tuesday, a major setback after optimism that their season had begun to stabilise with consecutive victories.
As I disclosed on the latest episode of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Leicester fear they could slip even further down the Championship standings if their performances continue to falter, while calls from supporters for the manager to be removed are increasing.
More “disappointing” results like the one at Southampton could push the club’s hierarchy at the King Power to take action, with pressure steadily rising.
Cifuentes’ squad next host an in-form Sheffield United side, who have discovered momentum with back-to-back 3-0 triumphs, including an emphatic victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
Leicester City consider dismissing Marti Cifuentes:
Football Insider revealed on 7 November that Leicester might part ways with Cifuentes if results continue to underwhelm following their draw with Middlesbrough.
Wins over Norwich and Stoke had temporarily eased some of the worries, but the heavy defeat to Southampton has reignited scrutiny once again.
A decision is not anticipated immediately, given how congested the Championship table is, and another couple of victories could again relieve the pressure.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I stated: “Yeah again obviously it eased the pressure on him in recent weeks when he got those back to back wins against Norwich and Stoke.
“That had eased the pressure on him, but again, it was another disappointing result against Southampton in midweek which leaves Leicester 15th in the table.
“The thing is, they might be low down in the table, but the Championship is so tight they’re still just three points away from the playoff places.
“A couple of wins would soon have them back up there, but then again, a couple of defeats would have them tumbling down the table.
“Obviously, more defeats for Cifuentes will increase the pressure on him. Nobody expected this, Leicester sitting 15th at this stage of the season.
“I’m sure Cifuentes didn’t and the fans didn’t either.
“If they suffer more big defeats like the one against Southampton, obviously then the club might have to make a decision on his long term future.”
Leicester facing points deduction amid Cifuentes pressure
Alongside the on-pitch struggles and rising demands for Cifuentes to be removed, even greater worries are developing due to the club’s troubling financial situation behind the scenes.
Leicester were charged in May with an alleged violation of the EFL’s financial regulations for 2023-24 – the season in which they achieved promotion back to the Premier League.
Former Man City financial specialist Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider that Leicester are expected to acknowledge a PSR breach, though they may dispute certain figures involved.
This follows Football Insider’s exclusive report that Leicester could face a 12-point deduction if found guilty at a hearing this week.
Everton were previously handed two- and six-point sanctions across two separate breaches, while Nottingham Forest were hit with a four-point deduction.