Pressure is continuing to mount on Leicester City head coach Marti Cifuentes after an up-and-down opening half of the Championship campaign.
Cifuentes arrived at the King Power Stadium in the summer following relegation from the Premier League, with the clear objective of pushing Leicester straight back to the top flight. Instead, the season has been marked by frustration and inconsistency.
A poor festive period, which saw the Foxes lose three of four matches, intensified the focus on the Spaniard. A 2-1 home victory over West Bromwich Albion in their most recent league fixture offered some relief, leaving Leicester 12th in the table and only four points outside the play-off positions.
Despite remaining within touching distance of the top six, performances have often lacked conviction. The underlying numbers have done little to ease concerns. At the start of the year, Leicester ranked bottom in the Championship for total distance covered and were among the lowest for sprints.
When questioned about those figures, Cifuentes played down the issue, stating that he had already addressed areas he believes need improvement rather than publicly expressing concern.
The challenges ahead are significant. Leicester face consecutive away trips to leaders Coventry City and an in-form Wrexham side, while uncertainty also remains over the possibility of a points deduction later in the season.
Speaking to Football League World, Leicester fan pundit Louchlainn Martin suggested that a managerial change should be considered if the club are unable or unwilling to strengthen the squad. He voiced alarm at the running statistics and questioned the commitment of certain players.
Martin said he believes some members of the squad are not fully invested and may already be looking elsewhere, which he feels is reflected in the lack of intensity on the pitch. He also pointed out that Cifuentes’ previous side at QPR ranked relatively low for similar metrics, raising doubts about whether high work-rate teams are a feature of the coach’s style.
He added that while there was concern among supporters earlier in the season, that has now shifted towards frustration and anger, with a growing number of fans calling for Cifuentes to be dismissed. Martin argued that if the club chooses to back the manager with investment, he would be open to giving him more time, but without reinforcements, finishing mid-table may be the limit of what Cifuentes can achieve.
Leicester have recorded some eye-catching results in recent weeks, beating teams such as Ipswich Town, Derby County and West Brom, which helps explain why the manager remains in post. Even so, those victories have often relied on moments of individual quality, including long-range efforts from players like Abdul Fatawu and Jordan James, rather than dominant team displays.
Unless overall performance levels improve, Leicester’s play-off hopes are likely to fade. The continued lack of intensity and distance covered suggests a squad that is not fully responding to its manager, leaving Cifuentes under growing threat as the season progresses.