\n<\/p>\n
After being placed on gardening leave by previous club QPR, Cifuentes took the Leicester hot seat in July following the departure of Ruud van Nistelrooy.<\/p>\n
The Spaniard was given less than four weeks of pre-season to work with his new side before the season kicked-off, and was limited to adding to his squad with free transfers and loan deals.<\/p>\n
Long-standing strikers have also stuttered.<\/p>\n
While the iconic Jamie Vardy departed for Italy, Patson Daka has failed to step up. He has not scored for the club this calendar year, and has netted just once in 45 league games since February 2024.<\/p>\n
Daka, Jordan Ayew and Argentine loanee Julian Carranza have scored one goal in 27 league appearances between them this season. <\/p>\n
“Life for Leicester City back in the Championship hasn’t kicked off the way they would have liked,” said BBC Radio Leicester’s Owynn Palmer-Atkin.<\/p>\n
“Firstly, it’s important to recognise that this is a completely different scenario to the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign.<\/p>\n
“The Foxes had a better squad, a successful transfer window, and a manager [Enzo Maresca] who had an entire pre-season to work with his players on his very detailed style of play.<\/p>\n
“This time around, there was a delay before proceedings could even get going. Ruud van Nistelrooy probably knew his time was up at the end of May, but he was still in post until days before the new pre-season campaign was due to begin.<\/p>\n
“A couple of weeks later, and Marti Cifuentes arrives. I do believe that this has had a significant impact on his ability to work with the players enough to instill the gameplan, the tactics, the philosophy ready for the beginning of the season.<\/p>\n
“Alongside the manager, the Foxes started the season with no new outfield signings and had to wait until much later in the window for the new faces to arrive. Put that alongside first-team players, at the time, lobbying for moves away – it created a feeling of uncertainty.<\/p>\n
“On the pitch though, this season, is the season no Foxes fan wanted to see – a Leicester squad without Jamie Vardy in it.<\/p>\n
“For so long, even when things weren’t going well, he was the man to be relied on. The man to dig Leicester out of trouble. To score the goals. To lead the team. To be the all-encompassing legend.<\/p>\n
“There’s no doubt, the hole in which he’s left, could never be truly filled.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n