Leicester could hire “exciting” Cifuentes upgrade who’s never beaten the Foxes

Long gone are the days when Leicester City were lifting the Premier League and the FA Cup to the amazement of the neutral.

Now, the Foxes are at risk of becoming Championship fodder after relegation from the top-flight, with Marti Cifuentes put out of his misery in the King Power Stadium hot seat after a 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened Oxford United.

The former Queens Park Rangers manager wasn’t dealt the easiest of hands moving to Leicester, with the ex-Premier League giants under some strict transfer restrictions. Yet, there is still time for the season to be resurrected, as the Foxes somehow sit just six points off the playoffs.

That’s why the next appointment has to be spot on to save their faltering campaign, with some names already being tipped to replace the unfortunate Spaniard.

The main candidates to replace Cifuentes at Leicester

Of course, while they could bounce back into the promotion hunt, Leicester could also find themselves engulfed in a shock relegation battle if a points deduction does occur at the King Power shortly.

Gary Rowett could well be a smart appointment if a points deduction were to take place, with the 51-year-old guiding Oxford away from any relegation mess last season, before being given the boot by the U’s.

Moreover, other names in the fray could include a surprise return to the dug-out for Nigel Pearson, while Ralph Hassenhuttl could potentially re-enter the English game with the Foxes.

However, it’s another ex-Southampton boss that would surely catch the eye if he were handed the reins.

One name touted for the job has been Russell Martin, having been heavily linked with the post in the past, with the 40-year-old in desperate need of breathing life back into his coaching career, after a turbulent stint in charge of Rangers.

Pushing his woes in Scotland to one side, though, Martin is a very accomplished manager at Championship level, so much so that he would be seen as a clear upgrade on Cifuentes if he were to come in as his replacement.

Why Martin is a clear upgrade on Cifuentes

To give Cifuentes his due, he has also been a success in the second tier in the past, before proving to be the wrong fit for the Foxes.

The now out-of-work 43-year-old picked up the pieces from the disastrous reign of Gareth Ainsworth superbly when first entering the Loftus Road dug-out, with 13 league wins during his debut season in the Championship lifting QPR to 18th in the division after relegation looked nailed on.

Unfortunately for Cifuentes, the next two seasons ffll flat in comparison, with a hefty 29 losses picked up, ultimately costing the short-lived Leicester boss his employment at QPR. With 11 defeats this season, too, it’s fair to say the ex-Hammarby manager will be taking some time away before attempting a return to the brutal division that is the Championship.

In stark contrast, Martin will be champing at the bit to dive back into the managerial grind in the second tier, having previously been dubbed an “exciting” head coach to watch at this level by analyst John Walker.

At the helm of the Saints, who had been bruised by relegation, Martin would steer the South Coast giants back up to the Premier League, using an attack-focused 4-3-3 formation, which resulted in a devastating 87 goals being scored during the regular 46-game season.

While Cifuentes did steady the ship at QPR, he would never push his former employers over the line to promotion, with the Spaniard also way off galvanising his Leicester troops this season after relegation.

Martin might well be the energising spirit Leicester need from the sidelines to break out of their current malaise, with the 40-year-old beaming from ear to ear in 2024 when he helped Southampton to win the playoff final, at the expense of the more favoured Leeds United.

It does look unlikely that Leicester will be in the promotion reckoning this season, especially if their worst fears are confirmed via a points deduction.

But, in the long-run, Martin could be a force that enables the Foxes to dream about a Premier League return, again, even if he’s never managed to get the better of the East Midlands side, from three showdowns in the opposing dug-out.

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