Marti Cifuentes slams ‘fragile’ Leicester players and questions their work-rate after falling to defeat against Hull on Tuesday.
Liam Millar marked his first Hull start in nearly a year with a goal in the 6th minute, helping the Tigers secure a 2-1 Championship victory over Leicester at MKM Stadium, their third straight win.
Millar, who had been sidelined with an ACL injury since October 2024, was assisted by Joe Gelhardt, who later doubled the lead with a finish from Ryan Giles’ cross.
Aaron Ramsey pulled one back for Leicester with a fine edge-of-the-box strike, but Harry Winks’ late effort struck the crossbar as Hull held firm for all three points.
Leicester, now 8th, have won just once in their last seven games. Hull are up to 7th.
“Wheyyy” 🛝😂
This Leicester fan celebrated a slip in the box and it came back to bite him against Hull 😳#HCAFC | #LCFC
pic.twitter.com/HiHYMdqjB8
— eflpublished (@eflpublished) October 22, 2025
Leicester manager Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester:
“A really bad first half, probably the worst we have played so far this season, and I am very disappointed with that.
“I take responsibility for that because I am not happy with the performance. In the second half, we tried, and at 2-0 we had nothing to lose.
“I am not happy at all with the performance in the first half, it’s far from the vision that I have for this club and for his team, and that makes me very angry.
“Especially in this league, there is some basics we need to be better at. It makes me reflect about a number of things. We know we are at the start of this process, but that is no excuse.”
Cifuentes, per Leicester Mercury:
“It was bad, I cannot say anything else. How we conceded two goals early in the first half, it was far from the standards and the vision I have for my team and for the club.
“The responsibility for that, we concede far too many transitions. The positioning was bad in the first half. We had to change the initial plan after 15 or 20 minutes because we couldn’t handle the transitions. It didn’t get better and so at half-time we had to correct that.
“It was bad, really bad. I cannot say anything else. The way we conceded the two goals, the whole performance of the first half was not good.
“We are not consistent enough. In a league like the Championship, it’s very difficult to have 95 minutes of dominance. It will come a moment where the opposition will have good momentum and then you need to cope with that. We are fragile in that sense.
“When the opposition get some momentum, we need to be much better in some things that are very important in football, more than just positioning.
“In the first goal, the positioning to counter-press high up the pitch, so that even if we lose the ball we can regain and create another chance, it was really bad, so that creates a long transition.
“When it’s a long transition, gentlemen, you need to track back and you need to track back at 100 per cent. And we didn’t. That’s why we conceded the first goal.
“So it’s a combination of tactical plus some mental things. I definitely need to look at myself, take responsibility and make things to improve.
“In the second half, we tried. We had the chances to get at least a draw, if not more. But I would not have been satisfied even if Winksy scored the goal or if Aaron scored the second.
“For me, the standards that I want from my team, are not those that we showed in the first half.”
Hull assistant manager Dean Holden told BBC Radio Humberside:
“It’s a great result and three wins on the spin is a fantastic week for us. It was always going to be a tough game against one of the favourites for promotion.
“I thought we started really well, we created chances early, and anyone who was in the stadium to witness Liam Millar’s goal will know it was fantastic.
“We have scored some really good goals recently, but that second one was as good as any. There was really quick play to get beyond them and Joe Gelhardt is exactly where you’d want him to be.
“I thought we could have had the game sewn up, and in the second half the game got stretched. But it was a performance full of grit and desire – a very pleasing performance.”
Holden, per Sky Sports:
“What a moment for anyone in the stadium seeing that goal. (Millar) gets you up the pitch and puts the opposition on the back foot. You certainly wouldn’t want to play against him.
“That started us off on the front foot and we scored an outstanding second goal. That was right up there with anything we have scored recently.
“It was an outstanding performance against a good opponent who are one of the favourites for promotion.
“We could have put the game to bed at half-time. They made changes at half-time and we knew we would come under it.
“They are going to have chances with the qualities they have got one-v-one. But overall, we nullified a really good team and our fans must be enjoying coming to this stadium.
“We don’t fear any team and we want to show we are a team to be reckoned with. It’s been a good three games for us.”
Twitter users gave their reaction as Marti Cifuentes slams his ‘fragile’ Leicester players and questions their work-rate after defeat to Hull…
@RFox55_: Most unlikeable squad I’ve ever seen at Leicester. No passion, no effort and laziness all over the pitch. Cifuentes looks out of his depth, 1 win in 7 is not good enough for the Leicester in the EFL. The silence from King Power is DEAFENING.
@leoashton_7:AYEW OUTDAKA OUTSOUMARÉ OUTVESTERGAARD OUTFAES OUTCIFUENTES OUTRUDKIN OUTKING POWER OUT
@dharvey4: The gap is bigger than the M69. 😂
@OJSLCFC: No cohesion in this squad at all, they look like they do not want to play with each other. Unbelievable to watch, without Fatawu wonder strikes we’d be 17th.
@DelaineMoore3: Sack the fucking lot. Absolute fucking shambles. Keep picking the same shit that don’t a fuck and expect a different result 🤡. Thomas, Choudhury, Daka, Faes fuvking awful. Why persist with a striker that hasnt scored in 33 games
@goat8la: it’s alright though, cause faes will take home this week more than most of our fan’s annual wages x2. What a disgusting institution we have become.
@david8to: Nelson needs to start over faes. Kristiansen needs to start over Thomas pereira over hamza. Soumarre should be sacked. Ramsay to start. Put caranza daka and ayew in a room with one broken snooker cue. Last man standing plays. Monga has to start.
@Liamlcfc2: This club is genuinely dead. No life. No passion. Players don’t care. Board are running it into the ground. Fans are resigned to it and it’s not our fault. Top, Rudkin, you did this. Well done fellas 🖕🏻
@MeasonCarl: I think we have to accept that we are at beginning of longer project, we still have deadwood wages to bin and academy, young players to come fully through the pipeline. Would a season (or two) in the championship be the price to pay to go again as a club? #LCFC
The morning after – 1 win in 7 says it all … I like Marti he comes across well but you can’t keep picking the same charlatans and expect different results … New 4yr contract for Thomas is up there with Rudkins worst handouts by the way … See you at Millwall 🤦#lcfc 💙🦊 pic.twitter.com/JnyBDWquzd
— lcfc78lee (@lee1978lcfc) October 22, 2025
👉 There’s no point in trying to find fault with this current squad, nor with Martí or his coaching staff. The club’s problem is structural, it’s not new, and it won’t be solved by bringing in another manager.#LCFC #leicester #HULLEI pic.twitter.com/NHIj5pZbir
— LCFC Daily News (@cuzcuzverde) October 21, 2025
