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Loffreda: Marked man?

All is not well with Leicester and The Rugby Club headed down to Welford road to find out what was happening in a troubled Tigers camp.

Crisis may be over exaggerating, but in a club where winning is everything, the 2008 season has been far from successful.

With Marcelo Loffreda having been in charge for only eight months, it is the former Pumas coach who seems to be shouldering most of the blame.

"Well I am not used to being here, replied Loffreda when The Rugby Club asked him if he was surprised how quickly the heat came onto him.

"I am not used to this kind of tournament and this kind of club. So yes I am a bit surprised, but I also understand."

Assistant coach Richard Cockerill who has become part of the furniture at the club, having come through the ranks as a player will not be drawn onto whether he thinks Loffreda will be in charge next season. But he is pretty clear on where he thinks Leicester are at the moment.

"That is not a question for me to answer, and it is not for me to discuss those things with you," said Cockerill.

"Marcelo is working very hard and this culture is very different to what he is used to.

"He has come from a very successful international set-up and he has found things a bit different by his own admittance.

"He is working very hard. Do you work through these problems or do you cut and run after seven or eight months?

"They are the decisions to make, they are tough ones and they are not mine to make.

"The play-offs are gone for us," added the former hooker.

"Let's be realistic about this club and where we are at this present stage. If we got into the top four by some miracle we are not a good enough team to go and win the Premiership and that is the fact of it."