Russell Martin - Confirmed as First Team Manager

[STUHILL]

3 hours ago, BillyFOX12 said:

Ive watched enough of RM to know this will only work if we have far superior players, which might be the case in League One. 

I think he will get us out this league, but it will likely come apart in the Championship and get toxic quickly, especially with how limited our budget will be for the forseeable future. 

[Claudio Fannieri]

12 hours ago, stevostadium said:

I really didnt want him here and was very disappointed in his appointment.

 

However, i am told that  he is very popular with the youngsters and all the non playing staff at the club.

 

I was also told that he put on an extra training session last week at the time of the england game due to standards not being met.

 

These show ponies have had it too good for too long.

 

I actually think he be ok. As long as he can get rid of the bad apples.

Great news if true, I just hope the club give him the best opportunity to do his job by moving on the bad apples and the players who have clearly checked out.
 

The issues will be just like last season if some don’t move on and he is forced to reintegrate them and it makes for a toxic environment, the standards and culture further deteriorate and RM is completely hung out to dry by Aiyawatt and Rudkin. 

[teblin]

I have always thought he needs a really good(basically top from the oof) start for anyone to get on board with him being manager.

 

However, if we didn't sign players but he went with the young lads in the majority and had a decent start(in top 6 or there abouts) would he get some grace? 

 

He needs some backing from the club for him to stand a chance really,

[Pliskin]

1 hour ago, teblin said:

I have always thought he needs a really good(basically top from the oof) start for anyone to get on board with him being manager.

 

However, if we didn't sign players but he went with the young lads in the majority and had a decent start(in top 6 or there abouts) would he get some grace? 

 

He needs some backing from the club for him to stand a chance really,

There’s not enough unity or clarity from top the bottom for this to be a success. 
 

He’s being set up for failure in my opinion. It will just be another humiliating era for our beloved club that was once Leicester city. 

[Ric Flair]

Putting that level of pressure (his style of football) on a team that will be 60-70% academy players below the age of 21 has all the ingredients of a disaster. I want our team to be built around our academy but it will need the right players to compliment them and/or an adjustment to the style of play that doesn't badly expose them.

[AKCJ]

10 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Putting that level of pressure (his style of football) on a team that will be 60-70% academy players below the age of 21 has all the ingredients of a disaster.

Which is why it won't be a team of 60-70% academy lads mate. Or at least it won't be that many without previous experience.

[Dan]

Being set up to fail by those above as per.

[Rubbersoul]

I’m a huge advocate for the academy but if we go into the season with our only strikers being young lads they’ve massively let him down. 

 

They should be there to rotate and give support to a top quality striker at this level 

[Merchant_Banker]

14 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

Which is why it won't be a team of 60-70% academy lads mate. Or at least it won't be that many without previous experience.

Stolarcyk

Thomas

Nelson (if he stays)

Aluko or Joseph

Braybrooke

Page

Evans (possibly)

So 6 or 7 academy players could start depending on recruitment out of 11. So close to 60-70%, but as you say, all of them with some experience.

[Spudulike]

6 minutes ago, Merchant_Banker said:

Stolarcyk

Thomas

Nelson (if he stays)

Aluko or Joseph

Braybrooke

Page

Evans (possibly)

So 6 or 7 academy players could start depending on recruitment out of 11. So close to 60-70%, but as you say, all of them with some experience.

Will Alves.

[Rubbersoul]

13 minutes ago, Merchant_Banker said:

Stolarcyk

Thomas

Nelson (if he stays)

Aluko or Joseph

Braybrooke

Page

Evans (possibly)

So 6 or 7 academy players could start depending on recruitment out of 11. So close to 60-70%, but as you say, all of them with some experience.

Braybrooke & Joseph have just played a full season in league two so not like they’re children going into men’s football 

[Merchant_Banker]

32 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

Will Alves.

I knew I would forget someone !

[Merchant_Banker]

26 minutes ago, Rubbersoul said:

Braybrooke & Joseph have just played a full season in league two so not like they’re children going into men’s football 

Agreed, that was the point I was trying to make.

[Nick]

34 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

Will Alves.

Was he on loan at Huddersfield? Did he get much of a look in?

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, AKCJ said:

Which is why it won't be a team of 60-70% academy lads mate. Or at least it won't be that many without previous experience.

I am yet to see any evidence of sufficient finances to bring players in.

[AKCJ]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I am yet to see any evidence of sufficient finances to bring players in.

We're not going to shift enough players out though. Sorry mate but it's going to be Mavididi and BDCR on the wings, Vestergaard at the back,  Hamza right back, Skipp and Winks in midfield etc.

 

You say that you're yet to see any evidence of sufficient finances to bring players in but I'm yet to see any evidence that the club has learned from it's mistakes. These players are all going to leave at the end of their contracts.

 

I think we'll see those players listed above with a few free agents alongside a couple of 500k-1m signings and a load of loans. We'll have these exciting young players on the bench or in the 21s whilst we've got the next bone idle Chelsea loanee just because we never learn and we keep pretending we're above the situation we're in.

 

If we were in the Premier League you can guarantee that the likes of Hutchinson, Gray, Aluko, Joseph, Richards, Wilson-Brown, Briggs etc would all be marked as loans for clubs in League 1.

[Rubbersoul]

2 hours ago, Merchant_Banker said:

Agreed, that was the point I was trying to make.

Yeah I know I was just adding to it 

[Dan]

On 06/07/2026 at 12:08, Les-TA-Jon said:

5 weeks until the first competitive game.

6 weeks until the first league game. 

8 weeks until the window closes. 

 

And we have what? Multiple first teamers who need to be sold because we can't afford them/they're crap/they're toxic/they want to leave/we need cashflow

And the squad is missing:

• A decent goalkeeper
• Defenders who can defend
• Goal scoring midfielders
• 2 centre forwards

How good RM is or not is largely irrelevant right now unless we actually do the business in the transfer window. 

The worst thing about the Martin appointment is he's enough of a clown to become a good distraction from the real problems at the club.

 

It's important to remember he is a symptom. He is their vision. But there is only so much he can do.

 

I have far more contempt for these players and his bosses than I do him.

[Ric Flair]

34 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

We're not going to shift enough players out though. Sorry mate but it's going to be Mavididi and BDCR on the wings, Vestergaard at the back,  Hamza right back, Skipp and Winks in midfield etc.

 

You say that you're yet to see any evidence of sufficient finances to bring players in but I'm yet to see any evidence that the club has learned from it's mistakes. These players are all going to leave at the end of their contracts.

 

I think we'll see those players listed above with a few free agents alongside a couple of 500k-1m signings and a load of loans. We'll have these exciting young players on the bench or in the 21s whilst we've got the next bone idle Chelsea loanee just because we never learn and we keep pretending we're above the situation we're in.

 

If we were in the Premier League you can guarantee that the likes of Hutchinson, Gray, Aluko, Joseph, Richards, Wilson-Brown, Briggs etc would all be marked as loans for clubs in League 1.

Oh I agree but if we don't move those players on, we will be in severe financial difficulty and I think administration would be a real possibility as soon as this season. The numbers don't stack up.

[Muzzy_no7]

Either he and his staff have full confidence they can do this with purely the academy and what we’ve got (+ the inevitable 2-3 loan signings late August) or he will end up resigning in the next 6-7 weeks

[OriginalRobboFOX]

There is next to no money available. Don’t expect any signings of any note. The brief for this year is clearly a “blend” of youth and experienced Championship level players (debatable) is enough to win promotion and we will look to secure investment on the back of being top 3 by Christmas. 
 

I would say this is the last roll of the dice for the club. If we are outside of Top 6 by Christmas I genuinely fear for our existence. 

[CosbehFox]

The lack of departures with our likely wage bill is an absolute disaster as it stands. 

[Dan]

14 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

The lack of departures with our likely wage bill is an absolute disaster as it stands. 

Another disasterclass from the so called best in the business. Surprise surprise.

 

That EFL transfers pod I heard over the weekend hit home that, as usual, we are lagging way behind.

[Tuna]

27 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

The lack of departures with our likely wage bill is an absolute disaster as it stands. 

I see so many rumours, but nothing actually happening. Worrying. Season about a month away.

[AKCJ]

57 minutes ago, OriginalRobboFOX said:

There is next to no money available. Don’t expect any signings of any note. The brief for this year is clearly a “blend” of youth and experienced Championship level players (debatable) is enough to win promotion and we will look to secure investment on the back of being top 3 by Christmas. 
 

I would say this is the last roll of the dice for the club. If we are outside of Top 6 by Christmas I genuinely fear for our existence. 

Removing players I am sure won't be here next season (Winks, Faes, Coulibaly, Fatawu and Monga) I think this is the current squad....

 

 

Probably forgotten some obvious players and some might have been released for all I know.

 

But it's clear to see we have next to no experience in attacking areas. We absolutely have to sign at least one striker, one left winger and one attacking midfielder before it's quare pegs in round holes.

 

Chaplin would be a signing that makes a decent amount of sense but we really could do with a statement signing. Nothing outrageous like Birmingham did when they spent loads on Stansfield but just a forward with pedigree at that level that is on the up in his career like Jayden Wareham with 19 goals playing for a shocking Exeter side.

Edited Tuesday at 14:30 by AKCJ