Russell Martin - Confirmed as First Team Manager

[cityfanlee23]

I’m willing to get behind him but if every week is like today I might struggle. 

IMO we probably aren’t too far off in terms of players to go back up, with 1 or 2 more bodies we might be able to give it a good go, but my main concern is that there are still quite a few players that look like they either don’t want to be here, are just going through the motions, or have completely forgotten what that white sphere thing on the floor is supposed to be. 

Souttar looks gone already, Okoli somehow manages to reduce his ability as a football relative to the league he plays in, BDCR I just don’t even know what position he should play in, Mavididi needs a fresh environment he’s been awful for 2 years now and so far in pre season nothing has shown me he even wants to turn it around here. Hamza is hamza. 
 

League One is a perfect opportunity to maybe go for players who we wouldn’t have taken a punt on in the Championship and need a season at a lower level to properly develop, the pool of players available to us that can play at this level is massive compared to the top 2 divisions, I just don’t want to be groaning in October that BDCR, Okoli, Souttar and Mavididi have put in yet another stinker. 

[LFC bear]

Enjoying Poundland peps “philosophy” yet? 

 

The fun is only just starting. 

tick tock, mid table league 1 awaits the former premiership champions. 

[purpleronnie]

I watched swindon tott this morning it was 0-0 from 1980 full of blood and thunder, I miss that syle of football.  The modern boring way i suppose.

[RumbleFox]

Honestly we have hit rock bottom and have the PERFECT chance to reset and go with youth and start recruiting promising players from the lower leagues and we’re going to just fvck it up aren’t we?

[kingpowerout]

5 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

Honestly we have hit rock bottom and have the PERFECT chance to reset and go with youth and start recruiting promising players from the lower leagues and we’re going to just fvck it up aren’t we?

We’ll fvck it up if we continue to use players that have consistently let us down over the past 2 years (Mav, LT, BDCR, Okoli etc.) but like the bloke a few messages up said, now is the time to reset.

 

I’ll reserve judgement until after the first 5 league games and when the window has closed 

[teblin]

It was slow and pondering today. Everything I feared.

 

Needs more energy and quality. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

"Very Happy "

[Chelmofox]

20 minutes ago, teblin said:

It was slow and pondering today. Everything I feared.

 

Needs more energy and quality. 

He was yelling at the players to 'move', 'press' and 'find space'. There is a lot to do, but the slowness isnt all down to him. Was impressed by how animated he was on the touchline, and how he was holding everyone to account. I think he was at everyones throats at some point. Even at the end he was yelling at Jakub to go long rather than play out the back, and went straight over to him at the final whistle to make sure he knew.

[Vestan Pance]

I sat down to watch it in Sky with a feeling of anticipation, thinking I'm looking forward to going to a few games after jacking it in last season, meet up with a few mates and get back into it. All that was today was a reminded of why after 42 years I stopped going. The style of play is not inspiring in the slightest. I wish us well, and hope for promotion, the football will hopefully improve, but there was nothing to get us excited at all today.

[sdb]

You'd think bombing at Rangers might make him reflect on his philosophy. Clearly not, although hardly surprising given the number of thrashings his teams have routinely suffered. I think he'll seriously struggle to get another managerial appointment after us. This style of play has had its day (thank ****) and he's not even very good at it. Luckily for him it'll take our lot a good 6 months too long to act.

[coolhandfox]

I think people would like him to fail because it suits their narative.

 

Actually think some get more joy out of being negative than anything else.

Edited 8 August by coolhandfox

[Headcase]

On 30/07/2026 at 14:51, Lesta Legend said:

While this is a very real concept and goes against the best person for the Job, regardless of his limitations on the pitch from what I see and hear Hamza is a strong personality and a leader in the dressing room. That's why he gets picked !

Like us all while he's fcked up with some of his antics off the pitch.

 

I don't think he should be, I'd imagine RM has other's in mind, Conor Chaplain maybe. But whether you like it or not he is a strong personality and does care for the club and we have had too many shrinking violets in this team and those that just don't care. Is he the best option at present probably not but there is kind of a logic as to why he gets picked !

Being a leader in the dressing room dont help you on the pitch, you need a captain that will lead by example, grab the team by the bootstraps and pull them in the direction thats required, physically, mentally, and tactically.

Not once have i seen Hamza be vocal or do any of the above, being the longest seving squad member should not make you a top candidate.

Edited 8 August by Headcase

[accessory]

10 minutes ago, sdb said:

You'd think bombing at Rangers might make him reflect on his philosophy. Clearly not, although hardly surprising given the number of thrashings his teams have routinely suffered. I think he'll seriously struggle to get another managerial appointment after us. This style of play has had its day (thank ****) and he's not even very good at it. Luckily for him it'll take our lot a good 6 months too long to act.

It hasn't had its day. Spain won the World Cup less than a month ago.

 

The issue is that the current City side is many levels below the likes of Rodri, Pedri and Yamal. But Rudkin and Aiyawatt prefer not to acknowledge this.

 

They are setting Martin up to fail just like so many before him, especially during yet another transfer window when Rudkin has been criminally negligent.

 

Last week on here I said this side will finish closer to the bottom of League 1 than the top.  Nothing I've seen today has changed that view.

[Chelmofox]

14 minutes ago, accessory said:

It hasn't had its day. Spain won the World Cup less than a month ago.

 

The issue is that the current City side is many levels below the likes of Rodri, Pedri and Yamal. But Rudkin and Aiyawatt prefer not to acknowledge this.

 

They are setting Martin up to fail just like so many before him, especially during yet another transfer window when Rudkin has been criminally negligent.

 

Last week on here I said this side will finish closer to the bottom of League 1 than the top.  Nothing I've seen today has changed that view.

Spain drew their first W/C game and i felt for a lot of the tournament didnt look a cut above most teams. But the style made them starve the opposition, so there is still clearly something in it.

 

I dont really want to compare us to spain anyway. We are miles away from that.

 

This style will likely do us well in L1, especially once the team has had time to gel. 

 

I don't think its a problem we didnt blow Northampton today. I think some of the new signings are going to improve us (Watson for sure) and the biggest problem is the deadwood, striker, and CB's, all that seem to be works in progress. Academy graduates are only going to improve, and already look good.

 

Will whinge if it still looks like this after 10 games though.

[sdb]

28 minutes ago, accessory said:

It hasn't had its day. Spain won the World Cup less than a month ago.

 

The issue is that the current City side is many levels below the likes of Rodri, Pedri and Yamal. But Rudkin and Aiyawatt prefer not to acknowledge this.

 

They are setting Martin up to fail just like so many before him, especially during yet another transfer window when Rudkin has been criminally negligent.

 

Last week on here I said this side will finish closer to the bottom of League 1 than the top.  Nothing I've seen today has changed that view.

Spain passed the ball with a little more purpose and pace and threat than any Russel Martin side has! But otherwise agree. We will be bullied into submission on a regular basis this season.

[sdb]

6 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

Spain drew their first W/C game and i felt for a lot of the tournament didnt look a cut above most teams. But the style made them starve the opposition, so there is still clearly something in it.

 

I dont really want to compare us to spain anyway. We are miles away from that.

 

This style will likely do us well in L1, especially once the team has had time to gel. 

 

I don't think its a problem we didnt blow Northampton today. I think some of the new signings are going to improve us (Watson for sure) and the biggest problem is the deadwood, striker, and CB's, all that seem to be works in progress. Academy graduates are only going to improve, and already look good.

 

Will whinge if it still looks like this after 10 games though.

Most academy products have declined with exposure to the first team in recent years. Thomas, Monga, Nelson to name a few. That's a worry, given the youth today looked the most interested in trying to win their duels/the football match.

[00rawat]

Will be gone by November,glad I didn't renew my ST now!!still got players i still cba watching that bore me to death,or just not good enough LT,mav,okoli,Choudhury and BDR,oh and mav is the is the new ayew.

[accessory]

9 minutes ago, sdb said:

Most academy products have declined with exposure to the first team in recent years. Thomas, Monga, Nelson to name a few. That's a worry, given the youth today looked the most interested in trying to win their duels/the football match.

Don't share the belief still prevalent on here that the academy players will see us through. Especially as that's what was said this time last season.

 

The fact they've all been groomed by Rudkin (hopefully just in a football sense..) should also temper expectations a little bit.

 

Didn't see anything today from either Alves or Braybrooke to suggest they'll take League 1 by storm. Joseph looked decent for the first 70 minutes or so, though, before tiring in the heat.

Edited 8 August by accessory
Typo

[Corky]

The fans will grow restless of his football fairly early. And remember, Maresca had 36 wins in League and cup in his season at a higher level and people weren't enamoured.

 

But we know what he is about. It is on the club if it fails.

[coolhandfox]

12 minutes ago, accessory said:

Don't share the belief still prevalent on here that the academy players will see us through. Especially as that's what was said this time last season.

 

The fact they've all been groomed by Rudkin (hopefully just in a football sense..) should also temper expectations a little bit.

 

Didn't see anything today from either Alves or Braybrooke to suggest they'll take League 1 by storm. Joseph looked decent for the first 70 minutes or so, though, before tiring in the heat.

Maybe give them more than a game to show what they can do.

[Chelmofox]

36 minutes ago, accessory said:

Don't share the belief still prevalent on here that the academy players will see us through. Especially as that's what was said this time last season.

 

The fact they've all been groomed by Rudkin (hopefully just in a football sense..) should also temper expectations a little bit.

 

Didn't see anything today from either Alves or Braybrooke to suggest they'll take League 1 by storm. Joseph looked decent for the first 70 minutes or so, though, before tiring in the heat.

Surely we should be happy that they look mature, assured, appear to have quality and can clearly improve? I think for both it was their first competitive start for us and Braybrookes first 90 mins. 
 

They are like new signings and look better than many of the plonkers who played for us before. 
 

Surely that’s a well done?

Edited 8 August by Chelmofox

[JimJams]

You do get the feeling there's a section of fans that want him to do a shit job. It's pretty odd. The majority of fans didn't want him, and are far from convinced that he's the right man but you'd expect most right minded supporters hope he proves us wrong on that front. And yet there's definitely a selection who actually want it to go badly so they can go "see, told you he'd be shit" as though being proved correct in this regard is some sort of victory.

[coolhandfox]

Think people are forgetting we are coming of the back of last season finishing with 2 wins in 20.

 

It not going to be a cake walk to turn this around.

 

 

[HankMarvin]

9 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

Think people are forgetting we are coming of the back of last season finishing with 2 wins in 20.

 

It not going to be a cake walk to turn this around.

 

 

I’d admire you’re positivity but it was Northampton, 5 players in the starting 11 that didn’t really feature plus the subs that come on. 
Northampton just finished the season with 9 wins and had the worst defence in the league 

[CosbehFox]

59 minutes ago, accessory said:

Don't share the belief still prevalent on here that the academy players will see us through. Especially as that's what was said this time last season.

 

The fact they've all been groomed by Rudkin (hopefully just in a football sense..) should also temper expectations a little bit.

 

Didn't see anything today from either Alves or Braybrooke to suggest they'll take League 1 by storm. Joseph looked decent for the first 70 minutes or so, though, before tiring in the heat.

Last season proved it. We started the season relatively well and played up to 7 academy products in a victory over Charlton. By the time Rowett came in he was selecting the senior pros and it was a waste of time.

Page was completely shunted for a Skipp and Winks midfield. Aluko ignored for RB. Monga was underwhelming but still had more final product than Mavididi until the last day of the season. While a team with a complete lack of goals, decided not to at least give any of the youngsters popping up with goals at U21 level. 
 

Rudkin is bad at a lot of things but his academy work largely stands up. Can’t be deny and to be fair, we’ve started developing really technical players now,