Russell Martin - Confirmed as First Team Manager

[coolhandfox]

12 minutes ago, Bert said:

The problem is going to be our first defeat or maybe even a draw this thread is gonna blow up and people will be instantly calling for his head. 

I wouldn't be surprise if we got beaten opening day. 

 

I think a lot will depend on the squad we have by then as to how people judge him. 

[jimsmallman]

4 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

I wouldn't be surprise if we got beaten opening day. 

 

I think a lot will depend on the squad we have by then as to how people judge him. 

I absolutely think we'll get beaten opening day.  Away at a fired up Notts County?  They'll sh*thouse a 1-0 win and this place will go into absolute meltdown. Then we'll probably be alright for a bit, it's not like it's a super high quality league!

[Gamble92]

12 minutes ago, jimsmallman said:

I absolutely think we'll get beaten opening day.  Away at a fired up Notts County?  They'll sh*thouse a 1-0 win and this place will go into absolute meltdown. Then we'll probably be alright for a bit, it's not like it's a super high quality league!

I think that will suit us. They'll want to come out and play. I think we'll shock people by just how much better we are than every team we play. 

[jimsmallman]

6 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

I think that will suit us. They'll want to come out and play. I think we'll shock people by just how much better we are than every team we play. 

Oh I think we will be for the rest of the season.  I can just see us losing that game!

[Pita]

I am not a fan of Martin but all depends of king power. They got to back him and spend some money. 

[Ted Maul]

We've got to get behind him. For better or worse, he's here and there's no chance we could afford to sack him. 

 

If things aren't going to plan, all anger has to be directed at Aiyawatt and the board this season. We all (including them when they hired him) know what we're getting from Martin and the team will be full of kids. 

[Chelmofox]

34 minutes ago, Pita said:

I am not a fan of Martin but all depends of king power. They got to back him and spend some money. 

There is no money to spend. There never has been.

 

We've got to back the academy.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

I think it's probably starting to dawn on him that he's been spun a yarn in terms of signings. There's no money, there never has been. It'll break soon enough I think and the worst thing is that a huge proportion of our supporters will be surprised about it.

[Happy Fox]

9 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

I think it's probably starting to dawn on him that he's been spun a yarn in terms of signings. There's no money, there never has been. It'll break soon enough I think and the worst thing is that a huge proportion of our supporters will be surprised about it.

I think he would back himself to get us promoted even with the youth prospects, but going forward we need a regime change, Aiyawatt has to sell up.

[kenny]

1 hour ago, Bert said:

The problem is going to be our first defeat or maybe even a draw this thread is gonna blow up and people will be instantly calling for his head. 

I disagree.

 

I think we will be going into the season with youth players and just a few free transfers. The club will quietly brush under the carpet that a load of cash has come in and absolutely none will be spent would be my guess.

 

In this case, all RM needs to do to get the fans on board, is get the players working hard and be organised. If the fans know that the club is reduced to 17-20 years olds and the odd free journeyman then I don't believe the majority of us will be too critcal.

[cropstonfox]

5 minutes ago, kenny said:

I disagree.

 

I think we will be going into the season with youth players and just a few free transfers. The club will quietly brush under the carpet that a load of cash has come in and absolutely none will be spent would be my guess.

 

In this case, all RM needs to do to get the fans on board, is get the players working hard and be organised. If the fans know that the club is reduced to 17-20 years olds and the odd free journeyman then I don't believe the majority of us will be too critcal.

Where's the money gone/going?

Cash in,none out?

[Tommy G]

Just now, cropstonfox said:

Where's the money gone/going?

Cash in,none out?

Have you just woken up from a coma? If so, congratulations on missing the past couple of years at this football club. 

[ClaphamFox]

15 hours ago, Dames said:

Ive been against his appointment for some time but I will give him some credit in that he’s taking a proper look at our academy and he’s also making them put in a lot of fitness work which it feels like forever since we’ve had a manager do. 

I'm in the same boat. I was so against his appointment that I remained in complete denial about even after everyone else had accepted it, like the proverbial Japanese soldier fighting on in the jungle after WW2. The thing is, though, I only really have one major problem with him—ie, that he seems so ideologically wedded to his preferred playing style that he will not deviate from it even if the players at his disposal are not good enough to play that style in the division they're in. I think it's a good thing for a manager to have a clear idea of his preferred Plan A, but if it comes with a stubborn refusal to adapt when it's very clear plan A is not working, you have a problem. 

 

Martin's record of using young players is commendable and exactly what we need right now. His strong focus on fitness is also much-needed and the stories emerging about the positive impact he's had on the atmosphere at Seagrave are very encouraging. But it will all count for nothing if it turns out our squad can't play the way he wants them to and he refuses to adapt. He may only have one major flaw as a manager, but it's such a massive flaw that it could be fatal for him—and us—if he doesn't correct it. But let's see...

[Bourbon Fox]

1 hour ago, cropstonfox said:

Where's the money gone/going?

Cash in,none out?

 

Wortho the Dog would sort this out

Edited 14 hours ago by Bourbon Fox

[hackneyfox]

On 17/07/2026 at 22:23, Pliskin said:

My expectation is an entire season unbeaten and the points record. Anything less is a failure. Even if we finish with less point than Birmingham did but go up. 
 

I won’t even celebrate any goals, or wins. For me, this is no different to going to work, doing a job and coming home. 

Do you go to games?

[Pita]

3 hours ago, Happy Fox said:

I think he would back himself to get us promoted even with the youth prospects, but going forward we need a regime change, Aiyawatt has to sell up.

Trouble is he won’t sell. Because of his father 

[Dan]

5 hours ago, Collymore said:

Well I haven't judged him, I've said that I'll wait to Christmas then make a judgement personally and have called out posters making out he's the second coming of Alex Ferguson on the back of a few friendlies. 

 

I can say that he isn't going to change his style of play as fact because he's said in the past that's what he'll never do. 

 

Maybe I was a little hash on him "gloating" about the wins because what else is he meant to say? Maybe acknowledge that when the league starts it'll be completely different and at least let the fans and players know he understands that?

 

I know from previous pre-seasons that how we play now doesn't really impact on the season as I remember some absolutly horrific pre-seasons where you're thinking "jesus, we're doomed" but have gone on to have relatively successful seasons. 

 

 

I'd be interested to know which seasons. There's a common myth on here (not saying this is you) that we had a crap set of pre-season results in 2015 and it isn't the case.

 

Only one I can think of off the top of my head was 2013. I do remember us losing at Northampton just before the season kicked off, it was pretty toxic, as was the first half at Middlesbrough on the opening day.

 

The worst I can remember is 2024. I've never been so certain of relegation before a ball was even kicked.

[dayday]

3 hours ago, cropstonfox said:

Where's the money gone/going?

Cash in,none out?

All spunked on garbage 

[Dan]

5 hours ago, Collymore said:

If you imagine a big computer game style energy bar that a manager has at a club in relation to fan backing, you get some managers that have that knack of extending it and some that will just instantly drain it. 

 

Pearson had the knack of losing a game or two, being stubborn and even calling out the fans, but he had this way of managing his bar to not move far.

 

Rodgers I always thought, even when things were going well, that his personality and style would mean his bar would empty very quickly when things got tough, which it did. 

 

All the frauds we've had recently that have come in and played the same horrible players and style to the previous managers - your bar instantly drained. 

 

I worry for Martin if things go wrong and he's there doubling down post match refusing to take ownership for things... His bar will be going into some unknown negative territory we've never witnessed before... quickly! 

 

 

 

It's all quite built on sand with Martin. I think a lot of the praise at the minute is because there was such a consensus of being anti him when it happened so there's a bit of overcompensating. But I agree with everything you've said. I don't think he will prove a hit with our fans in the long run and it will not take a lot at all for people to turn on him. Particularly in this league.

 

It's kind of similar with Southampton fans. He got them promoted and look at the way most of them talk about him. I don't remember them ever being that bought in with him. I think this will be even worse here.

[BenTheFox]

10 minutes ago, Dan said:

It's all quite built on sand with Martin. I think a lot of the praise at the minute is because there was such a consensus of being anti him when it happened so there's a bit of overcompensating. But I agree with everything you've said. I don't think he will prove a hit with our fans in the long run and it will not take a lot at all for people to turn on him. Particularly in this league.

 

It's kind of similar with Southampton fans. He got them promoted and look at the way most of them talk about him. I don't remember them ever being that bought in with him. I think this will be even worse here.

First and foremost he just needs to get us promoted. Right now that's all I really care about. I think it will go tits up eventually. My hope is that he just leaves us in a better position than he found us. If by the time he leaves this football club we're a midtable championship club with a squad that isn't a total shitshow, I'll take that as a success. Damn, my expectations really are on the floor. 

[Andrew]

6 hours ago, jimsmallman said:

I absolutely think we'll get beaten opening day.  Away at a fired up Notts County?  They'll sh*thouse a 1-0 win and this place will go into absolute meltdown. Then we'll probably be alright for a bit, it's not like it's a super high quality league!

From memory the last time we played Notts County on an opening day was the 83-84 season in the old first division at home. We were battered 0-4.🤔

[Long Eaton Fox]

12 minutes ago, Andrew said:

From memory the last time we played Notts County on an opening day was the 83-84 season in the old first division at home. We were battered 0-4.🤔

Think I was there. Had Notts just been promoted and had John chidozie playing for them?

[Pliskin]

3 hours ago, hackneyfox said:

Do you go to games?

I decided not to renew my ST for the first time in 29 years. So yes. 

[Andrew]

3 minutes ago, Long Eaton Fox said:

Think I was there. Had Notts just been promoted and had John chidozie playing for them?

Yes JC played for Notts County and Notts had had a couple of seasons already in the FD.

[MGLCFC]

19 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

I decided not to renew my ST for the first time in 29 years. So yes. 

Any regrets?