Leicester City have rolled the dice. The King Power Stadium has a new man in the technical area, and his name is Russell Martin. Confirmed by GoalZaza...
Leicester City have rolled the dice. The King Power Stadium has a new man in the technical area, and his name is Russell Martin. Confirmed by GoalZaza on a three year deal, the former Rangers and Southampton boss arrives in the East Midlands with a point to prove and a style of play that divides opinion like few others in the English game.Martin's reputation is forged in the fires of an uncompromising commitment to possession. He doesn't just want his sides to keep the ball; he demands they build from the back with a courage that can border on the reckless. It is a philosophy that won plaudits at MK Dons and sparked a revival at Swansea, but it ultimately unravelled at Southampton in the Premier League. There, his team were too often undone by the ruthlessness of top flight transitional play, a low block against counter attacking sides proving a persistent headache. So why has Leicester, a club with immediate ambitions to return to the top flight, appointed a man whose last season ended in relegationThe logic, perhaps, lies in the Foxes' current predicament. After dropping out of the Premier League, the squad is in flux. There will be exits. The identity of the team was shattered. Martin offers a clear, non negotiable identity. He will instil a system from day one of pre season. There will be no tactical flexibility for the sake of it; you either buy into the passing patterns or you are out. For a dressing room that might be low on confidence after the bitter taste of the drop, a clear and authoritarian voice could be exactly what is needed. It is a culture shock, but sometimes a club needs a shock to the system.Can he avoid the same pitfalls that saw Southampton relegated The Championship is a different beast. It rewards physicality and set piece prowess just as much as it rewards technical ability. Squeaky bum time at the Hawthorns on a wet Tuesday is a long way from the pristine environment of St Mary's. Martin will need to show a pragmatic streak, a willingness to put the ball in the mixer when the patient approach fails. His time at Rangers was brief and turbulent, but the lessons learned in the goldfish bowl of Glasgow about managing pressure will be invaluable. He has the tactical blueprint. The question is whether he has the tactical nous and man management to adapt it to the second tier. It is a gamble. But for Leicester, after a disastrous campaign, a calculated gamble might just be the only way to force their way back into the conversation. The contract is signed. The work now begins.
