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Russell Martin's First Leicester Interview (As Interpreted by Reality) Josh Holland: Russell, you've been at Leicester for six weeks now. The atmosphere around the club feels completely different. What have you changed? Russell Martin: Well, obviously the atmosphere was always going to improve once I arrived. That's just basic science. If it hadn't improved, I'd have assumed the weather was against us, or someone had left the windows open. Either way, not really my fault. Josh: A lot of fans were sceptical about your appointment after Southampton and Rangers. Did that bother you? Russell: Not at all. Fans are often sceptical until they realise I'm right. Southampton misunderstood me, Rangers misunderstood me, and some Leicester fans briefly misunderstood me. There's quite a pattern there, actually. Statistically it's impossible for me to be the common denominator. Josh: Why Leicester? Russell: The owners were refreshingly honest. They admitted everything that had gone wrong over the last few years was somebody else's fault before I even had to point it out. It was a very productive meeting. Josh: You've spoken highly about the support staff. Russell: Outstanding people. Very capable. If anything goes well this season, it'll be because they've embraced my methods. If anything goes badly... well... hopefully they'll embrace my methods a bit more. Josh: You've promoted a lot of academy players. Russell: Young players are fantastic because they haven't yet learned bad habits from previous managers. Older players sometimes need reminding that football should be played exactly as I explain it. If they don't quite manage that... well, that's a coaching opportunity for them. Josh: How would you describe your football philosophy? Russell: I don't like the word philosophy. People use it to imply there's only one way to play. There isn't. There are many ways to play... ...provided they all involve doing exactly what I tell you. Josh: What should Leicester fans expect this season? Russell: Intensity. Aggression. Dominance. If we're dominating, you'll know the players have executed the game model perfectly. If we're not dominating... ...it's probably because the opposition refused to cooperate with the game model. Very inconsiderate of them. Josh: Let's talk about Southampton. Any regrets? Russell: Regrets? No. We got promoted. Then we sold good players. Didn't replace key staff. Had a weaker squad. Played teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United... Honestly, if those clubs had shown a bit more respect and stopped scoring slightly more goals than us, we'd probably still be there. Josh: You were relegated though. Russell: Technically. But only because the table was based on points instead of expected appreciation of positional build-up. Josh: Some critics said you refused to adapt. Russell: I adapted constantly. Sometimes we lost while dominating possession. Other times we lost while developing young players. Completely different. Josh: Rangers only lasted 17 games. Russell: That's football. Wrong fit. Wrong timing. Wrong expectations. Wrong league. Wrong weather. Wrong stars aligning. Lots of things. People keep asking if I made mistakes. Well... I made the mistake of assuming everyone else knew what I was trying to do. Josh: You did say you were angry at yourself. Russell: Yes. I'm angry I didn't realise sooner how many external factors were conspiring against me. Self-awareness is important. Josh: What lessons did you learn? Russell: Never underestimate how creative football clubs can be at preventing your ideas from succeeding. I've become much better at identifying obstacles. Referees. Recruitment. Fixture congestion. Grass length. Wind direction. VAR. Player decision-making. Gravity. There's always something. Josh: What defines success this season? Russell: Promotion. If we get promoted, it'll validate everything I've ever believed. If we don't... ...we'll need a very thorough investigation into scheduling, injuries, officiating, squad turnover, financial restrictions, transfer timing, atmospheric pressure and perhaps lunar cycles. Because I refuse to believe the game model was the issue. Josh: Are you confident? Russell: Completely. I've never doubted myself. I've occasionally doubted reality. Reality has been wrong surprisingly often. Josh: Final message for Leicester supporters? Russell: Trust the process. If we're winning, you'll understand the process. If we're losing, you simply haven't seen enough of the process yet. Eventually everything will click. And if it doesn't... ...someone clearly interrupted the process. Again. Not me.

“We got a really bad result….. “ Yes Russ, just the one bad result. It was so unfair. And he speaks of humility at the end of the interview.

Watch MLG fold and not reply now. 🤣

Why wouldn’t you want an argument? 🤣

I honestly think they are going to give Tonda a lengthy ban even though they have taken too long to charge him and left us in no position to get a replacement before the season starts. They have acted like jumped up bureaucrats over the entire spygate matter and the whole issue seems to have gone to their heads

So is tomorrow day one of PT? (post Tonda) or is this dragging on for a few weeks yet?

More insights: “We were so close in so many games - Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Brighton away. We played some brilliant football. We were so close, and I felt like we were building. We got a really bad result, and I was gone. It was like, ‘OK’, because I was asked to play and develop young players. That’s football. I was angry and frustrated at that. Then Rangers, I’m angry at myself because of lots of things. It probably wasn’t the right fit for them or me. That interview in full: EXCLUSIVE: The big Russell Martin interview: The rebirth of Leicester City from 'game model' to building a new culture An exclusive sit-down interview with Leicester City boss Russell Martin By Josh Holland Leicester City correspondent 07:00, 27 Jul 2026 Russell Martin has been in charge of Leicester City for six weeks now, and the change in atmosphere around the club is impossible not to notice. The former Southampton and Swansea City boss has spent the last four weeks with his new players, putting them through their paces with demanding workloads and implementing his “game model”. Martin’s appointment was met with mixed reactions from those who fill the King Power Stadium, following his difficult and perhaps unfair ending at Southampton and his incredibly short spell at Rangers. But Martin brings an abundance of qualities to Seagrave that have been lacking for some time. People who have spoken to LeicestershireLive, and who will remain anonymous, have all highlighted his desire to coach, his passion for the job, and his ability to build relationships with people around the football club. But what was the thinking behind taking the job? What did he learn from his previous roles? What did he make of Leicester upon his arrival? What is the culture he is trying to build? And what is his view of his players ahead of the League One season? For the first time since joining the club, Martin sat down with the Leicester Mercury's Josh Holland for an in-depth interview at Leicester's training base in southern Spain to answer all of those questions. Martin was a name on Leicester's radar when the club explored its options following relegation from the Premier League. Ruud van Nistelrooy's exit at the end of June left City behind their rivals in the race to appoint a new manager, with Martin ultimately joining Rangers. ‌ Once relegation to League One was confirmed, it became clear that Gary Rowett would not be given the keys to the desperately needed rebuild at Seagrave. After Darren Ferguson, Dave Challinor and Richie Wellens were all mentioned as ‘hard heads’ who could steady the ship, Martin's name returned to the conversation - and the club got their man. “I could have gone back in earlier. I had job offers from abroad and this country throughout my time off,” he said when asked why the Leicester job was the right one for him. “Then this summer, I was very close to going abroad and then this club came in. “I spoke to James [McCarron] and Jon [Rudkin], and then the ownership, and it became really clear that it was the one I was most excited about and where I wanted to be. ‌ “One, because of the honesty over the past couple of years and where they felt it went wrong. There was real accountability in terms of: ‘This has been the problem, and this is why we’re interested in having you as our manager and what you can bring us.’ The conversations were really good. “And just the size and stature of this club. It’s won the Premier League, has a huge fanbase, amazing facilities and brilliant young players. I was convinced that we were going to be able to do what we wanted to do in terms of the process and the work. “For all those reasons, it ticked every box, and I feel like I’ve made the right choice. It really feels like that.” The City boss has often been spotted in conversation with sporting director McCarron or chief football officer Rudkin, or both, before or after friendlies this summer. He has also made a point of getting to know the support staff away from the public eye - people who have helped make his transition into the club easier. ‌ “The people have been great, really good people and have really brilliant knowledge and expertise in their areas,” he said. “I’m talking about the support staff. I’ve been so impressed with them. “A lot of them have been here through some really successful periods, and it’s obviously been a difficult couple of years. It would be easier to walk into something and think there will be a problem there, but they’ve been brilliant. “Everyone at the training ground has been really open and willing to take on board what we’re asking them in terms of behaviour and the process that we’re embarking on. I’ve been really impressed by that and pleased with that.” ‌ There have been changes on the training ground, too. Harry Winks and Victor Kristiansen started pre-season with Leicester before being allowed to leave the club, while a large portion of the group featuring in pre-season has come from the academy. The presence of Will Alves, Bade Aluko, Riley Carr, Tommy Neale and Jayden Joseph has been a breath of fresh air for supporters. A clip posted on social media by the club on Friday night showed Aluko, Carr and Neale playing darts, with fans raving about the youngsters being front and centre. For Martin, the squad has been spot-on. “On the playing front, it’s the same really for the players,” he said. “It’s easy to assume after two years that maybe the players are not fully invested, but I have to say, they’ve been really good. ‌ “I know a lot of players have left already and I don’t judge what’s gone on previously, but from me coming in and giving people the clean slate, as much as possible, they’ve been fantastic to work with. “They’ve worked so hard. Their willingness and what they’ve put on the pitch after three weeks in terms of their learning and understanding, I’ve been really impressed with. Now we have to keep pushing them and be really relentless with that. It’s exciting.” One word Martin is not particularly fond of is ‘philosophy’, especially in football. The term ‘game model’ is increasingly used, but there is no single way of playing that can define every team. ‌ Asked how supporters will be able to identify his Leicester side this season, Martin said: “The players will run really hard for each other, and we’ll play with a level of intensity and aggression, with and without the ball. “We’ll try to be as dominant as we possibly can. They will be a team that fights and runs together and is together. That will be the most important thing. “Regardless of all the tactics, we have to change things in some games. The philosophy in terms of behaviours will remain the same, but the game model might look different from one week to the next because of the problems we will face and the different solutions we will need. “First and foremost, to fight, run, work, and be aggressive.” ‌ He added: “After three and a half weeks, they’ve taken it on so quickly. They’ve been brilliant. “There are moments in the games where it’s like, ‘OK, that looks exactly how we want it to look’, and there are some sticky moments because we’re learning and developing. I’ve been so impressed by their willingness and courage to do it. If they maintain that, it’ll be a really exciting season.” Martin left Rangers in October after just 17 games, almost one year after being dismissed by Southampton. Both roles brought different lessons, on and off the pitch, and the City boss has reflected on the process during his time away from the dugout in the hope it will help make him a better manager. ‌ “To be honest, Southampton frustrated me because I stuck to my side of the bargain,” he said. “We got them promoted after year one, we lost a really important person in the director of football [Jason Wilcox], who brought me to the club, and we didn’t replace him. “Then in the Premier League, we looked at the squad, and we were weaker than we were in the Championship. We lost some big players like Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong and David Brooks, who was on loan. “We made the decision there and then to sign some young players who could develop and, if we got relegated, would really help us the following year. So it was similar to Ipswich in terms of sticking with it and having continuity. ‌ “In all the probabilities and data, the club was going to get relegated, but the club would have a right go. Actually, some of the things the boys were doing after the first few weeks, when there was a bit of anxiety and nerves about being in the Premier League, were great. “We were so close in so many games - Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Brighton away. We played some brilliant football. We were so close, and I felt like we were building. We got a really bad result, and I was gone. “It was like, ‘OK’, because I was asked to play and develop young players. That’s football. I was angry and frustrated at that. “Then Rangers, I’m angry at myself because of lots of things. It probably wasn’t the right fit for them or me. ‌ “It is what it is, but I learned so much from both of them. I love football, coaching, and managing, so I’ve been around and had the fortune, which you don’t often get, to watch so many clubs train in this country, Italy, Spain, and Germany. “I was able to pick up things from different coaches and top coaches who have won many things, and build relationships. It’s been fascinating and really interesting. I’ve taken a lot from it. “That’s why I was so excited to make sure the next one was right for me. Hopefully, I think I’m a better manager now than I was definitely two years ago, or a year ago, so hopefully we’ll benefit from that.” The objective at Leicester is clear: promotion to the Championship. Martin knows what his team will have to do across the next 10 months to achieve it. ‌ “We’re going to have to be willing to fight all the time,” he said. “To win duels, win battles and take the football. If we bring that all the time, hopefully, with the quality of players we have and the game model we have, it gives us a chance to be successful. “Success means that we’re in the Championship next summer. That’s it. Then we can talk about anything else after that.” Is he confident? ‌ “We’ve not played one league game yet, but I’m confident that we’ll have a process, a game model and a squad capability that means we can achieve that,” he said. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. If I didn’t think we could achieve that, I wouldn’t be here. “So I’m really excited about it. I’m really hopeful. We’re going to have to have real humility because it’s going to be really tough. It’s not going to be easy. It’s never going to be easy. “It’s an exciting challenge.”

Saints Disabled supporters association are usually happy to accept donations of old programmes https://saintsdsa.org.uk/

I work and have worked with a right mixed bag, some graduates some who left school at 16, ex sportspeople, ex forces some who come from very rich backgrounds and some who come from council estates like I do. I have to say the most entitled, arrogant and self obsessed people were always the ones who came with a shit degree. The statement along the lines of “I have the potential to earn more as I have a degree” was common place for years. my last company did a graduate training program to supposedly hire the best top talent straight out of university. They all came in a decent wages, got to travel to various locations in EMEA like Barcelona, Krakov, Casablanca, Paris and Milan as part of the training all expenses paid. Pretty much all of them left within two years as it wasn’t what they’d expected, not earning what they were worth etc

And Ross is still a Free Agent!!

I read before the WC that infantino only cares about Asian and African confederation votes (which is why he gives them lots of funding) as that’s enough to see him reelected. This will generate more money for those smaller confederations which is why the motion will get through because of their votes. Looks like uefa are now going to tell their fas to threaten boycott which is the right thing to do. Could be the end of old egg head. I think they should threaten boycott for removal of the proposal and that infantino must also step down. The WC doesn’t exist without the European nations and the WC is fifas prized asset - it can’t afford a boycott and neither can the smaller confederations. Go hard

Sunderland have gone full stripes with their new kit. Please can this be the last season of the back panel. Would be a small win for kit improvements.

We also use the Title Engineer flippantly, someone doing a six week course in washing machine maintenance and repair is called an engineer, when they should not even be credited with the Title Techician. The French and Germans guard their professional titles, rightly in view, very carefully.

David Speedie…..

Does anyone have some sunglasses? I just saw something VERY bright

Would’ve thought you of all people would understand the desire for stripes on the back!

Having a break in my holiday to add to this to say "what a bunch of cunts".

It sounds like a ridiculous idea just to benefit greedy bastards.

For me, it's when that degree or degree equivalent is needed. A kid with 3 decent a levels is plainly degree able, but why the need to secure that degree before working in lesser roles related to their profession of choice. They can then study part time to get their qualifications whilst progressing their training. Lawyer apprentices, for example, will start in a secretarial type roles, then progress to paralegal, then in a quasi lawyer role, then the real job. It's probably galling for many traditionalists who've gone the old school way, but their way doesn't have to be the only way.

Reading having a mare 😂 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8jne4rld3no

I wholeheartedly agree. I always value common sense over "book smarts". There are some professions though that do need a higher level of education, that was my point. Definitely no need whatsoever for nurses to have to study to degree level, that is lunacy.

Annual expanded club world cups, with an expanded, investor led, world cup every two years. Then federation tournaments in the gap years. Bringing the world of football to the world. Pesky UEFA and their local issues.

Ha!! But your accountant or lawyer? Degree equivalents, for the latter two, earned while training and earning are common. By their late 20's, those apprentice professionals have 10 years in the saddle, no study debt, and are several years ahead of their graduate peers on the ladder. I know you jest, but as it can work for lawyers and accountants, why not other professionals? An apprentice dentist, for example, could work as a dental nurse and / or hygienist and/or within the business whilst studying for the real job, then qualify with shed loads of experience in the other roles. There are very few professions that actually necessitate an undergraduate degree before an individual starts their journey.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19TJqcrhGm/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Infantino is so brazen it's almost respectable