Russell Martin

[East Kent Saint]

RB Leipzig in need of a manager 😃

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, East Kent Saint said:

RB Leipzig in need of a manager 😃

I wouldn’t appoint him as manager of Red Bull Chandlers Ford.

[Matthew Le God]

34 minutes ago, East Kent Saint said:

RB Leipzig in need of a manager

Martin doesn't use anything close to Red Bull tactics.

Red Bull teams are not possession focused. They are about what we were under Hasenhüttl. 

[Badger]

2 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

Martin doesn't use anything close to Red Bull tactics.

Red Bull teams are not possession focused. They are about what we were under Hasenhüttl. 

It probably wouldn’t take Martin long to explain the error of their ways to them and convert them to his philosophy. 

[skintsaint]

20 minutes ago, Badger said:

It probably wouldn’t take Martin long to explain the error of their ways to them and convert them to his philosophy. 

Can imagine him explaining its not all about grinding out results to the RB hierarchy. 

[Badger]

22 hours ago, East Kent Saint said:

RB Leipzig in need of a manager 😃

Have just seen they’ve appointed Zsolt Low as an interim until end of season.

Perhaps RM couldn’t agree a quick deal or is holding out for an increased offer, or maybe Lucy didn’t fancy Leipzig.

Weren’t we meant to have sounded Low out earlier in the season ? Bet he regrets turning us down now, if he did 

Edited March 31 by Badger

[Matthew Le God]

Linked with Leicester City and a job with one of Man City's sister clubs...

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/34304772/leicester-russell-martin-ruud-van-nistelrooy-manager-man-city/

[Nottssaint1]

Interesting to listen to. Came out this morning.

[Nottssaint1]

Sorry for the new thread- but thought this was v interesting

[Lord Duckhunter]

59 minutes ago, Nottssaint1 said:

Came out this morning.

No surprise, he is from Brighton..

Edited Wednesday at 11:38 by Lord Duckhunter

[Whitey Grandad]

Why is it that the more I see of him the more I detest him?

[coalman]

Quote

Telegraph journalist Jason Burt, speaking about Southampton's relegation on a special BBC Radio 5 Live programme about life at the bottom of the Premier League:

"I rate Russell Martin very highly, I think he is a better manager than Southampton. I think he should be at a higher club. He's obviously tried to implement a style at Southampton that the players weren't good enough to play.

because clearly the problem was us holding Russell Martin back....

[BarberSaint]

9 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Why is it that the more I see of him the more I detest him?

 

Because that's what sensible people think? Although I have never done anything bar dislike him.

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 minute ago, coalman said:

because clearly the problem was us holding Russell Martin back....

This is exactly why Managers are all about philosophy now, and the media have drunk the Kool aid as well. That buffoon Blackmore was on about Kompany getting the Bayern job because he’s a “good coach” with the wrong players at Burnley. Even posters on here are banging on about managers playing styles, they want this one as he plays this way. Fucking hipsters. For me, get a bloke in who will see the squad he’s given, then work out how they’ll play. 
 

 

[Saint Garrett]

I can understand people blaming him for a bit of our downfall, but I just don't see how people can dislike him. But clearly they do. I just dont get it.

Always seems a top bloke to me, talks about football in a really interesting manner, and he's still such a young coach. Will be really interesting to see where his career goes, can see it going either way if the right opportunities arise.

Sure he'll get an ovation the next time he's at St Marys.

[Patches O Houlihan]

For anybody who sticks all the way through it there is a section at 50:30m where he's speaking about Tyler Dibling. If the Saints marketing department can get a few snippets of that to go viral then that's another £20m on Tyler's value.

[coalman]

2 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

For anybody who sticks all the way through it there is a section at 50:30m where he's speaking about Tyler Dibling. If the Saints marketing department can get a few snippets of that to go viral then that's another £20m on Tyler's value.

I lasted about 5 minutes before I had to choose between my laptop and continuing to watch. By that point he'd expressed shock at being sacked about 10 times I think.

Edited Wednesday at 11:53 by coalman

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 minute ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

If the Saints marketing department can get a few snippets of that to go viral then that's another £20m on Tyler's value.

What!!!! I hope you’re taking the piss.
 

Bloke  who won 1 premier league game , raves about a lad he gave his debut to and his value goes up, 
 

Maybe he could talk up Frasier and get someone to take his mate off our hands, maybe we could reply his Baz comments from earlier this season and see if Totton are listening. 

[Whitey Grandad]

16 minutes ago, Saint Garrett said:

I can understand people blaming him for a bit of our downfall, but I just don't see how people can dislike him. But clearly they do. I just dont get it.

Always seems a top bloke to me, talks about football in a really interesting manner, and he's still such a young coach. Will be really interesting to see where his career goes, can see it going either way if the right opportunities arise.

Sure he'll get an ovation the next time he's at St Marys.

Don’t bank on it.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, Nottssaint1 said:

Sorry for the new thread- but thought this was v interesting

Thanks for sharing. Not seen it yet. But I imagine, that despite how it worked out that I'll be agreeing with some factors, if the interview focuses on us. It looks long enough to get hopefully lots of detail.

Edited Wednesday at 12:16 by Holmes_and_Watson

[Charlie Wayman]

He hasn't changed one bit, arrogant, full of himself and full of bullish*t. Bet Linekaer regrets having invited him into his house.

[OldNick]

7 minutes ago, Charlie Wayman said:

He hasn't changed one bit, arrogant, full of himself and full of bullish*t. Bet Linekaer regrets having invited him into his house.

they are both woke luvvies and so will have got on well

[skintsaint]

Short-term'ism.

 

[johnnyboy]

Available as a podcast also 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-football/id1701022490?i=1000702780039

[Midfield_General]

Really interesting, thanks very much for posting. 

Here's a summary of the key points/ stuff I found most interesting for those who don't have an hour to spend listening to it:

• Has turned down some jobs
• Was hurt and disappointed by the sacking
• Felt that at the point he was sacked the young players were growing, the foundation was there in the playing style that had been implemented, and that things were improving, even though the results weren't there
• Felt that the players were still with him
• 'People only care about results'
• Feels there's too much short-termism generally
• Thought that maybe the promotion would have been enough to buy him more time in the PL even when the results weren't there. Thought that maybe the club would stick with him even if we went back down, the way Burnley stuck with Dyche
• Had to deal with a lot of players leaving, but the expectations were still there to win every week like it had been in the Championship
• Became difficult when the players felt they were performing at the top of their abilities, they were doing well in games but weren't able to get wins
• There was fear there because half the squad had been relegated previously and half the squad had never played in the PL before - he became unable to convince them they could win games
• Just before half-time against Spurs he thought the time was up and needed the toilet
• Knew at half-time he was getting sacked that night, and told the players that. Told them not to let it get to eight or nine, just to dig in and defend
• Admires the way Ange Postecoglou watches the game with detachment
• Was told by Sibley at FT against Spurs, just before doing the media duties, that the sacking statement had been written. Did the presser and then was sacked immediately after 
• His dad had done prison time and used to knock his mum about. He used to have to protect his younger brothers from him (note: there's a lot of stuff about his family background which I won't type out but is interesting to listen to)
• Never felt like he was a good player, never felt he was the best at any level. Had imposter syndrome 
• Paul Lambert was the most influential coach he played under
• Really admires Pete Winkleman for moving MK Dons to Milton Keynes
• When he first became manager of MK Dons (having been a player there) in his first meeting as manager he said 'I'm your mate, still call me Russ if you want'
• Struggled at first with players treating him differently when he became their manager having been their teammate
• Favourite ever team to watch was the 2008 Barcelona team
• Couldn't coach a team or style he didn't believe in
• Swansea told him he got the manager's job there because of the style of play
• Felt like a traitor leaving MK Dons manager job for Swansea 4 days before the start of the season, wasn't sure about taking it
• The way he had them playing in his last 10 games at Swansea got him the Saints job - 'it was beautiful'
• His approach is very based on feeling and intuition
• Used to do Buddhist chanting when rooming with colleagues
• Not really religious but believes in the Buddhist principles like karma
• Feels like sometimes it helps players open up to him 'which is beautiful', but that sometimes it complicates things because they show him more than they maybe usually would to their manager
• Found it very difficult leaving 6-7 players out of the squad at Saints because the squad was too big
• Thinks he's very demanding on the training pitch, but once training is done he wants to be having a laugh and a joke with them in the canteen afterwards
• Saints job came about when Swansea didn't provide clarity on the plan for the future
• Got approached by 3-4 clubs
• Was approached by Wilcox, immediately felt very aligned with him from day one
• It was a thorough interview, Wilcox was very clear what he wanted him to present on
• Didn't think he was initially Saints first choice
• Wilcox time at City made him very aligned re style of play
• Wilcox told him which players were being sold and asked him how we would work with the rest
• Proud of the way the players reacted to the change of style in the Championship after relegation
• Lost 4 games on the bounce in the Championship when the transfer window was still open and there was still a lot of uncertainty about which players were going to stay and which would leave
• Started off first coaching session at Swansea by showing them how MK Dons had played in and out of possession
• Run and press, hunt the ball, be brave and you'll maximise your potential as a player
• At Saints, first showed how Swansea had played 
• To dominate the ball you have to press high and counter-press
• The results didn't come in the PL for Saints - but Saints have now changed manager and it hasn't improved
• If he had the chance again, would he change anything - no, but might tweak a few things
• Felt he changed formation too much, was searching for something
• It's not about set patterns, its about having a concept of the game
• Felt he over-thought it when he started changing shapes and formations
• Guardiola was very complimentary 
• Should have stuck with one system
• There were lots of brilliant moments, felt like there was always one moment very close
• Won't criticise the quality of players he had at Saints, loves those boys
• Felt the squad was weaker in the Premier League than it was in the Championship - lost some very key players
• Re Dibling - he is the most talented player he has ever worked with
• He has every capability and tool required to play for England for a long time
• He has qualities that he hasn't seen in an English player for a long time
• In the same bracket as Kane or Maddison at that age
• He'll play centrally, as an 8 or 10 eventually 
• Played him as a false 9 in pre-season, should have played him there
• He needs to be in the right environment and the right style of play to thrive
• Everyone at the club told him that Dibling was the one to watch
• He had to learn how to do the running side, without the ball, that's why he wasn't put in the side strightaway
• His best trait is how carefree he is, he is incredibly relaxed
• He is an incredible talent
• Adam Lallana massively rates him
• He lifts the crowd as soon as he gets the ball, hope that doesn't get coached out of him
• He's a lovely lad, needs the right coach to get the best out of him
• On management style - after five years, he is happy that he is authentic and very clear on what he wants
• If anything, has become more extreme about what he is looking for
• Needs to do everything he can to show people that it can work, and not just with the best players
• Now he's had a taste of the Premier League, wants to get back there. Feels he can compete
• Without being conceited, feels he is a decent coach
• Feels he has lots to learn and lots of ways to improve
• Players don't remember a 1-0 win away at Scunthorpe, they remember how you made them feel, they want to feel connected to something 
• Would love to have the chance to do pre-season somewhere
• Saints would have felt different if he had the chance to have the foundation of pre-season with a settled squad
• Is aware that he has limited his job options by the way he plays
• Very open to going abroad
• Dream is to manage at the highest level, in the Champions League, playing our way and winning

Overall: 

I have been a big critic of his but I thought he came across well in that. Whether you think he's a good manager or not, he's intelligent and articulate and generally quite likeable. He didn't have nearly as much of the arrogance or defensiveness that was coming in when he was under pressure. 

I still find it mad that he genuinely seems to believe that style of play is ultimately more important than results, but I suppose we'll see who is right on that by whether he keeps getting jobs.

He doesn't really express any regret about how he approached things at Saints, with the exception of saying that if anything, he should have stuck more rigidly to his beliefs and not started chopping and changing formations.

I can see why a lot of his players like him, he still feels to me like a footballer talking, rather than a manager. It's pretty obvious that he loves feeling like one of the boys. I wonder if he'll realise that he probably needs to step away from that to be a truly successful manager.

The stuff about Dibling is very interesting. I think we're all expecting him to go, but if a manager came in who he immediately clicked with, and who played a style that he felt suited him, it would be interesting to see if that made a difference. I suspect however that that will simply be more of a consideration for him when he's picking which club he goes to next. 

[miserableoldgit]

18 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Really interesting, thanks very much for posting. 

Here's a summary of the key points/ stuff I found most interesting for those who don't have an hour to spend listening to it:

• Has turned down some jobs
• Was hurt and disappointed by the sacking
• Felt that at the point he was sacked the young players were growing, the foundation was there in the playing style that had been implemented, and that things were improving, even though the results weren't there
• Felt that the players were still with him
• 'People only care about results'
• Feels there's too much short-termism generally
• Thought that maybe the promotion would have been enough to buy him more time in the PL even when the results weren't there. Thought that maybe the club would stick with him even if we went back down, the way Burnley stuck with Dyche
• Had to deal with a lot of players leaving, but the expectations were still there to win every week like it had been in the Championship
• Became difficult when the players felt they were performing at the top of their abilities, they were doing well in games but weren't able to get wins
• There was fear there because half the squad had been relegated previously and half the squad had never played in the PL before - he became unable to convince them they could win games
• Just before half-time against Spurs he thought the time was up and needed the toilet
• Knew at half-time he was getting sacked that night, and told the players that. Told them not to let it get to eight or nine, just to dig in and defend
• Admires the way Ange Postecoglou watches the game with detachment
• Was told by Sibley at FT against Spurs, just before doing the media duties, that the sacking statement had been written. Did the presser and then was sacked immediately after 
• His dad had done prison time and used to knock his mum about. He used to have to protect his younger brothers from him (note: there's a lot of stuff about his family background which I won't type out but is interesting to listen to)
• Never felt like he was a good player, never felt he was the best at any level. Had imposter syndrome 
• Paul Lambert was the most influential coach he played under
• Really admires Pete Winkleman for moving MK Dons to Milton Keynes
• When he first became manager of MK Dons (having been a player there) in his first meeting as manager he said 'I'm your mate, still call me Russ if you want'
• Struggled at first with players treating him differently when he became their manager having been their teammate
• Favourite ever team to watch was the 2008 Barcelona team
• Couldn't coach a team or style he didn't believe in
• Swansea told him he got the manager's job there because of the style of play
• Felt like a traitor leaving MK Dons manager job for Swansea 4 days before the start of the season, wasn't sure about taking it
• The way he had them playing in his last 10 games at Swansea got him the Saints job - 'it was beautiful'
• His approach is very based on feeling and intuition
• Used to do Buddhist chanting when rooming with colleagues
• Not really religious but believes in the Buddhist principles like karma
• Feels like sometimes it helps players open up to him 'which is beautiful', but that sometimes it complicates things because they show him more than they maybe usually would to their manager
• Found it very difficult leaving 6-7 players out of the squad at Saints because the squad was too big
• Thinks he's very demanding on the training pitch, but once training is done he wants to be having a laugh and a joke with them in the canteen afterwards
• Saints job came about when Swansea didn't provide clarity on the plan for the future
• Got approached by 3-4 clubs
• Was approached by Wilcox, immediately felt very aligned with him from day one
• It was a thorough interview, Wilcox was very clear what he wanted him to present on
• Didn't think he was initially Saints first choice
• Wilcox time at City made him very aligned re style of play
• Wilcox told him which players were being sold and asked him how we would work with the rest
• Proud of the way the players reacted to the change of style in the Championship after relegation
• Lost 4 games on the bounce in the Championship when the transfer window was still open and there was still a lot of uncertainty about which players were going to stay and which would leave
• Started off first coaching session at Swansea by showing them how MK Dons had played in and out of possession
• Run and press, hunt the ball, be brave and you'll maximise your potential as a player
• At Saints, first showed how Swansea had played 
• To dominate the ball you have to press high and counter-press
• The results didn't come in the PL for Saints - but Saints have now changed manager and it hasn't improved
• If he had the chance again, would he change anything - no, but might tweak a few things
• Felt he changed formation too much, was searching for something
• It's not about set patterns, its about having a concept of the game
• Felt he over-thought it when he started changing shapes and formations
• Guardiola was very complimentary 
• Should have stuck with one system
• There were lots of brilliant moments, felt like there was always one moment very close
• Won't criticise the quality of players he had at Saints, loves those boys
• Felt the squad was weaker in the Premier League than it was in the Championship - lost some very key players
• Re Dibling - he is the most talented player he has ever worked with
• He has every capability and tool required to play for England for a long time
• He has qualities that he hasn't seen in an English player for a long time
• In the same bracket as Kane or Maddison at that age
• He'll play centrally, as an 8 or 10 eventually 
• Played him as a false 9 in pre-season, should have played him there
• He needs to be in the right environment and the right style of play to thrive
• Everyone at the club told him that Dibling was the one to watch
• He had to learn how to do the running side, without the ball, that's why he wasn't put in the side strightaway
• His best trait is how carefree he is, he is incredibly relaxed
• He is an incredible talent
• Adam Lallana massively rates him
• He lifts the crowd as soon as he gets the ball, hope that doesn't get coached out of him
• He's a lovely lad, needs the right coach to get the best out of him
• On management style - after five years, he is happy that he is authentic and very clear on what he wants
• If anything, has become more extreme about what he is looking for
• Needs to do everything he can to show people that it can work, and not just with the best players
• Now he's had a taste of the Premier League, wants to get back there. Feels he can compete
• Without being conceited, feels he is a decent coach
• Feels he has lots to learn and lots of ways to improve
• Players don't remember a 1-0 win away at Scunthorpe, they remember how you made them feel, they want to feel connected to something 
• Would love to have the chance to do pre-season somewhere
• Saints would have felt different if he had the chance to have the foundation of pre-season with a settled squad
• Is aware that he has limited his job options by the way he plays
• Very open to going abroad
• Dream is to manage at the highest level, in the Champions League, playing our way and winning

Overall: 

I have been a big critic of his but I thought he came across well in that. Whether you think he's a good manager or not, he's intelligent and articulate and generally quite likeable. He didn't have nearly as much of the arrogance or defensiveness that was coming in when he was under pressure. 

I still find it mad that he genuinely seems to believe that style of play is ultimately more important than results, but I suppose we'll see who is right on that by whether he keeps getting jobs.

He doesn't really express any regret about how he approached things at Saints, with the exception of saying that if anything, he should have stuck more rigidly to his beliefs and not started chopping and changing formations.

I can see why a lot of his players like him, he still feels to me like a footballer talking, rather than a manager. It's pretty obvious that he loves feeling like one of the boys. I wonder if he'll realise that he probably needs to step away from that to be a truly successful manager.

The stuff about Dibling is very interesting. I think we're all expecting him to go, but if a manager came in who he immediately clicked with, and who played a style that he felt suited him, it would be interesting to see if that made a difference. I suspect however that that will simply be more of a consideration for him when he's picking which club he goes to next. 

Maybe Lallana will convince TD to stay......

[Whitey Grandad]

30 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Really interesting, thanks very much for posting. 

Here's a summary of the key points/ stuff I found most interesting for those who don't have an hour to spend listening to it:

• Has turned down some jobs
• Was hurt and disappointed by the sacking
• Felt that at the point he was sacked the young players were growing, the foundation was there in the playing style that had been implemented, and that things were improving, even though the results weren't there
• Felt that the players were still with him
• 'People only care about results'
• Feels there's too much short-termism generally
• Thought that maybe the promotion would have been enough to buy him more time in the PL even when the results weren't there. Thought that maybe the club would stick with him even if we went back down, the way Burnley stuck with Dyche
• Had to deal with a lot of players leaving, but the expectations were still there to win every week like it had been in the Championship
• Became difficult when the players felt they were performing at the top of their abilities, they were doing well in games but weren't able to get wins
• There was fear there because half the squad had been relegated previously and half the squad had never played in the PL before - he became unable to convince them they could win games
• Just before half-time against Spurs he thought the time was up and needed the toilet
• Knew at half-time he was getting sacked that night, and told the players that. Told them not to let it get to eight or nine, just to dig in and defend
• Admires the way Ange Postecoglou watches the game with detachment
• Was told by Sibley at FT against Spurs, just before doing the media duties, that the sacking statement had been written. Did the presser and then was sacked immediately after 
• His dad had done prison time and used to knock his mum about. He used to have to protect his younger brothers from him (note: there's a lot of stuff about his family background which I won't type out but is interesting to listen to)
• Never felt like he was a good player, never felt he was the best at any level. Had imposter syndrome 
• Paul Lambert was the most influential coach he played under
• Really admires Pete Winkleman for moving MK Dons to Milton Keynes
• When he first became manager of MK Dons (having been a player there) in his first meeting as manager he said 'I'm your mate, still call me Russ if you want'
• Struggled at first with players treating him differently when he became their manager having been their teammate
• Favourite ever team to watch was the 2008 Barcelona team
• Couldn't coach a team or style he didn't believe in
• Swansea told him he got the manager's job there because of the style of play
• Felt like a traitor leaving MK Dons manager job for Swansea 4 days before the start of the season, wasn't sure about taking it
• The way he had them playing in his last 10 games at Swansea got him the Saints job - 'it was beautiful'
• His approach is very based on feeling and intuition
• Used to do Buddhist chanting when rooming with colleagues
• Not really religious but believes in the Buddhist principles like karma
• Feels like sometimes it helps players open up to him 'which is beautiful', but that sometimes it complicates things because they show him more than they maybe usually would to their manager
• Found it very difficult leaving 6-7 players out of the squad at Saints because the squad was too big
• Thinks he's very demanding on the training pitch, but once training is done he wants to be having a laugh and a joke with them in the canteen afterwards
• Saints job came about when Swansea didn't provide clarity on the plan for the future
• Got approached by 3-4 clubs
• Was approached by Wilcox, immediately felt very aligned with him from day one
• It was a thorough interview, Wilcox was very clear what he wanted him to present on
• Didn't think he was initially Saints first choice
• Wilcox time at City made him very aligned re style of play
• Wilcox told him which players were being sold and asked him how we would work with the rest
• Proud of the way the players reacted to the change of style in the Championship after relegation
• Lost 4 games on the bounce in the Championship when the transfer window was still open and there was still a lot of uncertainty about which players were going to stay and which would leave
• Started off first coaching session at Swansea by showing them how MK Dons had played in and out of possession
• Run and press, hunt the ball, be brave and you'll maximise your potential as a player
• At Saints, first showed how Swansea had played 
• To dominate the ball you have to press high and counter-press
• The results didn't come in the PL for Saints - but Saints have now changed manager and it hasn't improved
• If he had the chance again, would he change anything - no, but might tweak a few things
• Felt he changed formation too much, was searching for something
• It's not about set patterns, its about having a concept of the game
• Felt he over-thought it when he started changing shapes and formations
• Guardiola was very complimentary 
• Should have stuck with one system
• There were lots of brilliant moments, felt like there was always one moment very close
• Won't criticise the quality of players he had at Saints, loves those boys
• Felt the squad was weaker in the Premier League than it was in the Championship - lost some very key players
• Re Dibling - he is the most talented player he has ever worked with
• He has every capability and tool required to play for England for a long time
• He has qualities that he hasn't seen in an English player for a long time
• In the same bracket as Kane or Maddison at that age
• He'll play centrally, as an 8 or 10 eventually 
• Played him as a false 9 in pre-season, should have played him there
• He needs to be in the right environment and the right style of play to thrive
• Everyone at the club told him that Dibling was the one to watch
• He had to learn how to do the running side, without the ball, that's why he wasn't put in the side strightaway
• His best trait is how carefree he is, he is incredibly relaxed
• He is an incredible talent
• Adam Lallana massively rates him
• He lifts the crowd as soon as he gets the ball, hope that doesn't get coached out of him
• He's a lovely lad, needs the right coach to get the best out of him
• On management style - after five years, he is happy that he is authentic and very clear on what he wants
• If anything, has become more extreme about what he is looking for
• Needs to do everything he can to show people that it can work, and not just with the best players
• Now he's had a taste of the Premier League, wants to get back there. Feels he can compete
• Without being conceited, feels he is a decent coach
• Feels he has lots to learn and lots of ways to improve
• Players don't remember a 1-0 win away at Scunthorpe, they remember how you made them feel, they want to feel connected to something 
• Would love to have the chance to do pre-season somewhere
• Saints would have felt different if he had the chance to have the foundation of pre-season with a settled squad
• Is aware that he has limited his job options by the way he plays
• Very open to going abroad
• Dream is to manage at the highest level, in the Champions League, playing our way and winning

Overall: 

I have been a big critic of his but I thought he came across well in that. Whether you think he's a good manager or not, he's intelligent and articulate and generally quite likeable. He didn't have nearly as much of the arrogance or defensiveness that was coming in when he was under pressure. 

I still find it mad that he genuinely seems to believe that style of play is ultimately more important than results, but I suppose we'll see who is right on that by whether he keeps getting jobs.

He doesn't really express any regret about how he approached things at Saints, with the exception of saying that if anything, he should have stuck more rigidly to his beliefs and not started chopping and changing formations.

I can see why a lot of his players like him, he still feels to me like a footballer talking, rather than a manager. It's pretty obvious that he loves feeling like one of the boys. I wonder if he'll realise that he probably needs to step away from that to be a truly successful manager.

The stuff about Dibling is very interesting. I think we're all expecting him to go, but if a manager came in who he immediately clicked with, and who played a style that he felt suited him, it would be interesting to see if that made a difference. I suspect however that that will simply be more of a consideration for him when he's picking which club he goes to next. 

Thanks for taking the time and effort to summarise all this. He comes across as all style over substance.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

31 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Massive summary

A like wasn't enough there. Looking forward to reading your summary. Thanks.

[beatlesaint]

"..but the expectations were still there to win every week like it had been in the Championship"

I dont buy that for a second, nobody expected us to win every week, not by a long way. 

And, things definitely were NOT improving, the mistakes were exactly the same, nothing had moved on. 

I realise he's gonna sugar coat things from his point of view but come on, that Spurs game and a few before it were just shocking.  

[BarberSaint]

6 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Thanks for taking the time and effort to summarise all this. He comes across as all style over substance.

 

I agree about the no substance.  Disagree he has any style though. I don't know who said it* but when I watched bits of it I thought "Those egos will never see land".

 

* The ego has landed. No idea where the quote is from.

[HarvSFC]

Only going by Midfield General's summary, but if we were losing matches and going down with a fight then he could have probably been disappointed at not getting more time and not being able to have another go in the Championship. But, we weren't. We were well under way to becoming the worst team the Premier League has seen under Martin and he's part of the reason why we couldn't replace him with anyone half decent. If anything, he got too much time in the Premier League. His last game, we were 5-0 down at half time.

Also highlights what we all knew in that he'd rather be mates with the players than their manager. If he wants to manage in this way, then similarly to Adkins, he needs a bad cop as his assistant and Adkins had Crosby. Matt Gill is also pally pally with the players, going from the social media videos from last season and while it's clear that the players did love playing under Martin and his management, standards have been at an all time low this season.

On Tyler Dibling, from recent months, it looks like he still hasn't learned how to do the running without the ball. Clearly a talent, but he's not a false 9, either. The Bournemouth performance lives in the memory, where he was completely nullified and looked well out of his depth.

Bemoans losing players like we lost peak Lambert, Lallana, Fonte, or Schneiderlin. We lost Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong and David Brooks from the starting eleven and all three should have been replaceable. Yes, the recruitment team let him down, but Wood, Downes and Fraser is all him, while Matt O'Riley hasn't done too much for Brighton this season, either, showing another blot on his judgement.

In summary, he has to take some responsibility.

[Saint Garrett]

Classy bloke.

[Whitey Grandad]

1 minute ago, BarberSaint said:

 

I agree about the no substance.  Disagree he has any style though. I don't know who said it* but when I watched bits of it I thought "Those egos will never see land".

 

* The ego has landed. No idea where the quote is from.

The Ego Has Landed is a compilation album by Robbie Williams from the quote by Neil Armstrong of course on 20th July 1969. I remember hearing it live 😳

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 minute ago, Whitey Grandad said:

The Ego Has Landed is a compilation album by Robbie Williams from the quote by Neil Armstrong of course on 20th July 1969. I remember hearing it live 😳

Where did you hear Robbie Williams live? 🙂

[RedArmy]

48 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

 

• 'People only care about results'
• Really admires Pete Winkleman for moving MK Dons to Milton Keynes

2 points that sum up what a cunt he is. 

[Fitzhugh Fella]

50 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Really interesting, thanks very much for posting. 

Here's a summary of the key points/ stuff I found most interesting for those who don't have an hour to spend listening to it:

• Has turned down some jobs
• Was hurt and disappointed by the sacking
• Felt that at the point he was sacked the young players were growing, the foundation was there in the playing style that had been implemented, and that things were improving, even though the results weren't there
• Felt that the players were still with him
• 'People only care about results'
• Feels there's too much short-termism generally
• Thought that maybe the promotion would have been enough to buy him more time in the PL even when the results weren't there. Thought that maybe the club would stick with him even if we went back down, the way Burnley stuck with Dyche
• Had to deal with a lot of players leaving, but the expectations were still there to win every week like it had been in the Championship
• Became difficult when the players felt they were performing at the top of their abilities, they were doing well in games but weren't able to get wins
• There was fear there because half the squad had been relegated previously and half the squad had never played in the PL before - he became unable to convince them they could win games
• Just before half-time against Spurs he thought the time was up and needed the toilet
• Knew at half-time he was getting sacked that night, and told the players that. Told them not to let it get to eight or nine, just to dig in and defend
• Admires the way Ange Postecoglou watches the game with detachment
• Was told by Sibley at FT against Spurs, just before doing the media duties, that the sacking statement had been written. Did the presser and then was sacked immediately after 
• His dad had done prison time and used to knock his mum about. He used to have to protect his younger brothers from him (note: there's a lot of stuff about his family background which I won't type out but is interesting to listen to)
• Never felt like he was a good player, never felt he was the best at any level. Had imposter syndrome 
• Paul Lambert was the most influential coach he played under
• Really admires Pete Winkleman for moving MK Dons to Milton Keynes
• When he first became manager of MK Dons (having been a player there) in his first meeting as manager he said 'I'm your mate, still call me Russ if you want'
• Struggled at first with players treating him differently when he became their manager having been their teammate
• Favourite ever team to watch was the 2008 Barcelona team
• Couldn't coach a team or style he didn't believe in
• Swansea told him he got the manager's job there because of the style of play
• Felt like a traitor leaving MK Dons manager job for Swansea 4 days before the start of the season, wasn't sure about taking it
• The way he had them playing in his last 10 games at Swansea got him the Saints job - 'it was beautiful'
• His approach is very based on feeling and intuition
• Used to do Buddhist chanting when rooming with colleagues
• Not really religious but believes in the Buddhist principles like karma
• Feels like sometimes it helps players open up to him 'which is beautiful', but that sometimes it complicates things because they show him more than they maybe usually would to their manager
• Found it very difficult leaving 6-7 players out of the squad at Saints because the squad was too big
• Thinks he's very demanding on the training pitch, but once training is done he wants to be having a laugh and a joke with them in the canteen afterwards
• Saints job came about when Swansea didn't provide clarity on the plan for the future
• Got approached by 3-4 clubs
• Was approached by Wilcox, immediately felt very aligned with him from day one
• It was a thorough interview, Wilcox was very clear what he wanted him to present on
• Didn't think he was initially Saints first choice
• Wilcox time at City made him very aligned re style of play
• Wilcox told him which players were being sold and asked him how we would work with the rest
• Proud of the way the players reacted to the change of style in the Championship after relegation
• Lost 4 games on the bounce in the Championship when the transfer window was still open and there was still a lot of uncertainty about which players were going to stay and which would leave
• Started off first coaching session at Swansea by showing them how MK Dons had played in and out of possession
• Run and press, hunt the ball, be brave and you'll maximise your potential as a player
• At Saints, first showed how Swansea had played 
• To dominate the ball you have to press high and counter-press
• The results didn't come in the PL for Saints - but Saints have now changed manager and it hasn't improved
• If he had the chance again, would he change anything - no, but might tweak a few things
• Felt he changed formation too much, was searching for something
• It's not about set patterns, its about having a concept of the game
• Felt he over-thought it when he started changing shapes and formations
• Guardiola was very complimentary 
• Should have stuck with one system
• There were lots of brilliant moments, felt like there was always one moment very close
• Won't criticise the quality of players he had at Saints, loves those boys
• Felt the squad was weaker in the Premier League than it was in the Championship - lost some very key players
• Re Dibling - he is the most talented player he has ever worked with
• He has every capability and tool required to play for England for a long time
• He has qualities that he hasn't seen in an English player for a long time
• In the same bracket as Kane or Maddison at that age
• He'll play centrally, as an 8 or 10 eventually 
• Played him as a false 9 in pre-season, should have played him there
• He needs to be in the right environment and the right style of play to thrive
• Everyone at the club told him that Dibling was the one to watch
• He had to learn how to do the running side, without the ball, that's why he wasn't put in the side strightaway
• His best trait is how carefree he is, he is incredibly relaxed
• He is an incredible talent
• Adam Lallana massively rates him
• He lifts the crowd as soon as he gets the ball, hope that doesn't get coached out of him
• He's a lovely lad, needs the right coach to get the best out of him
• On management style - after five years, he is happy that he is authentic and very clear on what he wants
• If anything, has become more extreme about what he is looking for
• Needs to do everything he can to show people that it can work, and not just with the best players
• Now he's had a taste of the Premier League, wants to get back there. Feels he can compete
• Without being conceited, feels he is a decent coach
• Feels he has lots to learn and lots of ways to improve
• Players don't remember a 1-0 win away at Scunthorpe, they remember how you made them feel, they want to feel connected to something 
• Would love to have the chance to do pre-season somewhere
• Saints would have felt different if he had the chance to have the foundation of pre-season with a settled squad
• Is aware that he has limited his job options by the way he plays
• Very open to going abroad
• Dream is to manage at the highest level, in the Champions League, playing our way and winning

Overall: 

I have been a big critic of his but I thought he came across well in that. Whether you think he's a good manager or not, he's intelligent and articulate and generally quite likeable. He didn't have nearly as much of the arrogance or defensiveness that was coming in when he was under pressure. 

I still find it mad that he genuinely seems to believe that style of play is ultimately more important than results, but I suppose we'll see who is right on that by whether he keeps getting jobs.

He doesn't really express any regret about how he approached things at Saints, with the exception of saying that if anything, he should have stuck more rigidly to his beliefs and not started chopping and changing formations.

I can see why a lot of his players like him, he still feels to me like a footballer talking, rather than a manager. It's pretty obvious that he loves feeling like one of the boys. I wonder if he'll realise that he probably needs to step away from that to be a truly successful manager.

The stuff about Dibling is very interesting. I think we're all expecting him to go, but if a manager came in who he immediately clicked with, and who played a style that he felt suited him, it would be interesting to see if that made a difference. I suspect however that that will simply be more of a consideration for him when he's picking which club he goes to next. 

Thank you for taking the trouble to type all this.

Although I accept my view is irrational I have to say Martin is my least favourite manager of all time. I did not enjoy his football in the Championship despite the reasonable results and eventual outcome. I think he was far too stubborn and was immature in his philosophy. There was something of the snake oil salesman about him. Towards the end the football under him was horrendous, how he can think he was on the verge of getting it right is beyond me. His pleasure at Pep being nice to him is also a little ridiculous.

[notnowcato]

Talks a good game, interesting bloke to listen to.  

If we had stuck with him, knowing that we're going into the Championship, I would've felt confident that he had the right experience to take us back to the Prem.

[Whitey Grandad]

45 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Where did you hear Robbie Williams live? 🙂

Sorry, sloppy English.

[OldNick]

1 hour ago, Midfield_General said:

1 hour ago, Midfield_General said:

 

Overall: 

I have been a big critic of his but I thought he came across well in that. Whether you think he's a good manager or not, he's intelligent and articulate and generally quite likeable. He didn't have nearly as much of the arrogance or defensiveness that was coming in when he was under pressure. 

 

 

MG you are usually very cutting, Im worried you are going soft lol. It was like a party political forecast, no tough questions. Tyically of Linaker he went along and said Shearer was critical, so was he talking about all the mistakes to goals etc. and critical of us.

Put up his win percentage for every team he has managed and the goals conceded column. He is as smooth as it comes but to tell us that he was getting it right is a complete falsehood. I look at him all calm and happy, me knowing he has taken 10M plus from the club all in the name of his own vanity project.  

Champions league ffs 

Oh thanks for the summary BTW it would have taken time to do so 

Edited Wednesday at 14:14 by OldNick

[Whitey Grandad]

38 minutes ago, Fitzhugh Fella said:

Thank you for taking the trouble to type all this.

Although I accept my view is irrational I have to say Martin is my least favourite manager of all time. I did not enjoy his football in the Championship despite the reasonable results and eventual outcome. I think he was far too stubborn and was immature in his philosophy. There was something of the snake oil salesman about him. Towards the end the football under him was horrendous, how he can think he was on the verge of getting it right is beyond me. His pleasure at Pep being nice to him is also a little ridiculous.

Nothing irrational about your view.

[OldNick]

Linaker saying expansive and stylish football, am I missing somethong? As that is not what I saw it as !!

[coalman]

5 minutes ago, OldNick said:

Linaker saying expansive and stylish football, am I missing somethong? As that is not what I saw it as !!

Opposing fans got to see expansive and stylish football, I think. Albeit against us.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

44 minutes ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Sorry, sloppy English.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

It gives me an excuse to say your "scissors of Damocles" post still makes me smile.

[rallyboy]

Thanks Midfield, that took longer to read that the original interview lasted. 😄

Some interesting stuff, I don't get the hate, just the frustration, the annoyance of making the same mistakes and not being flexible.

Either way, I wish him well, we'll always have Wembley, we can gloss over the next chapter.

[badgerx16]

Of course the players loved him, they got paid and didn't get dropped despite shit performances every week.

[warsash saint]

2 hours ago, beatlesaint said:

"..but the expectations were still there to win every week like it had been in the Championship"

I dont buy that for a second, nobody expected us to win every week, not by a long way. 

And, things definitely were NOT improving, the mistakes were exactly the same, nothing had moved on. 

I realise he's gonna sugar coat things from his point of view but come on, that Spurs game and a few before it were just shocking.  

You were not on this forum last season i take it??

Edited Wednesday at 15:23 by warsash saint

[Dark Munster]

So he claims to have turned down several job offers. If that’s true I bet he wouldn’t have if we weren’t still paying him a fortune.

He comes across as completely deluded, unaware, or in denial, on how utterly crap his football is. Hopefully he can fool another club to hire him on wages similar to what we are paying him so that we don’t have to flush any more of that money down the toilet. 

[coalman]

21 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

So he claims to have turned down several job offers. If that’s true I bet he wouldn’t have if we weren’t still paying him a fortune.

He comes across as completely deluded, unaware, or in denial, on how utterly crap his football is. Hopefully he can fool another club to hire him on wages similar to what we are paying him so that we don’t have to flush any more of that money down the toilet. 

After last night he's got to be thinking that the Real Madrid job is going to be available soon.

[East Kent Saint]

Too much information,  as they  say . Wanker.

Edited Wednesday at 15:53 by East Kent Saint

[Oldandtired]

2 hours ago, notnowcato said:

Talks a good game, interesting bloke to listen to.  

If we had stuck with him, knowing that we're going into the Championship, I would've felt confident that he had the right experience to take us back to the Prem.

Which would've been absolutely pointless, in both senses of the word, judging by experience of him in the prem this season. 
 

He admits once again that he won't change, so how does he expect to do a good job in the PL. Not good enough by a country mile.

Edited Wednesday at 16:25 by Oldandtired