Even in the second League One match of his Leicester City career, it is really do or die already for new head coach Russell Martin. The former Southampton, MK Dons and Swansea City manager essentially arrived under pressure at King Power Stadium, facing deep-seated doubt from the club's passionate fanbase.
Skepticism lingers among Leicester's Blue Army faithful, and they have fair reason to question whether Martin is the right appointment. His previous spells, most notably with Southampton, were littered with inconsistency, frustrating results and tactical flaws that left supporters exasperated and unconvinced.
Just imagine the fallout if Leicester are ultimately beaten by Burton Albion on home soil in Martin's first league game on home soil. Chaos would reign in LE2; while full-scale protests might not erupt instantly, the manager could see half of those backing him vanish overnight.
Martin began brightly in preseason, turning in encouraging displays and racking up positive results, though that early momentum did fade as friendlies drew to a close. The 40-year-old then guided Leicester past Northampton Town with a 1-0 victory in the opening round of the Carabao Cup, offering a glimmer of competitive promise.
Yet the trip to Notts County for the League One opener proved far more problematic than many have acknowledged. Martin's constant attempts to implement a possession-dominant style inspired by Pep Guardiola fell flat in the initial third tier outing, yielding little end product despite plenty of the ball; LCFC were fortunate to escape Meadow Lane with a 1-1 draw and could easily have left empty-handed.
Leicester City predictions
Despite those shaky beginnings, all available predictions point strongly toward a Leicester victory this weekend. Two analysts from The72, whose views were published via Yahoo Sports, have backed the Foxes to see off Burton comfortably, while Sports Mole also tips a home win.
Euan Walsh of The72 notes that Leicester are expected to challenge for automatic promotion and that their young talent such as Jayden Joseph and Sammy Braybrooke offers real cause for optimism, even if full cohesion will take time. He forecasts a 2-0 Leicester success, believing the hosts will have too much quality for a Brewers side likely to battle relegation this term.
His colleague James Ray agrees on the same 2-0 scoreline, pointing out that while the East Midlanders are still a work in progress and need further reinforcements, there is a clear gap in class between the teams on paper. He insists that 'the Foxes have to win here' and expects their superior status to shine through.
"We say: Leicester City 2-1 Burton Albion. Burton are a well-drilled team and will make life difficult for the Foxes, but we are backing Leicester to pick up a home win."Sports Mole
Sports Mole's prediction aligns with this consensus, backing Leicester to secure their first league win of the campaign and ease some of the pressure already surrounding their new manager. A victory would not only deliver three crucial points but also go some way toward silencing Martin's doubters.
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