Certain skeptical Leicester City fans remain steadfast in their refusal to trust Russell Martin as manager until he translates his signature possession-based style into tangible results on the pitch at LE2 upon the season's commencement. However, the new Leicester City gaffer arrived into a climate where he faced precious little competition (bar one) to live up to for the past four years or so, as the club endured a chaotic and characterless carousel of leadership.
Many bosses have come and gone since Brendan Rodgers departed, leaving a trail of stagnation and tactical drift that defined the era. Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell handled interim duties before Dean Smith arrived in a desperate, unsuccessful bid to avoid the drop.
Followed by Enzo Maresca's Championship success and subsequently abrupt departure. Then came the turbulent tenure of Steve Cooper, whose inability to secure Premier League safety led to his dismissal.
Subsequently the brief, uninspiring stint of Ruud van Nistelrooy followed. The appointment of Marti Cifuentes, who ultimately failed to stabilise the ship before Gary Rowett's arrival, wasn't the worst; Rowett wasn't best!
Martin possesses the cleanest of slates to work with, as he is literally reinventing the roster and, hopefully, teaching them how to properly approach a sophisticated passing style. Again, the word "hopefully" must be emphasised for that aspiration.
Many Foxes supporters remain vehemently opposed to this appointment due to perceived failures and lack of tactical flexibility exhibited during the past two club performances at Swansea and a disastrous, short-lived tenure north of the border. However, the one-time Scotland international does possess legitimate League One and, certainly respectable, EFL Championship pedigree.
A pair of promotions over two or three seasons should see the East Midlands side finally close in on a long-awaited Premier League return. Yet, many disparate elements must be prudent and executed with absolute precision in order for that grand expectation to come to fruition.
Backing the new Leicester City boss
Recently, Jamie Vardy (unquestionably Leicester's main legend among all legendary players) publicly backed the 40-year-old to succeed at King Power Stadium. Vardy, naturally, delivered this statement with a significant caveat regarding Martin: to paraphrase, the former Leicester and England striker noted he was merely 'the best the City fan base could hope for given the circumstances'.
Meanwhile Rangers supporters loudly informed the Leicester faithful, both directly and indirectly, that their latest head coach was an absolute disaster north of the border and could potentially be one in Leicestershire too. Yet the most recent statement, from ex-Celtic player Charlie Mulgrew, will certainly raise an eyebrow or two amongst the disgruntled Gers support.
Mulgrew stated that Martin is well accustomed to the rigours of England's tier three and higher. Of course, the latter achieved Premier League promotion once from the C'ship.
"...he knows the league, he's worked in the league, and I think that he can get the best out of the players. But they're going to understand that there's going to be some ugly games of football, it's no Premier League, it's no Championship."Mulgrew - LCFC Live
Strangely, the Glasgow-born man insists the City head coach will get the absolute best out of his current squad. Although, that is an inherently erroneous statement because Leicester's roster will be gutted: the club has minimal cash for expensive, high-calibre replacements.
"There's [sic] some difficult pitches and stadiums to go to, and you just need to go and grind out results by playing simply, defending your box, and nicking a goal."
Regardless, Mulgrew cites the pressure of tougher games and storied grounds. Yet ultimately expects the Foxes to "bounce back" quickly; a sentiment from the former Bhoy that will undoubtedly buoy the Blue Army.
"When you pick up momentum in that league, I would strongly fancy Leicester with the players in the squad they've got to bounce back."
Add us as a preferred source on Google