Leicester City: Matt Heath says Russell Martin must show he can adapt

Is new Leicester City boss Russell Martin adaptable? Can his possession-based passing style of football work in League One? Has he learned from what went catastrophically wrong at Rangers?

Questions, and lots of them, have come with Martin's arrival at a Foxes side that finds itself in English football's third tier after back-to-back relegations.

His job is to revive Leicester.

Do that and he might very well revamp his own managerial image after the disastrous 17-game spell with Scottish Premiership side Rangers, which spanned all of 123 days.

Even before his high-profile failure at Ibrox, Martin drew plenty of criticism for his rigid commitment to possession-heavy football at Southampton - with it eventually getting him sacked in the Premier League after overseeing their promotion in 2024.

Foxes supporters have previously chanted their opposition to Martin's appointment when he was linked with the club in the past and the division among the fanbase is not something that former Leicester defender Matt Heath says can be ignored.

"It's probably not the most popular appointment," he told BBC Radio Leicester.

"His recent history isn't great, he's had a couple of poor runs as a manager, but he has spent time in League One with MK Dons and he has definitely got pedigree and was successful as a player."

Ex-Rangers boss Martin appointed as Leicester manager

Published1 day agoReaction to Martin's appointment on BBC Radio Leicester

Is Martin a more extreme version of Maresca?

Published6 days agoWhat Martin brings to Leicester this season - beyond the promotion success he enjoyed previously at Saints - is that League One knowhow with MK Dons.

Heath says delivering early results next season will be vital if Martin is to win over Foxes supporters who doubt him now.

And style will matter just as much as the substance of any result, with Heath adding that Martin can show he is "learning as a manager" by not being fixated on one way of playing.

"If he doesn't, then he's not adapting," Heath continued.

"He's not going to be any mug, is he? He's going to have learned from his mistakes, and I would hope that he'd have Plan A, Plan B and Plan C."

The style that Martin has so far stuck to will be familiar to Leicester, with the former Scotland international's approach being a reflection on what the Foxes played under Enzo Maresca as they won the 2024 Championship title.

"Marescaball" is why Chelsea recruited the Italian in the weeks after that promotion and why he is now expected to succeed Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager.

But Maresca's football philosophy was not universally liked by Foxes fans, with the former Parma boss coming out a number of times to defend his approach in what was a solitary and hugely successful season in charge of the East Midlands side.

A point of difference with Martin is that his tactics can be more attack-minded and incisive.

"A lot of fans didn't like how slow it was with Enzo," Heath said.

"As a fan, I'd prefer us to have the ball at our feet. If we do get it right, I'm pretty certain it has the potential to be entertaining."

How a side in the third tier pulls off such a technically demanding level of football will be another challenge that faces Martin.

Leicester are undergoing a summer rebuild, having moved on 10 players - including captain Ricardo Pereira as well as strikers Patson Daka and Jordan Ayew.

Big paypackets at a club that has battled to reduce its wage bill, as well as a need to raise money in an effort to comply with financial rules, could mean a number of high-profile players - including in-demand winger Abdul Fatawu, as well as high earners Harry Winks and Jannik Vestergaard - could be moved on.

A recruitment drive will also be needed to get the Foxes ready for what will be just their second season in the third tier in the club's 142-year history.

"It's really important that we've got that manager in place before we have started pre-season," Heath said.

"It means we can start to look at buying the players that will fit his his mould, fit his type and, I think most importantly, the players that he actually likes.

"We have the foundations in now and hopefully the club can work hard behind the scenes to get the players that Russell wants."

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