‘It’s About Us’ – Martin On Peterborough Challenge

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‘It’s About Us’ – Martin On Peterborough Challenge

Russell Martin is focused on ‘the game we want play’ with Peterborough United set to arrive on Filbert Way this afternoon.

2026-10-10T08:40+01:00

by Sam Jones

Published

10 Oct, 2026

‘It’s About Us’ – Martin On Peterborough Challenge

Russell Martin is focused on ‘the game we want play’ with Peterborough United set to arrive on Filbert Way this afternoon.

Sam Jones

2026-10-10T08:40+01:00

‘It’s About Us’ – Martin On Peterborough Challenge

Russell Martin is focused on ‘the game we want play’ with Peterborough United set to arrive on Filbert Way this afternoon.

Sam Jones

2026-10-10T08:40+01:00

‘It’s About Us’ – Martin On Peterborough Challenge

Russell Martin is focused on ‘the game we want play’ with Peterborough United set to arrive on Filbert Way this afternoon.

Sam Jones

2026-10-10T08:40+01:00

‘It’s About Us’ – Martin On Peterborough Challenge

Russell Martin is focused on ‘the game we want play’ with Peterborough United set to arrive on Filbert Way this afternoon.

Sam Jones

2026-10-10T08:40+01:00

Meeting Posh at King Power Stadium in a 3pm BST kick-off, the return of Sky Bet League One football is welcomed following back-to-back Jersey Mike’s Trophy fixtures in the midst of an extended international break.

With plenty to build on from recent weeks, Martin began his pre-match press conference by outlining the work which has gone on at LCFC Training Ground from analysing those performances, particularly after the midweek defeat to Stevenage.

“We played two games in the last week, one behind closed doors here and one on Tuesday night,” our Manager explained to the media on Friday. “In both performances, we’ve seen a lot to feel really positive about. We made a lot of changes on Tuesday and I was really pleased with so much of the performance.

“Now we have to show how much it means in both boxes, that commitment and desire to score and defend your goal. It can make a big difference, because there’s a lot to look at and think we’re on the right track. If we keep doing a lot of those things, we’ll be good.

“The lads know that’s going to be really important for us and I think we’ve nailed it down and worked really hard on that.

“It gave everyone a little time to breathe. It allowed us to get people fit and more ready to play. It allowed some people to have minutes on the pitch who haven’t had many games. It’s been a hectic period so we have to make sure it’s been a really valuable period for us. I’m really convinced the work has been good.

“I missed the matches. It feels long compared to the usual international breaks. We’ve just tried to utilise the time as best we can. I’ve enjoyed the work on the training pitch a lot. It’s given us time to review a lot and work out what we need to do better, the key important bits. We’ve got a game to focus on quickly.

“We’ve used the time as well as we possibly can. We looked at everything, covered every phase of the game, with and without the ball, what has hurt us and brought us success, what we need more of, less of, what we need to improve physically, tactically, some technical issues as well.

“Some themes we’ve come up with have been recurring to make sure we’re better. We’re clear on what we need to do. We’ve a squad which is really together. They work so hard every single day in an environment they are giving everything for. That’s all you can ask for.”

Robbie Savage’s reign as Peterborough manager got off to the best possible start in midweek, claiming a 4-1 victory over Ipswich Town Under-21s in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy. With an eye on improving league form as the next priority, Saturday’s opponents could offer something different, with players having a point to prove, while concentration will be on his own team for Martin.

“They’ve changed manager, so it’s difficult,” the 40-year-old assessed. “I didn’t think they were far away under Luke [Williams]. They have a young team. Now they have a new manager in Robbie [Savage] who is going to give them a lot of energy. He did a really good job at Forest Green.

“In the first few games under a new manager, you see new things emerge, so it’s really difficult to judge them on what’s gone on previously. You have a look at Tuesday night, although it’s a different type of game. It’s really difficult when they’ve had one game together in the [Jersey Mike’s] Trophy.

“We’ve tried to prepare in a way we think they are going to come, because of Robbie’s personality and what his teams have looked like previously, but we have to make sure that’s something we can capitalise on and be ready for.

“The focus is on us and what we’re going to do and being aware of them and the context of the game with a new manager and how that changes. But it’s about us, we’re at home.

“It has to be about what we’re going to try and bring, and the game that we need to try and play. I’m confident the players can deliver that. We like to play attacking, front-foot football as well, just in a different way. It has to be about us.”

Heading into a busy period of fixtures, including back-to-back home games against Posh and then Doncaster Rovers, Martin believes this will become an important point in our season, also analysing how the start to the campaign has panned out.

“I genuinely think we will be up there and where we want to be come the end of the season,” he continued. “We have to start picking up wins now to convince everyone that we will be and make it easier for ourselves. I think the league will start taking more of a shape over the next block of games.

“The first six or seven games can always be a bit crazy with a lot of change. There has been so much change here and I love the way everyone has navigated it at the Club; staff, players, the leadership have been fantastic.

“Now we have to make sure we stay on path and pick up more points than we have because while I’ve been happy with a lot, I’m really frustrated with the number of points we have, but also we’re not far away from where we need to be at all and we need to start getting there.

“We always try to be game to game, in terms of preparation, training. This is the most important one, Peterborough, in terms of working towards that. You have to have that mentality, I don’t think you can look too far ahead.

“How we review is definitely in blocks of games, seeing if there are any patterns emerging of how teams are going to set up against us, seeing if we have a points tally we’re happy with for where we want to get to.

“In individual games, lots can happen, there are so many variables, but over a period of time, you start seeing something which reflects your team and what it looks like. We’ve used that for this first seven games and we’ll do that at the end of this block of games.”

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