‘Set A Marker’ – Martin On Season Opener

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‘Set A Marker’ – Martin On Season Opener

Russell Martin wants to see the best side of his Leicester City team during Saturday’s clash at Notts County.

2026-08-15T07:40+01:00

by Sam Jones

Published

15 Aug, 2026

‘Set A Marker’ – Martin On Season Opener

Russell Martin wants to see the best side of his Leicester City team during Saturday’s clash at Notts County.

Sam Jones

2026-08-15T07:40+01:00

‘Set A Marker’ – Martin On Season Opener

Russell Martin wants to see the best side of his Leicester City team during Saturday’s clash at Notts County.

Sam Jones

2026-08-15T07:40+01:00

‘Set A Marker’ – Martin On Season Opener

Russell Martin wants to see the best side of his Leicester City team during Saturday’s clash at Notts County.

Sam Jones

2026-08-15T07:40+01:00

‘Set A Marker’ – Martin On Season Opener

Russell Martin wants to see the best side of his Leicester City team during Saturday’s clash at Notts County.

Sam Jones

2026-08-15T07:40+01:00

The 40-year-old’s first league game in charge of the Foxes comes from a sold-out Meadow Lane as we make the short journey to Nottingham for a battle with the Magpies (12:30pm BST kick-off).

Ahead of our 26/27 Sky Bet League One campaign getting up and running, City’s Manager spoke to the assembled media about the standards set across the summer, the energy he feels from the players and staff and what he’s expecting to come up against this weekend.

Facing Martin Paterson’s newly promoted side, who will be full of momentum and optimism heading into the third tier, City enjoyed a strong pre-season schedule which has been building in the best possible shape for the competitive fixtures beginning.

“Everyone’s really excited about it,” he told reporters from inside LCFC Training Ground on Friday afternoon. “There’s a really good energy around the training ground and I can’t wait to get going. It’s huge.

“The first day of anyone's season is big but it’s not season defining. We have a really big chance to set a marker and a standard for us for the season and a performance and a behaviour and to show people what we’re going to be about.

“It’s a difficult game against a tough opponent who have just been promoted and are a really well organised and coached team. They can do a little bit of everything. They achieved something brilliant last season.

“It’s not easy, so we have to work so hard for everything we get this year. We have to make sure we work hard in every single phase of the game and try and be us.

“I’ve loved working with them (the players) to improve and develop over the last few weeks and now they have to carry that detail onto the pitch with all the expectation that is going to come and people waiting to see what we’ll look like and what is happening.

“We have to be really consistent and put in a performance that we’re happy with and can be proud of. We have to embrace the pressure and expectation, the tag that we’ll be given all season. We have to show so much humility, so much energy, effort and fight before anything tactically and what we do with the ball. That stuff will come to the fore.

“We have to show the other side of it first, which will be big character, big resilience, big courage and I think the team possess that. They’ll have to do it in front of a crowd and that level of intensity, but it’s something to be excited about and really rise to that.

“I have to be excited about it because we have a chance to be successful. Part of the reason for coming here was to embrace the challenge. We have to make sure it has the same effect on the players.

“You get nothing easy in football. People will have a perception of the team and the Club and the facilities we have here and playing in front of a crowd of 30,000. That’s not enough. We have to put a team out to be successful.”

Twenty-three-year-old striker Admir Bristric joined the Club from Slovenian side NK Olimpija Ljubljana earlier this week and Martin explained the key qualities which he’ll bring to the forward line this season, after taking the No.9 shirt.

“I’m very pleased, he gives us something different, that’s for sure,” the Manager commented on our new recruit. “He’s an exciting young forward and one I’m really looking forward to working with.

“We think he has a lot of tools, a lot of growth in him and development to have and I think he’ll be one who thrives and grows in the environment, with good players around him, because he’s done really well so far.

“He was flagged a little while ago by the Club and then I came in and really liked the attributes that he had. There was a lot of interest in him and we managed to get him, so we’re really delighted about that. He’s already shown this week what a good player he can be, so I’m looking forward to having him involved.

“He’s aggressive, he can come and link the game, he can run in behind, he can do a bit of both. He just wants to score and is hungry for goals. He has a good presence, I like him.

“He is very confident, in a good way. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, because there’s a lot to work on as well. He’s young, but he’s got a lot of tools that I think could help us quickly.”

Harry Howell is another new face in the building ahead of our season opener, joining on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. The second attacking midfielder to move here from the South Coast, after Tommy Watson, there’s real excitement about what the 18-year-old England youth international can bring.

“He’s a huge talent and has huge ability, one-on-one,” Martin explained. “He takes the ball, can play a couple of positions. He’s a really outstanding technician and strong, athletically, for his age.

“Mentality-wise as well, he’ll be aggressive and try and create. I think he’s a really exciting player and we’re delighted to have him and Tommy [Watson]. The fact that Brighton have trusted us with two young players who could have played and gone on loan to higher levels is nice.

“I’m delighted that everyone has bought into the project, the players, the parent club and I’m excited to work with both of them. Tommy has been great since he’s been in, he’s ready to go. Harry has only had a couple of days of training, but already you can see the quality that he possesses.”

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