Russell Martin says he could coach ‘really, really excellently without the ball’
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Russell Martin Manager
Martin, at 38, is conducting his inaugural season as a Premier League manager and is experiencing significant pressure. Despite this, he firmly reiterated that he will remain true to his principles amidst criticism about his style. The Saints have averaged 60.2 percent possession but have conceded 10 goals in their last four matches. When questioned about possibly changing his coaching method in the face of these challenges, Martin responded decisively.
Russell Martin said, “I’ve played in many other ways of playing and I can coach in a different way really, really excellently without the ball. I can coach that no problem, but I don’t believe in it so I won’t be able to convince the lads to believe in it either.”
After this formal part of the press conference ended, Martin humorously commented on the upcoming match against Arsenal.
Russell Martin quipped, “I’ll go 4-4-2 and bank up for Saturday’s daunting trip to Emirates Stadium.”
In a related context, when discussing opportunities at major clubs, he drew a comparison with Vincent Kompany’s hiring by Bayern Munich, expressing his viewpoint candidly.
Russell Martin said, “I’m not Vincent Kompany, so I’m not going to get a job at Bayern Munich.”
He also shared his appreciation for the continued support from fans, even after a disappointing 3-1 defeat against AFC Bournemouth, where some supporters stayed to applaud the team.
Russell Martin said, “I bumped into a few on Wednesday and they’ve been amazing. Fans, owners, players, staff, I don’t think anyone thought it was going to be easy. I also still feel we really believe that we can achieve what we want to achieve. It’s not done in the first month or two of the season. We need to keep adapting.”
Martin added heartfelt reflections on the progress made since he took charge over a year ago, conveying optimism about the team’s future.
Russell Martin said, “With time and patience, we’ll be okay. I really believe that. Are we in a better place than we were over a year ago when we first walked in? I believe so. I think the supporters hopefully will feel that, albeit in a tough moment. I’ve not been unhappy with too much of it apart from that half hour on Monday. But I think they’ve seen enough signs, the supporters, to really believe that the team can grow to do something and be a team they are proud of.”
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