"I massively like him" - Southampton FC view given as Leicester City eye Russell Martin | OneFootball

Russell Martin has been backed to win the Championship title next season if he takes over at Leicester City.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Leicester City have been told they will be ‘lucky’ to have Russell Martin after the former Southampton chief was linked with the Foxes.

Whilst Ruud van Nistelrooy remains in charge at the King Power Stadium, there are major doubts about his future after their relegation to the Championship was confirmed last weekend.

The Dutchman has failed to make a positive impact at Leicester after succeeding Steve Cooper, and it has been claimed that Russell Martin is among the candidates to replace van Nistelrooy.

Leicester City reaction to Russell Martin rumours has been mixed

The 39-year-old has been out of work since he was sacked by Southampton earlier this season, but it’s fair to say the reaction to his potential appointment was mixed among the Leicester fan base.

Martin has a clear style of play which focuses on keeping possession, but his refusal to adapt has been questioned by many over the past few years.

Yet, when asked by FLW if the scepticism towards the ex-Swansea boss is fair, FLW's Southampton fan pundit Martin Sanders was adamant that it would be a fantastic appointment by Leicester, who he tipped to win the league if it happened.

“I massively like him, and I think he will go on to become a good manager. I think he will have learnt from his time at Southampton, and I think whoever gets him will be very lucky.

“He is a great man-manager, he is young, and he was brilliant on MNF with Jamie Carragher and Dave Jones, he was outstanding.

“It would be a great appointment for Leicester, and the fact their fans are turning their nose up at him - well I wouldn’t be. I think if he goes you could guarantee the title for them next season.

“I think he learnt a lot from that time at Southampton and will come back as a much better manager. In life, you go through difficult spells, where you leave a job, and you reflect on what went on and think ‘I won’t do that again’, and I think football is the same. You come out of it, you reflect, like Martin said he did, and he will be a better manager for it.

“He spoke about how he felt ill after he was sacked at Southampton, and how he spent a lot of time thinking, studying their work, and what they could be better at. If Leicester got him, I think they’d be very, very lucky.”

Leicester City need to make some big calls ahead of Championship return

Martin is a divisive figure, and many wouldn’t share the optimism that he would bring the league title to the King Power Stadium next season.

Nevertheless, he has a clear way of playing that would be comparable to Enzo Maresca, and he has proven himself at this level, so there are obvious benefits to his appointment.

But, first things first, Leicester still have van Nistelrooy in charge, and the hierarchy need to make a decision on his future over the next few weeks.

If a change is made, it’s then about making a swift appointment, and whoever does take charge will have a big job on their hands.

Most expect the relegated clubs to bounce back straight away, but there is a real disconnect between the club and the fans right now that needs to be repaired, and the club could face further PSR issues.