Leicester's Draw at Notts County: Lessons for Martin's Side
Russell Martin warned his Leicester side they have “loads of learning to do” after letting a lead slip in a 1-1 draw at Notts County on opening day.
Leicester, relegated from the Championship last season and starting a new era under Martin, looked set to grind out a hard-earned win when Jayden Joseph thumped them in front midway through the second half. But a late response from the hosts, and a shift in the mood inside the ground, left the Foxes’ head coach with as many concerns as positives.
County start fast, Leicester strike first
Notts County, promoted via the play-offs under Martin Paterson, set the tone early. They pressed high, hunted in packs and forced Leicester into mistakes in their own third.
Their best early moment came from that aggression. Alex McCarthy’s clearance dropped invitingly for Ollie Cooper, who reacted sharply and crashed a shot against the crossbar. It was a warning, and it underlined how uncomfortable Leicester looked against a full-blooded man-to-man press.
Martin admitted this was almost new territory for his players.
“It was probably the first time we've played against a man-to-man press apart from Malaga in preseason,” he told Sky Sports, pointing to the inexperience in his line-up. Several new signings and academy graduates were making their first competitive league starts for the club, yet the Leicester boss insisted: “I thought they did brilliantly. I really enjoyed the first half.”
Leicester gradually settled, found their rhythm and began to control the ball with more patience. The visitors started to open gaps, drawing County out and recycling possession with the kind of composure Martin demands. But the final ball was missing, and County’s early dominance on chances meant 0-0 felt about right at the break.
Joseph stunner, atmosphere turns
After the restart, Leicester had to dig in. County came again, feeding off the energy of the home crowd and asking questions physically and territorially.
Martin felt his side “had to weather the storm a bit” at the start of the second half. Once they did, Leicester’s quality told.
On 62 minutes, Joseph produced the game’s standout moment. Given a yard of space from distance, he stepped onto a right-footed strike and sent a fierce drive beyond James Belshaw. The ball flew in, Leicester’s bench exploded, and the visitors suddenly had the control their head coach craves on the scoreboard as well as the pitch.
It was harsh on County, who had carried the greater threat for long spells. But it also looked like the sort of ruthless moment that separates a recently relegated side with big ambitions from a newly promoted one still testing its level.
Then the mood changed.
“The whole atmosphere in the stadium changed and that's a big lesson for us,” Martin reflected. Anxiety crept in, passes lost their conviction, and Leicester’s composure with the ball deserted them just when they needed it most.
Grant punishes late wobble
County sensed it. The crowd sensed it. Leicester dropped a few yards deeper, and the game tilted back towards Paterson’s men.
The pressure finally told on 81 minutes. Substitute Emile Acquah rose to meet a cross and saw his header cannon back off the post. Leicester froze for a split second. Conor Grant didn’t. The fellow substitute reacted quickest and turned the rebound in from close range to drag County level.
On balance, it felt no more than the hosts deserved.
Paterson, though, was in no mood to dress it up as a moral victory.
“I'm disappointed because we were at home, but I don't want that word 'disappointment' to be the takeaway from this,” he said. “The group was a little bit quiet when I went in because they felt they had chances to win the game and I felt that was a fair reflection.”
“They, Leicester, are a good team and they found some moments. But I thought we found as many moments as them. We created opportunities and we just didn't take them today, so that's where the disappointment comes from.”
Martin’s mixed verdict on new Leicester
For Martin, appointed after Leicester’s drop from the Championship, the afternoon was a snapshot of where his team are: energetic, aggressive, brave on the ball, but still raw.
“There's so much to work on and much to like as well,” he said. “We've got loads of learning to do and we'll be better for that, much better in fact.
“I loved the energy and the aggression in the team. We regained the ball so many times and I love the fight that shows and the togetherness too, so all of that was great.
“In the first half, I loved the amount of control we had and we were patient, we started creating gaps and we had to work hard for that because, make no mistake about it, this was always going to be a difficult game and a difficult place to come.”
His frustration lay in the way that control slipped away after Joseph’s goal.
“If we don't look after each other with the ball, like we didn't towards the end, then it doesn't suit us,” he warned, pointing directly at the sloppy phases that invited County back in.
Paterson, meanwhile, saw enough to believe his side can live at this level and more.
“For me, that was a really competitive performance against a really good team and are going to cause people problems all the way,” he said. “But there's nothing wrong with holding ourselves to a standard either.
“That's why we have a training field and the environment we are in welcomes those who want to improve themselves.”
One game in, Leicester already know the price of dropping their standards in hostile surroundings. County, fresh from promotion, now know they can go toe-to-toe with a club rebuilding for a return to the Championship. The question is which of them learns faster from this bruising, breathless opening lesson.
