[themaclad]

Would have looked like this when the Swans got promoted to the top division under Toshack

LAST TIME AT DEEPDALE



LAST TIME OUT



OPPOSITION MANAGER

Managerial career
Milton Keynes Dons
On 3 November 2019, following the departure of manager Paul Tisdale, Martin was announced as the new permanent first-team manager of League One club Milton Keynes Dons – the club he had joined as a player earlier in the year.[43] Following his appointment, the club finished 19th in League One, with the season finishing prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[44] In his first full season as manager, Martin led the club to 13th in the league.[45]

Martin, alongside assistant Luke Williams, installed a possession-based style of play at the club which received widespread plaudits.[46] On 2 March 2021, Martin's side scored after a 56-pass move, a new British record at the time.[47] At the culmination of the 2020–21 season, only Manchester City and Barcelona had a higher average possession percentage in Europe than Martin's MK Dons.[47][48] His team also had the most touches in the opposition box in League One.[49] Defender Zak Jules commented on Martin's style of play, stating: "The way we play, we almost demoralise teams. We keep the ball so much that when teams do get the chance to keep possession – they’ve got no legs and, within no time, we’ve got the ball back and they don’t see the ball again for a while."[46]

On 31 July 2021, MK Dons released a statement confirming that Championship club Swansea City had requested to speak to Martin about him becoming their new manager.[50] The approach was made less than 24 hours before MK Dons' first competitive match of the 2021–22 season, an EFL Cup game against Bournemouth.[50]

Swansea City
On 1 August 2021, Martin was named head coach of Swansea City, signing a three-year contract.[51] He was appointed six days before the first game of the 2021–22 Championship season.[51] He was joined by his assistants Luke Williams, Matthew Gill, and Dean Thornton.[51] Swansea coach Alan Tate opined that Martin's "passing style" made him a good fit for the club.[52] In his first interview, Martin said, "I know the fanbase and what they expect in terms of the modern Swansea Way, that started under Roberto Martínez and continued under Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup. We, as a coaching team, are very much aligned with that. It excites me."[53]

His first game in charge was a 2–1 away loss to Blackburn Rovers, which was followed by a 3–0 away win against Reading in the EFL Cup.[54][55] Martin's first home game was a 0–0 draw with Sheffield United at the Swansea.com Stadium.[56] On 20 August, Martin won his first league game as Swansea beat Bristol City 1–0.[57]

Managerial style
"I played in teams who were dominant with the ball and loved it. I also played in teams who didn’t have much of the ball and hated it. My style is probably shaped by that and the teams I’ve enjoyed watching play football like Barcelona, Manchester City and Spain. I’ve tried to replicate that at the level I’m at and with the players I’ve had. If I didn’t do that, I probably wouldn’t have gone into coaching or management."

—Martin on his coaching philosophy, 2021.[58]
Martin began studying for his coaching badges at age 22, and studied for his UEFA Pro Licence at the Scottish FA in 2019.[59][60] His managerial style has been influenced by such managers as Chris Hughton, Daniel Farke, and Pep Guardiola.[47] Inspired by Guardiola's Barcelona and Manchester City teams, Martin prefers his teams to dominate ball possession.[47] Tactically, he prefers the 3–4–2–1 or 3–5–2 formations, with an emphasis on passing the ball and pressing the opposition.[47][61] If his teams suffer a bad result, Martin prefers to improve his game plan, rather than changing the style of play.[62]

After his MK Dons side scored a record-breaking 56-pass goal, Martin said, "People still react to that and say it’s boring, but everyone has a different opinion...the more we have the ball, the more we can control the game and take the fight out of opposition teams. It’s a 90-minute game plan to try and dominate the ball."[58]

OTHER GAMES

BARNSLEY V BIRMINGHAM
CARDIFF V BRIZZLE CITY
WAYNE ROONEY V NOTTS FOREST
FULHAM V STOKE
TERRIERS V READING
HULL V BOURNEMOUTH
LUTON V BLADES
MILLWALL V PLASTICS
POSH V BAGGIES
HOOPS V COVENTRY