COUNTRY FILE
Strachan’s methods are helping Neil lift Norwich in relegation scrap, reveals Martin
RUSSELL MARTIN has revealed how a downloading of detail from some of his successful Scotland outings has helped open-minded manager Alex Neil nurse Norwich out of the relegation zone ahead of a fraught fortnight for their Premier League survival bid.
Consultations with his captain are a feature of Neil’s style of management and he has often plugged into the thoughts of Martin throughout a tenure that began with a spectacular promotion surge last season.
Mired in a top-flight scrap to escape going straight back down and in the thick of a 10-match losing rut, there was cause recently to throw open the debating chamber to all-comers from within the squad. Even doomed Aston Villa contrived to inflict a fifth consecutive defeat on Norwich during that dismal run.
In the 34-year-old former Hamilton Accies manager’s search for solutions, one discussion turned to the work of Gordon Strachan and whether any clues could be gleaned from time spent by Martin away on national service.
The defender was happy to oblige, and fortitude was found with four points gained and no goals conceded from two games against Manchester City and West Brom.
Scotland’s friendly raid on Prague marked a third clean sheet in a row for Martin, who believes his club boss being convinced to close ranks can be one of the key components for staying in the division.
‘The manager asks the lads’ opinions, I speak to him a lot,’ said Martin. ‘One of the things he’s done is speak to me about what we do here with Scotland, the playing and the training. He’s probably taken a bit of that into what we do down the road — and it’s paying off.
‘He’s got his i deas and his philosophy about how football should be played. We spoke about it and how we were maybe a bit too open. We were playing well and not getting results. At the minute, we’ve played better in the last two games and found a way to get results — and that needs to stay the same.
‘Right now, we haven’t got the time to go back to playing pretty football and we maybe haven’t got the confidence that was there to do that at the start of the season.
‘Now it’s about scraping wins and finding results whatever way we can. We had three months of trying different things, but we’ve gone back to what we’re good at now. It’s paying off and, hopefully, it will continue to do so.’
There is now no l eague like the English top flight for hysterical reactions to a poor run of form within a season.
For those sides around Norwich in the division, managerial casualties have been claimed. From Dick Advocaat bailing out from Sunderland and Tim Sherwood’s sacking at Aston Villa in October to the firing of Steve McClaren by Newcastle a fortnight ago, all three clubs below Neil’s side in the relegation zone have changed managers, seeking a solution to their slide down the table.
Garry Monk was considered one of Britain’s most promising young managers until a record of one win in 11 Premier League games with Swansea resulted in his dismissal.
Neil receives similar billing, but at Carrow Road trust has been placed in the boss to make his mistakes in the managerial game while steering Norwich clear of trap-door trouble.
‘When I was away with Scotland, the lads were asking me how the boys at Norwich were feeling,’ said Martin. ‘Well, we didn’t win for 10 games but the dressing room was surprisingly chipper.
‘It was fine — the lads genuinely believe we’ll stay up.
‘Yet all around us, it’s a circus. It’s so intense down there. Everybody wants to stay in the Premier League. Everybody’s got an opinion. There’s just so much media attention.
‘But for a young, inexperienced manager, Alex Neil has been great with all that — really consistent with the lads. He’s been good and so has the mood.’
There have been occasions where holding nerve has been tested to the limit. Martin’s passback howler in the wild 5-4 home loss to Liverpool — a defeat which could have had terminal consequences for morale — prompted him to apologise to his team-mates, while Neil bemoaned a good performance turning into a shambles.
Back in October, Norwich gifted Newcastle their first Premier League win of the season in a 6-2 drubbing. The chance for revenge looms next Saturday in the first of three games against fellow strugglers. Norwich, with the Scottish contingent boosted by the mid-season capture of £8million Steven Naismith, travel to Crystal Palace the following weekend and then host Sunderland.
‘It was interesting, Newcastle had six shots on target and scored six goals,’ Martin noted of that nadir. ‘For 60 minutes we were OK, but we probably searched too much instead of shutting up shop. We probably went away too much from what we had been doing up until that point.
‘It was the most disappointing we’ve been this season, for sure. There were a couple of wonder goals as well, but that’s the Premier League for you. We learned a lot from that game.
‘Being relegated two years ago still hurts me now. It will hurt me in 20 years’ time. That’s not going to change and I don’t want another one on my CV, it’s as simple as that.
‘So it’s nice to have a weekend off now after playing for Scotland. I’ll see the family, see the kids. Then we’ve got three huge games coming up. They’re going to be pivotal and will decide whether we stay in the Premier League or not.
‘It’s been a tough period, but we’ve had two big results lately and have given ourselves a massive chance.’