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Even at this early stage of the campaign, Leicester City's performance in their League One opener was fairly underwhelming: drab, fractured, nervous, stagnant, idealess, uncomposed and startlingly unthreatening for a side expected to dominate the division. Foxes fans travelled to Meadow Lane expecting a confident statement of intent, but instead witnessed a disjointed display versus Notts County that fell far short of even basic standards, let alone those required for promotion. It was the City's young academy graduates who provided almost every glimmer of promise, showing poise, drive and willingness to fight when more experienced team-mates faltered; Sammy Braybrooke and Will Alves are stars. By contrast, senior figures such as Harry Souttar and Luke Thomas once again let the team down, producing laboured, error-strewn performances that raised familiar questions; Thomas's reliability at this level is already under scrutiny. Russell Martin's view of Leicester City draw The most revealing comment from Russell Martin was his claim that 'anxiety crept in', changing the entire complexion of the match, suggesting the side's fragility is mental as much as tactical. This is a striking admission from a manager whose system relies on calmness and composure under pressure; it points to a deep-seated lack of belief that should not exist in a squad with LCFC's apparent resources. Equally interesting was the ex-Scotland international's observation that the team stopped playing with intensity and concentrated, specifically when the ball was in their own half, turning over possession through loose passes rather than ambitious attacking moves. This is not just a technical failing but a structural one, indicating City players have not yet learned how to implement his style under even moderate opposition pressure. "Loads of learning and we’ll be better for it. Love the energy and aggression in the team. We regained the ball so many times and I loved the fight they showed, their togetherness, all of that is great."Russell Martin - LCFC Live Martin argued these lapses stemmed from early-season tension and fatigue, and that the side will improve simply through repetition and coaching. This is where his analysis feels most flawed: tiredness is a fitness issue, yet it does not explain why experienced professionals lost their shape the moment the game became uncomfortable. "The first half I loved the amount of control we had, we were patient, we started creating gaps and we had to work hard for it because we were playing against a really well-organised team." The 40-year-old is right that glimpses of control and quality, particularly during the team goal, prove his methods can work, but he is arguably wrong to frame this as a learning curve that will correct itself naturally. The Blue Army faithful will not accept vague explanations for poor performances, and they certainly will not put up with uninsightful waffle for too long. "That’s only a bit of tension, maybe a bit of fatigue early on, but we’ll be so much better for it. I feel really enthused inside because this week’s going to be so clear, the learning and we’ll only improve from it." If the same fragility persists in the coming weeks, talk of progress will ring hollow and patience will run out very quickly indeed. Rangers supporters are currently prophesising Martin's downfall online.