Peterborough 3-1 Leicester — King Power loss deepens pressure on Russell Martin
October 12, 2026 15:30
The result left Leicester 17th in League One after eight games. Peterborough, led by Robbie Savage who had been in charge just over a week, had been winless in six league matches before travelling to the King Power Stadium.
WHAT HAPPENED
Owura Edwards put Peterborough ahead after 12 minutes and Harry Leonard added a second before Warren O’Hora’s own goal made it 3-0 at half-time. Emil Riis pulled one back for Leicester in the 68th minute, but the visitors held on for the win.
KEY CONTEXT
In the hours before the match chief football officer Jon Rudkin spoke to BBC Radio Leicester for the first time in a long while, defending the club’s ownership and saying he "cannot comment on speculation" after BBC Sport saw a sale brochure suggesting a price above £200m. Sporting director James McCarron, more than eight months into the role, publicly backed Martin and said he was "totally convinced" the head coach was the right appointment, describing the intended style as a "control-the-ball, dominate-territory style game with courage and intensity." McCarron added that rebuilding after roughly 30 summer departures would take time and consistency to emerge.
Reaction from inside and outside the dressing room underlined the tensions. Midfielder John Lundstram said the team had played with "anxiety" at home, while BBC Radio Leicester pundit and former winger Matt Piper questioned how much "respect" the players have for Martin. Martin himself said there would be "no quick fix" amid the crowd’s demands.
WHY IT MATTERS
A rare public defence of the ownership and a clear, vocal backing of Martin by the sporting director were unable to prevent fresh public unrest after the defeat. The combination of unusual boardroom comment, vocal supporter discontent and a poor home result has increased scrutiny on the club’s short-term direction.