Leicester turn to Russell Martin as Wolves appoint Cesar Peixoto

Two of the Midlands' fallen clubs made their move on the same day. Leicester City have confirmed Russell Martin as their new manager, while Wolves unveiled the Portuguese coach Cesar Peixoto as their head coach, two appointments that set the tone for a summer of rebuilding after painful relegations.

Leicester's choice is the more eye-catching, and the more debated. Martin arrives on a three-year deal eight months after a nightmare spell at Rangers, where his reign lasted just 123 days. He inherits a Leicester side that has fallen all the way to League One and needs both a steadying hand and a clear identity to climb back. It is a significant bet on a coach whose possession-based ideas have produced promotion before, at Swansea and Southampton, but whose most recent job ended in a very public failure.

Wolves go Portuguese

At Molineux, Wolves have taken a different kind of gamble. Peixoto, 46, joins on a two-year contract subject to a work permit, replacing Rob Edwards, who was dismissed after a dismal run that yielded only three league wins in 27 matches and ended in relegation from the Premier League. The new man arrives with momentum of his own, having guided Gil Vicente to a sixth-place finish in Portugal's Primeira Liga last season.

There is a romantic thread to his CV that Wolves supporters will enjoy. As a player, Peixoto was part of the Porto squad that won the Champions League under Jose Mourinho, before moving into coaching and building a reputation as a thoughtful, modern operator in the Portuguese game. Whether that translates to the relentless grind of an English second-tier promotion campaign is the question that will define his tenure.

Two clubs, one task

The parallels are hard to miss. Both clubs were relegated last season, both have moved quickly rather than letting uncertainty fester, and both have reached for managers carrying clear ideas but real question marks. Leicester are backing a coach trying to rebuild his standing after a chastening few months; Wolves are trusting a relative unknown in English terms to deliver an immediate return to the level they have just left.

For supporters of both, the appointments offer the one thing every relegated club craves in June: a plan and a fresh start. The hard part comes later, when the fixtures arrive and the promises have to be backed up on the pitch. But on a busy day in the Midlands, two clubs that endured miserable campaigns have at least taken the first decisive step towards putting them behind them.