Phil SumblerAs the Swans prepare to welcome Nottingham Forest to the Swansea.com stadium this weekend, Ryan Manning was quick to give credit to former manager Steve Cooper but was equally as quick to say that the football now is the most enjoyable of his career.
The Republic of Ireland international has been one of the successes of the season and has proved flexible enough for Russell Martin to use him in both the wing back and central defensive position during the course of the season to date.
He was also a regular feature last season for the Steve Cooper side that reached the play off final, missing out on a place at this season’s top table following a defeat by Brentford.
And Manning believes that the two play off campaigns show the management credentials of Steve Cooper when he told the BBCย “I think any manager that gets a team to the play-offs two years on the spin is obviously doing things right.
“Last season we got to the play-off final, we were 90 minutes away from the Premier League.
“You have to look back on that as a really successful season, even though it was not the ending you would want.
“He is obviously a really good coach, a really good manager. He is able to get results in the Championship and he has done really well over the past few seasons, so it’s no surprise that he is doing well at Forest as well.”
As much as it is clear that Manning has respect for the achievements of Cooper, it is the football under Russell Martin that excites him most and he addedย “Every coach has their own twist on it – everyone tries to play out to an extent.
“But this is the most [I have experienced] where staff believe in it – regardless of how results go, our philosophy is the right way, we are going to be the best at it.
“I am loving it. The style of football we are playing and the way we dominate games – it’s probably the most enjoyable football I have had in my career.”
