Phil Sumbler
Russell Martin is a man who has not veered all season from the belief that he is working with a long term project here at Swansea City and that, despite setbacks like Monday afternoon, everything is working to plan as that project develops.
It may be one of the features that endeared Martin to the Swans hierarchy when they made the appointment at the beginning of the season and, as the team closes in on the 60 point barrier, the signs for next season are looking good.
The Swans are seven games unbeaten at this stage of the season and, whilst the last two games may have been frustrating, it has been a season of not just transition but progression as the style that Martin is trying to input into the side slowly comes together with the progression not just of the team but individual players within it.
In four games time it will have been a full season for Martin at Swansea and a season where he has seen some very key highs and superb performances but equally watched at times as things have not gone completely to plan.
Monday was a superb example of both of those situations in the same ninety minutes as a superb show of Swansea football saw us 4-1 up away from home and looking like a team likely to score at any minute whilst a second half display allowed Reading back into the game to eventually snatch a point in the very dying seconds.
Frustration for certain for Martin but not enough for him to move away from his beliefs as he explained to the club’s official website “I am frustrated, of course I am, but you have to take the emotion out of things to evaluate them properly.
“If you look at where we were at the start of the season to where we are now, I think everyone can see a big difference and a big improvement.
“Look at how much players like Ben Cabango have come on, I feel so proud of the players when they play as they did during that first hour at Reading.
“We played some outstanding stuff, I enjoyed watching us, which is the whole point.
“We allowed the game to turn into the sort of game Reading wanted, and we are frustrated we did not win.
“But we were brought here for a long-term project, and I am more convinced than ever that this club is the best place for us, and we are the right fit for this club.”
Any side with a goal difference of -5 obviously has defensive issues to resolve. We have conceded 4 goals in 5 matches during the season and apart from Reading against the better teams in the league. I maintain that the loose defensive shape of the team will be punished by the best teams. This is an area Martin needs to sort out and there can be no excuses next season.