Rob Davies
Russell Martin gave a spiky reaction to questions on the whereabouts of left wing back Nathanael Ogbeta at Rotherham yesterday.
Ogbeta has been limited to very little first team exposure since his arrival from Shrewsbury in January and his lack of inclusion has been somewhat bemusing to fans.
Ryan Bennett is a little bit easier to understand after some questionable performances last season and Martin simply says they both aren’t part of the club’s model and simply do not fit going forward.
Perhaps offering an olive branch to Ogbeta, the Swans boss said that it’s up to him to prove himself or find other opportunities elsewhere as he only sees two left backs available at present – Matty Sorinola and Ryan Manning.
He told the media post match: “(He’s the) same as every guy not in the squad, we’ve got two left wing backs in my opinion. Matty Sorinola operates better on the left, Ryan Manning is fantastic, Lats (Latibeadiere) can play there.
“Unfortunately that’s football where we have a big squad and only 16 outfield players on matchday. And he’s not one of them.
“(He’s a) great kid, great young man, really respectful and professional. So he understands.
“It’s up to him to become part of the squad at some point and show us he can really help us or to assess his situation and see what opportunities lie elsewhere.
“There’s never this thing about people being frozen out. Ryan Bennett’s not here because we had a chat with him last season. He’s not the model of the club, he doesn’t fit so he’s not here.
“Same as Nat Ogbeta, everyone accepts that. With Nat there’s a different thing maybe because we brought him in January.
“I don’t like doing business late on, especially on deadline day. He couldn’t have a medical which is not ideal, he was injured and we’ve not been able to find a place for him since.
