So where do we go from here?

Words that were on the lips of many Swansea fans yesterday evening was “where do we go from here” after another inept display from the Swans that saw us fall to a third defeat of the season at Middlesbrough.

Yet again the Swans found themselves way off the pace for much of the game and whilst Joel Piroe’s late penalty added some respectability to the scoreline the reality was it just papered over some of the cracks of another performance that fell short of expectations.

Pressure is building already on Swans boss Russell Martin who has stated that he wants to bring in new players but is held from doing so until we can move on some of the ones that he no longer wants.   Pressure that is not helped by the start to the season that sees the Swans within the bottom three places of the Championship with just one win in six league games to date.

It is a long way short of people’s hopes for this season and represents a run for Martin of just one win in his last twelve league games with a visit to Stoke midweek preceding a home game against QPR, neither of which feel like games that we can win based on our current form.

But where do we go from here as, whilst football remains a results business, the removal of the manager is not looking too clear on the horizon with plenty of suggestions that the club are not considering a change.   To an extent it is easy to see why given the precarious financial position we find ourselves in and with no money available for transfers it is difficult to see how there could be any money available for a managerial change.

That is, of course, not to say that it will not happen but whilst there are plenty of examples in our recent past of managers departing after a run like this, that was in a different position with different finances and quite possibly a different outcome.

There are signs that the relationship between Martin and the club is not as strong as it has been in the past.  Some of his comments last weekend in particular showed that to very much be the case as he referenced being the only person to communicate with the fans but also confirming his frustration at having to wait to bring in new players.

It does very much feel that the Swans are waiting for a potential bid for Joel Piroe in the next five days to kick start a transfer window that has never really got going although it should not be forgotten that we have added to the squad since the end of last season even if the quality of the additions have been widely questioned based on performances to date.

Any cracks in the relationship between owners and manager usually only ends one way and that is with a manager departure but that again leads back to the question as to where the money may come from to make that happen.

There are unlikely to be too many Swansea fans at the moment enjoying the nature of the performances and definitely not the results but it remains to be difficult to see what is about to change to improve both of those things.

If you look at the basis of our squad we probably have a first eleven that could comfortably compete at this level but scratch away at the surface and the overall feel of the squad is quite weak.   This is why Martin wants to strengthen the squad.  However, to do that we have to accept that it would weaken first with the departure of one of the players who is capable at this level.  Most likely Joel Piroe but don’t rule out others as the window comes to an end and knowing there is generally a few surprises that come in the last few days. So to make changes in the squad requires an injection of money of at least a freeing up of some of the wage deals that the club has handed out in recent years.

To change a manager is also going to cost money – refer back to the player sale comment above – but if we used the money to change the manager any incoming manager would be left with the same squad which, as stated above, is probably barely good enough to survive at this level.   This all has the feeling of Catch 22 about it at the moment.

Many fans of course will point to a change in new manager creating a “new manager bounce” but whilst a few points over a short period would be welcomed the lack of depth in the squad will still be there for all to see.   This still, at some stage soon, appears to be the most likely of outcomes but right now it could be that we continue where we are at least certainly for the next few weeks.

There has been suggestions in a couple of quarters that Martin needs someone with perhaps a more experienced head to work alongside him as it is very easy to forget that he is still in the relative early stages of his managerial career.  This is something that does not always have the happiest of endings and is often seen almost as a succession planning exercise so it’s difficult to see that it would happen but certainly not to say never.

The other factor we have to take into account is that any change of management will see us having to promote from within or to take on someone who is currently out of work as there is no chance of us looking to take a manager from elsewhere and paying the compensation that would go with it.

At the moment it feels like we are in a period where this could go one of a number of ways.   Two defeats in the week ahead and many will tell you the position is untenable, two wins and there will be a stronger belief that we have turned a corner.    All of which comes in the middle of the closing of a transfer window that has a massive bearing on how we end up.  Either way there will be little doubt that the start to the season will have led to many questions being asked between those on the ground in SA1 and those the other side of the Atlantic and only those present in those discussions will know the exact current state of play.

The key thing here is that something needs to change somehow before the season gets too concerning on where we are at the moment.    A couple more defeats and the dreaded relegation word gets banded about and the decision becomes somewhat easier, couple of wins and the relative safety of mid table can beckon quite quickly.

One thing is certain the next couple of weeks will not be quiet ones and right now this could go either way – never a dull moment as they say!