Rob Davies
Tueday night’s disappointment against Sheffield United had a very familiar feeling that has happened all too often over the 55 League games that Russell Martin has overseen at the club.
Kyle Naughton’s weak defending – it was not a foul – summed up where the Swans are at present; inconsistent, mistake ridden in defence and toothless in attack resulting in 22nd position in the Championship.
Not just that but goals thrown away in every midweek fixture this season – Oxford United away, Millwall home, Stoke City away and now against Sheffield United. Losing five points just in those four games.
The first season was filled with clichés from Martin urging fans to trust the process but the process seems to have been ditched in a bid to earn points and avoid being dragged into a relegation battle.
Everyone understands the constraints that the Swans boss faces; a prime example being Flynn Downes who developed so well last season being sold to West Ham with limited funds in return to recruit and strengthen. But that is largely a Championship problem not just af Swansea City.
The sides of yesteryear under Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers were rare and were largely greater as a collective rather than individually. This group cannot be described as anything of the sort.
And whilst performances have clearly improved of late the results largely haven’t meaning that the Swans are now in the relegation zone with nine points from as many games so far this season.
Martin had justifiable gripes around the lack of funds available this summer and still insists he wished more had changed in terms of personnel but make no mistake, this team and squad is now his.
The squad has been somewhat bolstered in the summer with pace arriving in the shape of Oko-Flex from West Ham and youthful exuberance in Luke Cundle. Both of these were shunned in favour of the disinterested duo Olivier Ntcham and Jamie Paterson. Marquee signing Harry Darling has also been dropped to the bench for the last few games.
All of the above are Martin’s men; signings that have been made under the former MK Dons boss. Nathanael Ogbeta is in that bracket but has been dismissed to obscurity.
It’s these decisions that sometimes lose a manager’s job and whilst it is still early in the season if results don’t improve – and evidence suggests based on Martin’s career that they won’t significantly – then change will surely have to come.
We heard so much last season about the manager not having the luxury of a full pre season, the players needed to time to fully understand the system and to have faith in the process – that it would return Swansea to the type of football that it is renowned for.
But none of that is to be seen and with Martin abandoning the system that he spent so much time working on, he really is in last chance saloon to save both the club’s season and his career in the Championship.
The players seem confused as to whether to play the slow patient build up starting with the goalkeeper or to look longer with Jay Fulton acting as a battering ram for goal kicks on Tuesday. It’s all a bit odd.
A win on Saturday would relieve the pressure somewhat and some of the worry that the club could get caught up in a relegation dogfight that with a squad boasting Piroe, Obafemi, Cabango, Allen to name just a few simply shouldn’t be in.
The Swans take on Hull at 12:30pm on Saturday.
Is it not a 12.30 kick off v Hull City ?
Sorry Steve my mistake!
…..with a squad boasting Piroe, Obafemi, Cabango, Grimes for example shouldn’t be in.
Replace Grimes with Allen in that sentence and you’d have a valid point!
I’d also highlight swans lost points to a late goal when playing Stoke away!
Apart from that all good!
Good points – well made and corrected 😁
Well I think RM has lost the plot how much longer do these two Americans put up with him they brought in someone with no experience in the championship and they themselves must share some of the blame in not investing in the club we are going down hill fast RM has signed players that are not up to Championship standered and the way things are going it will be league one for us next Season and the people to blame will be Levien and Kaplan no interest in our team what so ever two men who have never lived up to thyere promises after they bought the club.
Darling will come into the team eventually. Wood and Cabango have just been better. We’re going short to create space in behind, not to go short just for the sake of it. So going short, then direct, then short isn’t odd by any means. Team’s creating so many chances. And many more than at this point last season. Surely they’ll get what they deserve soon. Those things even out over time. But if you want to criticise Martin for sticking to his guns AND for reshuffling his cards go ahead. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. He’s saying he doesn’t want possession for the sake of it, but that goes wholly ignored.
But it has been possession largely over substance for the majority of his tenure. Which is why we’d have 70% possession and lose games 4-0 (Sheff Utd away last season).
If you can’t see the large portion of his system has been dropped in favour of a more direct approach then I’m confused myself. Look at the home games this season, the majority has been passing for the sake of passing. My view is that the direction of travel for a change of style – to save his job – has come from above. And he has no choice in the matter.
I can’t see Martin taking notes from the owners (or anybody else) and I can’t see the owners meddling with his business either. I think he’s changed the approach a little bit out of disappointment and surprise with lack of results. And the change in personel (no Darling, Paterson, Obafemi) has contributed to that. Cooper is all hustle and bustle, Fulton no 10 either and Piroe can create things out of nothing whereas Obafemi needs more space. Which all points to going more direct. And Stoke/QPR/Sheffield aren’t matches that can be dominated in the fashion that, say, Luton at home should have been. And the QPR game was about taking care of what fuel was left in the tank after their travels. I would expect them to dominate possession again tomorrow. Also, having the ball and attacking with it is a lot easier when ahead than when behind. Blackburn and Luton allowed no space in behind, so of course Swans had to go sideways and sideways and sideways. That’s not the same as planning to go sideways for 90 minutes. Because guess what? Nobody wants that.
Staking the claim that Martin should get more out of a squad featuring Obafemi and Piroe is rich. They went for pennies before Martin stepped in. He made them what they are now.
Do you think that, for example, Cooper wouldn’t have got the same output from Piroe and Obafemi as Martin did?
Because largely they were targets under him. Indeed Piroe was signed under Cooper. These players weren’t signed from non-league, one from PSV, the other from Southampton having scored a few in the Premier League!
Obafemi wasn’t a Cooper signing. So “largely” means “one of the two”? No idea what Cooper would have gotten out of Piroe. But the fact is that Martin has made him ten or fifteen times the player he was when he left PSV. And Obafemi might have scored PL goals, but everyone can see he requires a deft touch and a (very) patient approach from staff and colleagues. Which is why, I’m assuming, he was available for little money in the first place.
Agree with Rob completely.
Mathias always defends manager which is crazy.
Come see me when you been watching swans for 40 years.
This is one of the worst managers we have had.Clueless at all levels.
Finished twice in midtable with Mk Dons (they got to play offs last year after he left at start
of season).
Cost us £400,000 to get him and probably has crazy amount in his contract if we fire him