Martin holds the exit door open for Obafemi and Paterson

Russell Martin didn’t use so many words to say so but it seemed relatively clear that time was up at Swansea City for both Michael Obafemi and Jamie Paterson after their omission from the 4-0 win over Watford yesterday evening.

It seems relatively straight forward that Martin’s patience with the two players has reached breaking point and whilst he insisted that the “door was always open” it seems that the only open door for the two of them is probably marked exit and they will both leave in January.

The two players have had troubled times in their year or so in SA1.  Good performances have been built around periods where they are ‘unavailable’ for selection and whilst both clearly have talent it seems that the talent can easily be wasted.  Likely by bad advice being handed to them by those that they trust most.

When asked about the absence of the troublesome twosome Martin was looking to the past rather than the future when he told the BBC “I’m really grateful for their contribution last season.

“This season I don’t think there’s been a huge contribution in terms of stats and goals. The bottom line is there were 18 players in the squad tonight who deserved to be in it more than the others. That’s all there is to it really.”

Obafemi was a target for Monday’s visitors Burnley back in the summer but with the Clarets clearly on a march for a Premier League return their interest in January seems unlikely although not impossible.  Paterson has also been the subject of previous interest from elsewhere but that has also gone quiet with the transfer window opening tomorrow.

Clubs elsewhere will not be completely blind to what has happened with both at Swansea over the past year which may limit slightly the options available to both as they seek to set up their futures away from the Swansea.com stadium.

Martin’s final words seemed just that – final – as he added “We have shown that last year, shown it at my last club – the door is never closed for anyone,” he said.

“But the relationship needs to be reciprocal. We give the players everything we possibly can and we still wonder if that’s enough.

“But the energy is not limitless, it is not boundless. At some point it needs to be reciprocal and at some point it’s better investing it in people who really want it.”

There are instances at Swansea – Jay Fulton being a classic – of players who have come back from seemingly being out in the cold but that does not now seem an option for either Obafemi or Paterson who, for both, it seems their Swansea journey is run.