Michael Reeves
Whether he wants to admit it or not the last week has probably been a tough one for Russell Martin. The reaction to the Reading defeat was not a one off but a culmination for what many saw as a run of poor performances after the optimism was lifted in September and October with a run of victories.
The debate as to whether the criticism aimed in the direction of the players and management was justified will linger on but the simple fact remains in that Russell Martin needed that performance last night as much as the supporters needed to see it.
No matter what side of that debate you sat on earlier in the week (and from the poll that one of the posters on this site set up, a majority were sat on the side of change) nobody can doubt that last night was one of the best displays of the Russell Martin era.
This was not the dismantling of a poor and disjointed Cardiff City side but the tearing apart of a Watford side who have their own ambitions to return to the Premier League next season. They weren’t just beaten by the Swans they were second best from start to finish and the Swans turned that domination into a comprehensive win.
Have we turned a corner or was there indeed a corner to turn? It’s hard to say and Monday’s visit of Burnley is likely to be a completely different test for the Swans but it is one that we can approach with optimism and certainly one that Russell Martin knows will come with much less pressure than maybe he was feeling last night.
As he spoke after the game he admitted that the players were hurting from some of the criticism that had come their way but at the same time he believed that the result had been coming and that the players themselves remain a ‘joy’ to work with.
The Swans boss told the watching press “The players are probably a bit relieved but they should be proud of themselves. They have been upset by some of the stuff that has been written and said about them this week.
“But this gives real justification for what they are doing, how together they are and how much we all believe in what we are doing.
“I am delighted for the players because that is a performance and a result that has been coming. I got asked in the week if this was the toughest week of my coaching career with the run of games without a win, but it has not been tough to work with these players, the process has not been tough.
“I am so proud of them, I am so pleased for them. We played a different shape tonight and it worked really well.
“I am pleased for the supporters too, there was a really good atmosphere tonight and the team and the supporters fed off each other.”
