Paterson heading for Coventry City – Martin’s first target went wrong

Jamie Paterson is expected over the course of the next day or so to complete a move to his hometown club thus ending an eighteen month spell in SA1 for the first player that Russell Martin targeted as a signing.

The Swans boss openly admitted that Jamie was the first player that he wanted to sign when he was appointed in charge at the Swansea.com in August 2021 and all the early signs suggested that it was a signing that would deliver everything that the boss wanted as he scored and assisted in plenty in his opening few months in South West Wales.

But as Paterson’s stock seemingly rose so it appears did his ego as his head was turned through rumoured interest from West Brom and then there was the whole saga with his contract that looked as if it had been extended without his agreement.

A January exit looked certain twelve months ago but there was no agreement with QPR or Bournemouth both of whom were heavily linked and Paterson was here to stay.  But it was never the same as – despite the comments of the manager and player – he was never really fitting back into either our play, our squad or seemingly able to deliver a style of play that Russell Martin was convinced that he could.

Paterson has sat out the last few weeks of his Swans career on the sidelines and not even part of a squad that travelled to Sunderland this weekend such was the determination of both player and club to part waves.   A wish that looks set to be granted at some point this week.

It is all so different from the early words of Russell Martin when he said of the signing of Paterson “He was the first guy we called when we took over because we realised his situation”, Martin said back in December 2021.  “Fortunately the owners supported us and I think he’s probably exceeded a lot of peoples’ expectations.

“We wanted him so badly because we understood the role we wanted him to play and thought he fitted perfectly. So we’re really fortunate he came here and bought into the project. The style of play really appealed to him. I think now even more than ever, he sees the benefit of what we’re doing and how we’re working as a group, how much his team-mates value him and how important he is to them and they are to him.”

At that point you would have struggled to find too many fans who would disagree with the sentiments of the manager.   The player was frequently on the scoresheet and when he wasn’t scoring he was assisting for the likes of Piroe as the Swans looked as if they had a bargain on their hands.

“He’s got no ego at all,” Martin added at that time – a statement now that many would question on its accuracy but it was genuine at the time.

“Hopefully he can keep growing with us. I think the fans really love Pato and I think he feels so accepted here. Whenever you’re trying to perform, if you don’t feel that, it becomes difficult. When you feel that, you feel confident.”

It was only a few short weeks after Martin’s words that it started to go wrong for Paterson and Swansea City.   It was evident to most that Martin though still wanted to believe in the man he was targeted but over time it has probed that the belief was either misplaced or not managed as it could have been but either way the parting of the two parties was becoming more inevitable by the week.

And so we come to the end of that relationship.    Was Martin right or wrong to target Paterson the way that he did when he arrived here?   It’s difficult to say but we have to assume that the Paterson of the early months was the Paterson that Martin believed he was buying no matter how it worked off.

Either way it now appears that it is going to be Coventry’s problem.