Rob Davies
For most football managers coming out on the end of a 4-3 loss when you’re winning in stoppage time would be pretty devastating but after a week of turmoil behind the scenes it can be completely soul destroying.
And for Russell Martin after yesterday’s game against Birmingham City nobody could be left in any doubt as to the emotions the man felt in the immediate aftermath of what was another Swansea City horror show.
It’s fair to say that Martin himself made severe errors in judgment as he saw his side throw the game away, notably the ridiculous use of substitutions utilising all three opportunities for changes in a very short period of time.
There’s little doubt there was insufficient support from the owners in strengthening the first team squad in January as by their own admission eight different targets were missed out on for a variety of reasons.
But the discord between ownership and those on the ground in Wales is palpable and the Swans boss, having already spoken to the owners since his press conference on Friday, says that he will “have to wait and see.”
Exactly what he means in that regard, only you can decide. But it all sounds very negative.
“It’s been a really long and tough 72 hours, I’ve not had much sleep with everything that’s gone on.
“We should be 3-0 up after 20 minutes or half an hour. The penalty’s given, it’s not a penalty, it’s a really poor decision. Fish [Andy Fisher] doesn’t touch him. We reacted brilliantly. The performance was so good in the first half. We should be out of sight and we pay for that lack of clinical edge.
“Birmingham made some changes and it helped them, so we changed formation to alleviate that. Lats has to come off and we have no sub breaks left, that’s my fault. We didn’t envisage that happening and we made subs to try and help the team. They brought on a big threat so we put Harry [Darling] on to have three big guys there.
“So that’s my fault. When you’re down to 10 men, it’s difficult. We should be able to see it out but we don’t unfortunately.
On speaking to the owners since Friday: “I don’t want to get into that. Of course I have. We’ll have to wait and see what happens.
“I’ve done my very best to keep everyone focused on what’s important this week.
“I’ve done my very best to be as honest as I possibly could with everyone which has probably made some people really unhappy. I have to deal with that and the fallout from that.
“We had a real opportunity to build on the togetherness and the support everyone’s given each other this week and we haven’t quite taken it. But I’ll be fine.”
What a mess.
Be careful we are going to see the true colours of the yanks over the next couple of years if it don’t get sorted out .
A Decent man being destroyed by the lies and deceit of people who are not understanding what this club means to us
You’re absolutely right, Brian. He, and we, deserve better treatment.
Rob
The Swans owners over the pond should look at the way their fellow countrymen look after Wrexham FC they meet the local community are well known in the town and they turn up for most matches and are proud of their club and the people of Wrexham, it is my opinion Swans owners are not capable of owning let alone running a soccer club.
1 fellow countryman. Ryan is Canadian.
Them two Levine and Kaplan as far as I am concerned are a pair that only think of how much money they can generate from a football club to keep thyere share holders happy and I do feel a lot of sympathy for RM when he knew in were the club needed strengthening but got no help from them tight fisted pair and regarding the Chairman Winter a fat load of help he is given to RM that man will always do what ever them Americans will tell him to do and to me we should try and make it very difficult for the owners in speaking with our feet regarding season tickets why put money into thyere pockets we need these two out what I would give to have a two men like them who own Wrexham FC put everything into the club not like ours taken money out of it they never had much interest in our club and through them we got relegated from the Premiership with no investment and they were looking at the money the club was going to get out of the parachute payment not much went into the club.
If I’m honest. Yesterday’s result was always going to happen. Playing a team at the bottom with 7 replacements …can it mean one thing…play the swans and break that jinx.
18 months in to RMs tenure and we are still making the same mistakes week in week out.
As much as I detest and blame the owners for constantly depleting our club of any value and not giving our manager the tools to do the job…I also have to question why RM isn’t using his ‘tools’ to the best of their ability. The brand of football he is trying to instill in to the team they obviously can’t play and he refuses to change his philosophy. That is his issue and nobody elses.
However having owners who obviously just want to take out and not put in will only end up one way. They have no vision and obviously cants see that a little investment can’t result in a multitude of wealth from the Premiership riches.
If RM doesn’t learn from his mistakes…which is obvious he can’t. Then he will join the list of managers seeking employment. But the big question is…who can replace him…whonin their right mind would come to a club with absolutely no ambition or backing?
Unfortunately until the owners put their money where their mouths are or get out of the club…there won’t be any change or progress
I think honestly, RM has had a talk with the yanks and they obviously, do not like his honesty being shared with us fans. We really have to all realise, all businesses are having to work on reduced revenue and increased costs. Now, I ‘DO NOT’ believe the yanks are the right fit for us as a club, they obviously were looking at Swansea City ‘Cash Cow’ when they bought us, but, we are far from that now. So, they need to cough up or move on, honestly, I think in these economic difficult times, if there was a small loss, they would grab it, as there is no way they would recoup never mind make a profit on their ยฃ100 million investment.
My local rugby club had an energy price hike from ยฃ7k pa, to over ยฃ25k, I dread to think how much the Swans bills have shot up, keeping in mind the stadium, landoor and Fairwood complexes.
This after a 2 year Covid financial crisis has obviously made the dent on the Club’s finances, we are not idiots. So why don’t they come clean and say there is nothing to invest, I am sure if we knew the true picture we would all accept that rather than seeing our Club in the sort of debt Cardiff find themselves in. Come on everyone, let’s have a realistic understanding of where we are and this would be much easier for us to understand, if only the Yanks treated us as part of their business, not dull sheep they think we are.
My final comment is on the recent Fans Trust spokesperson who had the ideal opportunity to ask all the questions we all ask daily. Yet, he was a lamb, failed to challenge them on key questions and accepting their laim replies to go un challenged. I am sad to say, the change starts with us, We need a trust spokesperson with teeth and a trust to yell the battle cry to us supporters, so the yanks hear our discontent clearly and loud. Follow this by not renewing our season tickets and reduce the amount of game we attend and the Merch we buy. These are tough financial times for us all, by being united we can deliver a financial blow to put them in the hot seat and I bet their investors will not accept their limp, we love you replies. The comment on ‘we are not taking anything out of the Club’, really cut to the bone. You claim to be a jack and I guess you are – ‘Jack the Ripper’ that is, ripping the heart and soul out of our once great Club – Yanks go home!
Dolly,. I am an English woman who has been supporting the Swans since 1963. When I lived in Swansea my Swansea born husband and I and our two sons had season tickets. It is a pity that the Americans are so short sighted that they cannot see that Russell Martin needs backing to be able to run a decent team. Also I don’t think the Swans Trust help the money situation as they don’t have any money to invest in the club.
Iv been saying it for the last few years get this American owners out no signings sold on good players no won has come into the club via the transfer window let’s boycot our next game and get these Americans out of our club I can’t blame Martin if he does leave same as all the managers have left us through the last few seasons but I hope he stays they are asset stripping our beloved Swansea City let’s all get them out for good
Its clear we have a young manager, keen to play an exciting brand of football. Yes he can be a bit naive at times and his interview was way too soon after a horrible result but we have played some of the best football I can recall for some years. He HAS to be backed but we all know the answer here, the Yanks are stripping the club bare and he will leave to go on to bigger and better things (Steve Cooper, Graham Potter in the last 4 years). We will be in League 1 in the next 2 years and it’s all too Live – Die – Repeat for me.