Michael Reeves
A glance at the league table this morning sees Swansea City sitting in 15th place in the Championship table – closer to the bottom of the league both in terms of position and points than they are to the top.
That could be a statistic not helped by the fact that Sheffield United and Burnley have romped clear at the top of the table but statistically the Swans are closer to the bottom then they are to Middlesbrough in 3rd place. By one point. A mid table side on a run of just two wins in sixteen games.
When Cardiff were dispatched by traditional ease back in October, the talk in SA1 was about promotion. The Swans were six wins in seven and the form looked good. The defeat was against those runaway leaders at Turf Moor so nobody really expected what happened since then.
And the four months that have passed have produced nothing more than football that resembles relegation form. We have amassed just twelve points from fourteen games, we have won just twice and have a defence that looks as if it is incapable of keeping out the opposition at any stage.
Four goals shipped at home last weekend was followed up by three yesterday at Bramall Lane and we now stand with just Wigan (49) who have conceded more goals than us in the league this season. Our problems are there for all to see and this is with a goalkeeper who was our main purchase last January and a central defender who was our main one in the summer. He now starts on the bench when we have a defence leaking as much as we do. That tells you a story on where he is right now!
It is very easy right now to point the finger at the disaster that was the January transfer window. And it was just that – a disaster. We failed to secure a single signing with the American owners declaring they are learning lessons and telling us that they are incapable of bringing a deal over the line even when they offer more than the asking price together with highest earnings amongst our current squad. Seriously that is a whole new level of incompetence wrapped up in what appeared to be quite a proud statement in a recent interview.
When Russell Martin arrived in SA1 at the eve of last season he was hailed as some kind of football visionary. His time with MK Dons as leader was short and relatively unspectacular and his time at Swansea appears to be following a similar trajectory. Last season felt like a free pass for the manager with talk around him not having a pre-season being more and more of an excuse the season went on.
We had a pre-season this time, we had two transfer windows to play with as well and frankly we look in the same position now as we were last season, there appears to be nothing more in the side now then there was last time around. Arguably there is less. Many of the players we saw yesterday were Martin signings and many of them do not appear to have advanced us in any way, shape or form. We can all say he should have been backed with a right wing back in January but he should have got one back in the summer as well. I would also argue with some ease that players look to be going backwards as the season progresses. Ryan Manning was a shadow of his former self yesterday and the midfield pair of Grimes and Fulton have often become relatively anonymous in games.
All too often we have heard the comments about us being “brave” and “sticking to the plan” but our performances probably do stick to the plan but its fundamentally a plan that does not work. And we all know the one about the definition of insanity…
Given the lack of backing in the January window there is little doubt that relationships throughout the club are probably more than a little strained but the longevity of a football manager is based on results and for a man who has won just two of sixteen there is not a single person out there that can argue that the results are good enough.
It is difficult to know whether the majority owners are contemplating a change although anyone with a sense of humour would suggest that even if they were then they would fail to get it done in time. However if it is on their mind then you do start to wonder if anything other than a win against bottom of the table Blackpool on Wednesday night would start to speed that process up.
After eighteen months and seventy-six league games you would like to think that maybe we could point the finger at some level of progress but it doesn’t feel that way. Twenty-six wins, twenty-two draws and twenty-eight defeats gives one hundred points in those games, a classic mid table team.
The question therefore is whether mid table is enough to keep the American owners happy (or indeed the fans) – time will tell on that front I guess. However, you cannot right now help but think that if this run continues any longer than the end of the month, the decision could become almost inevitable.
Let’s see what Wednesday brings.
Well let us get rid of them two of Levien and Kaplan who are hell bent on not investing any money into the club and the way they are both running it the trouble is sacking the manager would be an easy way out for the. board but that would be no help to the club one bit as the trouble lies with them that own it as I have said ler us vote with our feet in not renewing our season tickets look I have been a loyal supporter of the Swans for well over 50 years and I am a bit fed up with things are at the club and I for one will not be renewing my season ticket and to put money into to them tightfisted pair knowing how much money they have anyway but not one penny comes out of thyere pockets for investment they are just happy sitting back and see the club were it is at this present time .
Perfectly said I agree with you 100 %
Totally agree. Too many season tkt holders just Happy to get away from nagging wives for couple hours or spend all game in Riverside bar. Nothing against that, but when its supporting stinking American owners more than our club, not on. I gave up my season tkt after 45yrs 2 seasons ago now. Waste of time unfortunately as nothing has changed. Need ALL supporters to do same. Time will tell.
Not sure you can ‘get rid’ of owners of a club, business doesn’t work like that. Also there are two issues here which the article clearly highlights. The lack of investment by the owners but mainly the inability of Martin to improve this team, the lack of progress and obvious development. When Martin was backed, his signed have not exactly inspired and his faith in certain players demonstrate naivety. As a season ticket holder I’m not happy about the situation, but withholding my cash only damages the club and I’m not really keen to relive the past.
I’m not pro American but certainly not Anti American either, and if I had a doubt about Martin with investment obviously being precious I think I would have been apprehensive too
His signings at the moment add very little to the squad that he inherited and they seem to be the more frequently used names on the start sheet.
The pre season argument didn’t and won’t was with me, teams change managers throughout the season, and you only have to look at what Cooper did at Forrest to see that it’s no the be all and end all.
His formations, squad suggestions and substitutions have left me puzzled for a longtime now, and with, the amount of times the W changed to a L after a meltdown and I’ve not come away feeling we have played well for at least half of the wins on our record, as suggested by a lot our whole back room staff needs an overall, defensive, goalkeeping & set piece coaches, also our recruitment team.
I for one won’t be disappointed with a change in all areas the sooner the better.
After 50 odd years of supporting The Swans, I’ve had enough of this deluded manager. He’s openly admitted he only has one plan. Plan A, and doing plan A better.
He is totally delusional if he thinks anything is getting better. Apart from a few excellent half’s, have you ever seen us play excellently for 90mins?
Passing out from the keeper at all costs is suicidal coaching, when you don’t have the players with those skills, and to keep doing the same thing match after match is nonsensical.
I will not be renewing my season if Martin stays, as will my mate who sits next to me.
This is our protest against his idiotic “process !”and against the blood sucking, don’t give a **** American owners.
I have been a Swansea supporter for the last 57years,and I have just renewed my season ticket. It is the team I support not the owners, they come and go, but it’s the team I support. I don’t blame Russell Martin, even he’s made some dubious decisions at times. As with Potter and Cooper these owners have promised the earth but are only after quick money, it’s not worked!!! My greatest wish is that they sell as soon as possible to someone who knows about football, what it means for the fans and sincerely want the club to survive and succeed. Until that happens, all I see is the decline of our club and the asset strippers have gone back to where they belong. A very disgruntled, but still a SVGC supporter.
Why is that all about martin again , he’s had absolutely no backing what so ever been lied for 2 year nothing but with broken promise’s , of all the articles I read it’s always this paper / editor that stirs the martin out crap you have done since he came to Swansea , please tell us who is going to replace him and please explain how they could possibly do it better with what we have , the only people to blame are the yanks and winter , not a mention of them again who ever is writing this had a serious vendetta against martin alone , I used to enjoy reading planet swans but last two seasons it’s been nothing but vindictive and negative, if you can’t use you’re position as a publisher / editor to be Positive and unbiased then I got one will not be reading your biased vindictive article’s as in my opinion you only use this page to stir you’re own martin out agenda