Phil Sumbler
There was a sense of inevitability about the late goal from Blackburn Rovers that gave them all three points at Ewood Park and took the Swans run to a dismal three wins in eighteen games.
When you consider that three of our last four wins have been against sides with ten men then the position really is as worrying as the statistics read as the team, squad, formation and way of playing seems to be going backwards at an alarming rate.
The simple fact is we just don’t look like winning games. Watford aside have we really played well since October? The Martin supporters amongst those reading will no doubt point to periods of play but the game is over ninety minutes and we have not been able to string a good ninety minutes together apart from that win over Watford.
We have a fundamental problem with defending – two clean sheets in seventeen games tells its only story – and that is from a team that is led by a defender. We can talk about “the same mistakes” and “being brave” all we like but we are incredibly easy to play against and entirely predictable in just about everything that we do.
Any side that comes up against us with a bad run must relish facing us. Not because they raise their game but because they know that we will make loads of pointless passes in our own half but at some stage will also completely switch off in defence as was perfectly highlighted against Blackburn.
Russell Martin has now overseen seventy-eight league matches in charge of the Swans and – bar a few small runs of form apart – then it is difficult to see what we are trying to accomplish. Indeed, the runs of form are so irregular then it is not too difficult to argue that they are very much against the norm rather than the way it is going to be.
The strong run of September and October (seven wins in nine with the two defeats being against the top two) are nothing but a distant memory and, had it not been for that run, then we would be in a desperate situation right now.
Of course there will be fingers pointed at the disaster that was the January transfer window but our problems run far deeper than that both on and off the pitch. We are fortunate to be in a position where relegation is exceptionally unlucky so it seems that if a change is to be made then the time to do it is now and give a new man a dozen or so games to assess his squad and realise what is needed in the summer.
I don’t think there was anyone on the appointment of Martin that didn’t want to trust the process but it is hard to continue to trust something that is very clearly not working.
Our chance creation is poor, we have no real pace or width in the squad and our passing is pedestrian at best. Our transfers over the past eighteen months have been questionable at best with loan signings never given a chance, players frozen out and even those we seemingly chased for some time are unceremoniously dumped to the bench which adds further question to the judgement that signed them.
It is not unusual for opposition commentary to take more than the occasional dig at how dull we are to watch and the crowds are starting to slip at the Swansea.com stadium as the supporters are voting with their feet.
Of course this is not all the fault of Russell Martin and his coaching team. The owners have to take more than their fair share especially for the incredible failures we saw in January. Julian Winter is the CEO overseeing day to day operations that fundamentally have taken the club backwards which just means there needs to be changes. Multiple ones.
The season ticket renewal figures will make for interesting reading but I am not sure right now that the thought of Stoke at home on Tuesday night will fill many with desires to leave their house and watch the latest ninety minute “entertainment” on offer.
And whilst it doesn’t look likely that we have a relegation threat we should not lose sight of the fact that the bottom clubs have started to win the occasional game – it wouldn’t take too many more results like that to drag us in.
Changes needed. You can draw your own conclusions on which ones.
Agree entirely with the article .There are so many complications with the way we set up and approach a game it is hard to see us going on a run .We may win the odd game but that is exactly what it will be – a one off game .Why would you ask Cabango and Wood to receive and pass the ball in tight situations ? They are not equipped to do it . Our football is slow ,ponderous and lacking in intensity.
Team selection is inconsistent .I know Joe Allen is 30+ but he’s not playing enough and what is Martin trying to prove with the minutes he allows Whitaker?
He’s also put together a squad without full backs,wingers and solid defensive centre halves .Fans are beginning to run out of patience .
The football is not good to watch and we are not winning games .
Under Huw Jenkins ,Martin Morgan etc the situation would be looked at and a decision made one way or the other .
The Americans are anonymous and highly unlikely to sack the cosching staff and have to pay them off .So we have a stalemate .
In the meantime you can just feel the fans losing patience and we can only wonder what sort of crowds we’ll get next year and how many of our better players will still be here.
Good post, there seems to be a blame culture from top to bottom, trouble is when you look deeper there a not many Swansea stalwarts left, no more Alan Curtis’s to step in or an Alan Tate to steady the ship if necessary.
We can only play a style which suits the players we have, the defence including the goalkeeper look like nervous wrecks. It’s as if they will get fined for launching the ball up field.
However there is hope , the two Johnnies, Martin and Coates are taking Morriston Town to the top, plus they serve Moretti at the Dingle. They may be an option.
Great article agree with comments above as well.
The owners are the problem here for not getting the transfer window right and getting in the players we needed.
The manager is only as good as his players and there’s quite a few in the team now that can’t cut it whatever system the manager player.
Feel sorry for Martin no wonder he’s frustrated and angry with the players all the time.
Call Ashley Williams now”!
I agree with Colin above. Camron Toshack and Ashley Williams would put a lot of the problems this team has right. Defensive would stop messing about with their defending the mid field would have to move the ball forward with more pace with no side to side cra p they have been told to play. Whitaker would have a free role to play just as he did with Plymouth. Everything would be much faster and more enjoyable to watch. Simple get rid of Martin and his staff
Great write up Phil. Spot on in every aspect.
KM states after todays match we(KM) have run out of options this didn’t happen today it happened before the end of last season and he still doesn’t know what to do if he wants the club to move forward he should step down and take half of squad with him the club has lost it’s spirit and losing it’s supporters.
Have got to agree with most of the comments already been made , I have followed the swans since 1972/73 season and supported my club and city with pride and loyalty, like true jacks we are we all continue through thick&thin to support our club&team. But it comes a time when you know in your heat the situation is not right on or off the pitch at our club, the situation is this, we have a manager who will not change his style of play and a brand of football he cannot get his players to adopt. He new the financial situation when he took the job, and we are no better in our style of play since game 10-20–30 to now game 70 something, I really thought we would be more composed as a team by the end of last season never mind the situation we are in now, we are flatlining again in the lower half of the championship or soon will be. You got to ask questions on Martin and his coaching staff to where we are as a footballing side. We all now the financial situation with the yanks and they’re commitment to our club has been one sided to say the least. But I think there is another manager out there who will adopt other forms of play to suit us with the players we have at our disposal? So let’s first change our whole coaching staff to give a new manager a fighting start, and then start one of our biggest challenges for manny years as true jacks and get rid of the one sided ownership we have at OUR CLUB.
Despite having lots of doubts about Martin’s system ,coaching and handling of players I’ve got to admit I felt sorry for him after seeing today’s post- match press coference.He looks a beaten man who doesn’t know where to turn .You wonder how long he’ll keep going with results as they are .He’s declared his hand and without help from the owners he’s got nothing else to try .
The players must share his doubts and it’s hard to see us finishing anywhere but 6 or 7 from the bottom.
Where that will leave us for next season is anybody’s guess.
The article is spot on. However, we do have a stalemate situation as we have owners who seem to have little interest in putting any serious investment into the team and a coaching staff and CEO who are not good enough. We are gradually going backwards and we can all see this in the way the team plays. Excuse after excuse from the manager but there are players he keeps picking that are League 1 standard at best and that is where he is taking us.
The problem is Martin. He decides the tactics, he picks the team, he organised training, he has influenced the squad personnel, he has moved on players without seeing their potential and he has fallen out with players who are / have been sidelined.
Again, yesterday he weakened the midfield before they scored then hoped a slightly mor attacking option could work wonders with a few minutes to go.
As for the crowds? If you support Swansea City you support them through good times and bad … end of.
Cannot disagree with anthing in this article, pretty much sums up our miserable journey under RM, dead man walking no doubt!