Leon Britton says he is not worried what reception Roberto Martinez gets on Saturday but the fans have to be behind the Swans
Martinez returns to the Liberty Stadium for the first time since walking out on the Swans two years ago when Wigan came calling.
He now brings his Latics side to Swansea for a Premier League clash with the Swans knowing that a victory will lift them above Wigan in the fledgling Premier League table.
And Britton – a former midfield partner of Roberto – knows that the reception for the former manager could be interesting but he wants the fans behind the Swans for the first home game of the new season.
Britton said “There was a bit of a cloud when Roberto left, but the fans probably realise that he put the wheels in motion for where we are today
“Roberto brought in a lot of what you saw on Monday. He got us passing, brought in a couple of Spanish lads and a couple of Dutch lads.
“The other managers have played big parts as well, especially Brendan, but Roberto was the start of it and he deserves a lot of credit for that.”
“We don’t know what reception he’ll get until he’s there in the dugout,” added Britton.
“They might cheer Roberto, they might not, but I’m not worried about that as long as they get behind us on the pitch.
“Rob knows me well, I played with him, roomed with him and he was my manager,” said Britton.
“He’ll know a few of the other lads that are still hanging around as well. He’ll have done his homework, but Swansea do their homework as well. It’s the same every game. I’m sure he’s watched Swansea from afar, but that won’t affect us — we’ll just go about our business.
“We’re disappointed that we lost 4-0, but the lads are not too down because we’ve got to pick ourselves up — we’ve got Wigan on Saturday. We need to be ready for that,” added Britton. “We’ve always shown great character after defeats, bounced pack and got a win. That’s what we’ll look to do. Our heads won’t drop.
“The Liberty has always been good for us and now, being in the Premier League, we want to make sure that form continues.”