Russell Martin and his/our squad

[swansvalleyjack]

You can't tell me that this Southampton side is down to Russell Martin's management.

He just has inherited a quality squad and with pace in abundance. There's little tippy tappy sideways and backwards which used to bore me rigid when he was here. No need when he's now got a different standard of players.

Now I have been a critic of Martin for pursuing that ponderous style ( with a few exceptions) and stifling any direct play.

But I've always recognised there are two sides to any coin. Lack of interest and investment by the owners (for longer than Martin of course) is killing us.

Year on year we are dropping in squad quality. We are classic mid table mediocrity, but on a downward slide.

So let's be clear where the fundamental problems lay - the owners. Yes, they may not have trusted Martin based on some of his earlier signings ( tend to agree) but this season's transfer dealings ( out/in) , incl. Duff, have been hopeless.

I really want Luke Williams to do well, and the second half performance was better - but in reality the game was over at half time ( could have been 5 without Rushworth)

Tbh, even if Pep was parachuted in, there's a limit to what he could get out of our current crop. Which is at the standard it is because of our owners.

 

[eteb]

You could see the frailties when we pressed jn second half. If we'd done that form the off then we would have likely one

 

[JonTheJack]

You could put Grant Schapps in charge of that team and they would get promoted.

 

[Cooperman]

Am I the only one that thinks our squad is better than our league position suggests?

I also felt the same when Russ was in town.

 

[swansvalleyjack]

Tbh, I don't think that. We are where we are because our squad overall is mediocre. Especially lacking pace and midfield creativity.

 

[magicdaps10]

Can't take it away from Martin and what he is doing at Soton. They have just broken a club record of games unbeaten.......thats an achievement at all levels.

As for our squad, it's an average/lower average squad. We are severely lacking in forward quality......mainly creative players from central midfield and out wide.
There is a lot of beating of Yates at the moment but a guy in and out of the team who has got 7 goals is something that can't be ignored....i think with a bit more creativity behind him and on each flank that he will score enough goals.

 

[Swanjaxs]

Am I the only one that thinks our squad is better than our league position suggests?

I also felt the same when Russ was in town.

No I agree, if Williams can get a tune out of this squad we will be in or around the top ten come the end of May.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

People can disparage Martin and Southampton's achievements as much as they like - plenty still seem to want to do so - but all that's happening there is showing how stupid our owners were for forcing him out and not supporting him enough while he was here. Saying that out loud will boil some people's piss but it's true.

In the last 5 years we've had three top notch coaches - Potter, Cooper and Martin - and we've shafted them all.

Nothing's changed - the club is going nowhere under dud owners and Luke Williams isn't going to change that fact. He'll try his bollocks off to change it, of course he will. But you can't polish a turd, you just can't.

 

[Cooperman]

No I agree, if Williams can get a tune out of this squad we will be in or around the top ten come the end of May.

Play to the strengths of the team and stop the experiments of things like Darling at right back.

 

[Dillwyn the Dog]

People can disparage Martin and Southampton's achievements as much as they like - plenty still seem to want to do so - but all that's happening there is showing how stupid our owners were for forcing him out and not supporting him enough while he was here. Saying that out loud will boil some people's piss but it's true.

In the last 5 years we've had three top notch coaches - Potter, Cooper and Martin - and we've shafted them all.

Nothing's changed - the club is going nowhere under dud owners and Luke Williams isn't going to change that fact. He'll try his bollocks off to change it, of course he will. But you can't polish a turd, you just can't.

I wonder how much the current 11 Southampton put out yesterday and as importantly their wages rank against the 11 we started with yesterday?

I suppose the follow up question to that is - would our owners have been able to afford that without either bankrupting the club or at least falling foul of FFP?

Apart from that yes, Martin had no advantage at all over Luke Williams yesterday.

 

[Cooperman]

People can disparage Martin and Southampton's achievements as much as they like - plenty still seem to want to do so - but all that's happening there is showing how stupid our owners were for forcing him out and not supporting him enough while he was here. Saying that out loud will boil some people's piss but it's true.

In the last 5 years we've had three top notch coaches - Potter, Cooper and Martin - and we've shafted them all.

Nothing's changed - the club is going nowhere under dud owners and Luke Williams isn't going to change that fact. He'll try his bollocks off to change it, of course he will. But you can't polish a turd, you just can't.

What has Martin done to get the same top notch accolade as Cooper and Potter?

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

What has Martin done to get the same top notch accolade as Cooper and Potter?

By doing what those two did - leaving the club, and going on to bigger and better things, demonstrating he's not the snake oil salesman that many would still like you to believe he is.

 

[Cooperman]

By doing what those two did - leaving the club, and going on to bigger and better things, demonstrating he's not the snake oil salesman that many would still like you to believe he is.

Right'o, so you're basing it on his ability to sell himself at an interview rather than his footballing accomplishments.

It is far too early to give him the 'top notch' accolade. That's not to say he won't reach those heights, but his tenure and both MK and SC don't warrant it.

Getting Southampton back up at first attempt will be a good step in the right direction for him, but still a far cry from what Cooper did with Forest.

 

[eteb]

We shafted cooper by giving him Ayew, Hourihane, MGW, Guehi et al

You colossal twat

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Conveniently forgetting the Morris and Areola debacle there Eteb.

And not getting him the striker he wanted when we were knocking on the door of automatic promotion.

Or the fact he preferred to go on the dole than work with our owners a minute longer.

If that makes me a collosal twat, then I'm not quite sure where that leaves you on the twat scale. Gigantic perhaps? Or how about mammoth?

Steve Cooper's imminent Swans exit explained amid problems

The 41-year-old is poised to leave his position as head coach of Swansea City this week

www.walesonline.co.uk