Russell Martin is going nowhere

[JA News]

For the past two years there has been a reasonably clear divide in amongst the Swans fanbase around the manager.   It started under Steve Cooper and his brand of football – a brand worth adding that delivered two play off places – and has continued under Russell Martin. As the Swans still wait...

Read more

 

[Swanjaxs]

Agree with all that.
If most cast thier minds back to when Martin was appointed, it was generally excepted that a solid mid-table finish would be acceptable given the lateness of his appointment.
Overall, performances have been good, work to be done admittedly, the additions of Ntcham, Piroe, Patterson and Downs has been fantastic business, not forgetting the loan of Ethan Laird.
So, lots to build on, and who knows, a couple of shrewd additions in January and a top 10 finish perhaps.
Definitely a work in progress

 

[old cob]

I think we have the players to be further up the table than we are, but to win you have to score more goals than the other side. Stating the obvious I know. The reason we don't do that is that we are more interested in playing in and around our own penalty area, giving the ball away,,, and conceding give-away goals, and how are the likes of Pato, Ntcham, and Piroe going to score whilst we are playing around in front of our own goal? Exciting football, to my mind, is wingers, crosses and shots at goal, not a dozen passes in your own half and only going backwards.

 

[PSumbler]

Agree with all that.
If most cast thier minds back to when Martin was appointed, it was generally excepted that a solid mid-table finish would be acceptable given the lateness of his appointment.
Overall, performances have been good, work to be done admittedly, the additions of Ntcham, Piroe and Downs has been fantastic business, not forgetting the loan of Ethan Laird.
So, lots to build on, and who knows, a couple of shrewd additions in January and a top 10 finish perhaps.
Definitely a work in progress

There is a key bit in that for me - in large the signings martin made have been good and it's key now who ge gets in in January. Most of the names banded about seem like they would be good additions so lets see where we are come the end of January.

 

[PSumbler]

I think we have the players to be further up the table than we are, but to win you have to score more goals than the other side. Stating the obvious I know. The reason we don't do that is that we are more interested in playing in and around our own penalty area, giving the ball away,,, and conceding give-away goals, and how are the likes of Pato, Ntcham, and Piroe going to score whilst we are playing around in front of our own goal? Exciting football, to my mind, is wingers, crosses and shots at goal, not a dozen passes in your own half and only going backwards.

Unfortunately our midfield (ahead of Downes) contains too many people who play the same role. Downes or Grimes should be the one in front of the back 3 - Ntcham looks like he can make things happen so we are missing the one in the middle. S

Smith isn't the answer (and neither was Fulton) but if we could pull off a McAtee then it would look so much different.

Unfortunately what we see too often is Grimes falling back to be near Downes as he wants to be in that position

 

[Darran]

I think we have the players to be further up the table than we are, but to win you have to score more goals than the other side. Stating the obvious I know. The reason we don't do that is that we are more interested in playing in and around our own penalty area, giving the ball away,,, and conceding give-away goals, and how are the likes of Pato, Ntcham, and Piroe going to score whilst we are playing around in front of our own goal? Exciting football, to my mind, is wingers, crosses and shots at goal, not a dozen passes in your own half and only going backwards.

I agree with this but if we’d played and won both our games over the festive period we’d be up to 11th now and people would be much happier and a lot of the scaremongering is complete bollox.

 

[PSumbler]

I think we have the players to be further up the table than we are, but to win you have to score more goals than the other side. Stating the obvious I know. The reason we don't do that is that we are more interested in playing in and around our own penalty area, giving the ball away,,, and conceding give-away goals, and how are the likes of Pato, Ntcham, and Piroe going to score whilst we are playing around in front of our own goal? Exciting football, to my mind, is wingers, crosses and shots at goal, not a dozen passes in your own half and only going backwards.

I agree with this but if we’d played and won both our games over the festive period we’d be up to 11th now and people would be much happier and a lot of the scaremongering is complete bollox.

There is nothing in this division place wise - Forest (8th) are 7 points ahead with 2 games more played. Of course everyone will say it is more about points but win 3 on the bounce you sit on the edge of the play offs - we are as capable of doing that as we were of losing 3 on the bounce

View attachment Table.jpg

 

[dickythorpe]

At times we've done better than expected then not so well.....and that's our problem. Consistency is key in this league. Not many achieve it.

 

[Cooperman]

To be fair there are not many who are pushing the notion that Martin should be given the boot, and the majority of those who are pushing are folk who don't see the big picture. Turning over managers every few months will never work both financially and performance wise. That's not to say that the club will never reach the point in time where the trigger needs to be pulled, we're just miles away right now. Martin hasn't yet had a transfer window in which to shape the squad and January might not be such a great opportunity for this. So on this basis he get's a free pass from me unless we find ourselves in the bottom four or five come next April. Anything above that then he get's the summer window in which to do his business and he's measured from there.

 

[monmouth]

January is a rubbish window. Martin must get at least two years. We said we needed a reboot, we have to roll with it. He has a ton of work to do, and he has so much to learn. I hope he’s not too stubborn to learn, because at the moment, in a different way, we are no less turgid than Cooper crap. We desperately need a proper goalkeeper, some pace, players in their right positions and Grimes sold. Obviously we are not going to get all that, so I’ll replace the Grimes one with being able to mix things up more and playing what’s in front of us rather than in pre programmed robotic patterns.

 

[exiledclaseboy]

Excellent grown up and legible football content.

Disclaimer. I haven’t read it. Never do. :lol:

 

[Jack2jack]

Excellent grown up and legible football content.

Disclaimer. I haven’t read it. Never do. :lol:

Hang on, I haven't commented yet.

 

[Fireboy]

This time next year for me, RM needs two windows then I hope to see some proper progress.

 

[Cooperman]

This time next year for me, RM needs two windows then I hope to see some proper progress.

I concur.

 

[Bryanswan]

Are people really wanting Martin out? Or it just the usually unhappy suspects who have nothing better to do than to moan constantly.
He barely had a first window to bring players in, in my opinion he should be given this season and next to implement what he wants and bring in players he wants. Then judge him based on that.

Hopefully one of the players he wants will add some width, pace, creativity or all of the above. A younger Wayne Routledge woulve been perfect for this team.