Today Swansea City take on a very decent Blackburn Rovers in what is the first home game of the season for Russell Martin’s swans. It seems extraordinary that in a minority of corners of swansdom that people are not only unhappy with one away game and a draw ( that’s should have been a win ) but that if todays performance doesn’t fit their criteria then he should walk away.
Or be sacked !
Yes, it is a minority, but that minority is slowly increasing in volume and you can’t tell me that they will be back onside when or if the swans started a winning streak today that negated their mutterings of discontent. They will still find an issue, and they will still not be happy regardless of what performance the swans turn in.
On the eve of Spurs being defeated in Madrid by Liverpool in the champions league a well known football phone in carried numerous callers stating Jürgen Klopp should be sacked from his job. Why ? And this is recorded in history, because the opposition were not good enough for Liverpool in a final. I still struggle with that concept today. Okay, that was only two callers, but I had a similar experience after the swans won the league cup, yes a major trophy at Wembley. I had a brief, and it had to be brief conversation with a ‘swans’ fan who stated he didn’t enjoy the game or the day as Swansea didn’t score double figures. The opposition were Bradford City, but what about when the swans sorted out Liverpool away, and that two legged win over Chelsea ? His response was ‘Chelsea would have scored more if they were playing today’
I will leave it there.
It really doesn’t matter what Russell Martin’s Swansea City do today, there will always be a minority who will never be happy. The swans could score four but it should have been five, Naughton could provide two assists but he’s slow and pretty useless. And Harry Darling despite rifling in a twenty five yarder isn’t much of a defender. Oh hang on, wasn't that last week ? We all know what fayre will be on display today, we know exactly what the possession stats will be, or almost, and we know we will all feel frustrated at some point within the ninety plus minutes. However, that happens to every fan of every team, in every game, every weekend.
If you want perfection then there are games of football manger etc … that are freely available for the perfect toast with the finest wine that you can buy. But they are purely dream states in a perfect world that doesn’t exist. Andy Fisher as an example is asked to do the impossible at times for a ‘goalkeeper’ and last week he was as accomplished, and as good a goalkeeper that you will see in the championship. But one howler today and he’s an MK Dons reject that is a waste of money. And that could be as a result of Swansea City winning the game.
For Russell Martin to try and justify his managerial position yesterday displayed early signs of a man who knows he has dissenters out there. To justify his position as a professional football manager by stating there were others who turned the position he now holds down was a clear indication of the pressure he is under. Then to state he needs total support from swans fans, and then evidence that by saying he has been through this scenario before as a player seemed pretty desperate, almost pleading for patience.
Before the first game of the season at home ?
This state of mind is a man who is borderline pleading with people to trust him and give him the chances he needs to achieve what he has promised now for a year. He hasn’t got the team he wants, and he still has absences in the form of Joe Allen as a very good example. He knows exactly what reaction he will get today if the swans don’t deliver. And not delivering could even be a draw.
It’s the first game of the season at home today, a tough one that’s for sure, but a game where if Swansea City come out the victors then that will be two games undefeated. Looking back if we include last season that is almost play off form. And that includes the disastrous loss at Forest and the extremely poor home loss to QPR at the end of the season. We have to be realistic, but we also have to demand the best, and by the best we mean in effort and endeavour on the pitch in a Swansea shirt. If that doesn’t happen today then yes, we will read and hear the dissenters. If it is a victory they will still be there but possibly a little less noisier.
As we have found on this website over the last two years you can’t please all the people all of the time, and in some cases not at all. However, if we can approach today’s game as one - with one mindset that means victory - and we are happy with that maybe Sunday won’t be half as bad as some would lead you to believe.
Despite the fact championship manager doesn’t work in real life and Michu no longer kicks the hoardings at premier league grounds due to the fact that was then and this is now. And now is where we are, and this is what we have. Then maybe a sneaky win will do ? Or even a great display and a point is comforting ?
Either way, those mutterings of discontent are always going to be there. Anyone recall that unbelievable win away at Arsenal when the aforementioned Michu stole the show ? I do, it was an incredible day, and yes, I spoke to people that day that were not happy with the result. My prediction today ? 3-1 to the swans, an Andy Fisher howler and a late late show from our feared front line.
To be honest I couldn’t care, come the end of the day we will still have the swans, and we will still have hope. Just like we did that day when James Thomas left his name in Swansea City history. Nothing changes just the age of the people who will never be happy regardless of what Swansea City do.
It probably keeps them going.