Jack Butty has steered his creaky old ship on to the rocks just off St Ives for his views on the current state of affairs at the swansea.com stadium. Just like Russell Martin he see’s not a lot out there imminently, but holds on to that glimmer of hope that there is time still to be rescued.
More than 2,500 Swans fans attended the game at Reading on the 27th of December and were treated to some dismal fare. Fans’ frustration was palpable and fully justified. Russell Martin acknowledged that, "we don’t want to fight properly”.
So, what needed to be done? Opinions varied but most agreed that Martin and his team needed to get a grip of the issues. What are the issues? Well, it depends on who you talk and listen to. For some it is the treatment of Michael Obafemi who, allegedly, has been thrown under the bus by Martin. This has then affected other players who felt that Obafemi has been unfairly treated and led to the coach ‘losing the dressing room’
Martin is usually very supportive of his team after a game, even if the result has gone against us or parts of the performance were underwhelming. In the presser after Reading Martin looked to be the angriest I remember. With the stories about Obafemi and Jamie Paterson being out of favour in the media and, after a run of 8 games without a win (since 23 October), it was clear that this was a critical period.
In the space of three days the mood was turned on its head. The following Friday night the Swans thrashed Watford in our best performance this season. Moving to a back four worked well and Joel Latibeaudiere and Ben Cabango looked much more comfortable in their positions. In addition, it was a revelation to see Luke Cundle, Ollie Cooper and the Liam Cullen playing together and bringing much needed energy harrying Watford players and linking play in advanced midfield positions. This was what we have lacked.
Some of the post-Watford comments by Martin are telling. "We give the players everything we possibly can... But energy is not limitless, it is not boundless. At some point it needs to be reciprocal and at some point it’s better investing it in people who really want it.” And later that he had "compromised a bit with some people…not [in] the right way”. So, Martin has adopted a firmer tone, which seems entirely justified in the circumstances. He reiterated that the "door is never closed” for Michael Obafemi and Jamie Paterson but that the relationship must be reciprocal.
The bank holiday Monday game against Burnley saw the Swans lose but putting in a spirited performance that was a million miles from the earlier whupping at Turf Moor. Joe Allen was magnificent and the Swans arguably deserved a point at least. Today’s game against the Wurzels mixed some good work in possession in the first half, aided by more gritty play from Joe Allen, only to be undone our tendency to lapse into lackadaisical defending.
Having a successful transfer window is now of massive importance to the Swans. The first step was bringing back Morgan Whittaker (in anticipation of moving out Obafemi ?). Paterson, Ryan Manning, Oliver Ntcham and Joel Latibeaudiere could follow. Having a clear out and replacing with the pace, quality and commitment needed will be essential.
Martin knows how important it is to get this right. Fingers crossed it comes off.
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