It’s starting to become a bit of a discussion point, and for me it’s getting to be too much of a discussion point. The Preston North End game was around the time I started to get slightly concerned, and Wednesdays loss at Fulham even more so. But I’m resilient, or I would like to think I am.

However, what do Swansea City do if this form and league table position continues ?

Numerous swans fans will say that the manager has to be sacked. However, that really isn’t going to happen. For a start there’s other pay offs to make, and then where does the club go ? The compensation would run in to around 1.5 million if my estimates are correct. Then there’s the employment of a new team and staff because everyone who came with Russell Martin would go with him.

That just isn’t the answer. I’m getting the feeling that everything about Russell Martin is positive, courageous and comes with a plan. We have to remember that the majority of swans fans agreed this is his rebuilding season, other writers far better than me on here have said the same. So if it is a rebuild for this season what actually is the issue with how it’s going ? Because rebuilding anything takes time. Yes, of course I’m concerned that four of this seasons performances haven’t been good. I’m talking about Stoke, Preston, Millwall and Fulham. In the other games I saw progress and felt good about the things I was seeing. But Fulham definitely concerned me. That back three selection was madness, the only chance we had to stifle Mitrovic was by sticking Ben Cabango on him. Not Kyle Naughton. It was a shambles at the back, and Russell Martin has to publicly take responsibility for that.

But he didn’t. That’s maybe an area for him to develop himself.

The main thing here is he does have a really good handle on what he wants, and how he wants to achieve it. For some folk the excuses for draws that should have been wins, and losses that could have been draws is wearing thin. But that returns me back to my original point. if this is a rebuild then why should it bother any of us ? Surely to support this young man and his coaching team is better than hounding him out so quickly. Especially before his first stash of bog roll has been used up in the managers office toilet. When we all spoke together last week, thats Keith, Dave and our new staff writer coming in soon we all agreed that the forum is a sounding board for strong football opinions, but the news stories are not.

Something Keith said struck home to me. And it goes for the other swans sites as well. Basically if we as an entity at Swansea Independent, and the other websites decided it was time up for Russell, it wouldn’t take long for the mood to change. The pressure that websites can bring to bear with many thousands of views each and every day is huge. It affects the club as a whole, it also brings with it a lack of confidence from sponsors and investors in all manner of business areas if the supporters base is unhappy. Crowds also decrease, revenue streams are affected. That pressure, and that type of action is so far away, if at all, it’s pointless. It would harm the club massively and that includes other supporters, and indeed the players.

You can’t go after people because they haven’t delivered what you want with a brand new system and team in ten league games, that’s madness. There has to be more time and more patience for this all to come together and work. I’m not as patient as the other guys on this website, but I am a realist when it comes to the continual moaning that we didn’t do this, or we didn’t do that. There has been some progress, clearly not enough for some, and that’s another problem. The negativity can plant itself deep in the psyche when it comes to football managers. Even after three games certain folk on this websites forum were having a go at Russell Martin. That’s bonkers, real sad stuff to read.

For us here we remain one hundred percent behind the Russell Martin philosophy, and one hundred percent behind the patient process we are all been asked to understand. Maybe that’s it, the way Martin talks and delivers his messages is in a certain way. Everything he says references development and progress, to the more negative supporters, and I’ll go further, the ones who don't understand what is being said, for whatever reason, they are the problem. There is a very new way of doing things at the club these days, it relies on full support for the ideals and explanations the manager gives us. So why wouldn’t we support that ?

Why go hunting for him to leave after such a short time ?

Of course I hurt as much as anyone when we lose, or lose badly, like you and many others I’ve invested a lifetime of emotion, dreams and money in to following the swans. Home games for me take at least three hours to get to, and another three to get home. That’s why I’m easing the wife and kids in gently today for the trip to Derby. You see, I’m not going to make myself unhappy by constantly moaning about where we are at today, or even tomorrow. I follow Swansea City as I always have to enjoy the experience, yes talk about the process on the pitch, but not to cloud everyone’s day by continually moaning about something we know will take time. Why would I do that ? And why would I take my family to a football match totally unhappy, down in the dumps and constantly moaning about everything. And then chucking well over a hundred quid at it as well so we can all have a day out. Crazy.

It’s only been ten games folks, think about it, and let’s all smile a bit more, it’s far better than moaning all the time. Life is too short for all that every day.

Up the swans.

Gruff Stephens has been a Swansea City fan for 22 years, he lives in north Wales with his wife and two children who are now also Swansea City converts

Photographs licensed from Reuters

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