Russell Martin clearly still delighted with his teams win on Tuesday night which took the swans within one point of the play offs is really looking forwards to tomorrow’s game against high flying Bournemouth in old Hampshire, or even Dorset.

As expected there will be a few changes, Martin learning from the last time the swans played three games in a week. After beating Cardiff handsomely, then West Brom the swans ran out of steam at Birmingham City despite only losing 2-1. It was a great disappointment for Martin and his coaching team. Swansea have fielded the same starting eleven for the past two games, the 3-0 victory over Peterborough United last weekend, and the win at Coventry in midweek. Martin was open this morning in the press briefing for tomorrow’s game which was attended by David Cornish. “It’s about balance. We have been able to give people some time off the pitch in the last few games, Joel and Oli in particular. There will be a change or two, I’m sure of that. With the way we play with intensity and tempo, it’s not easy to keep playing at this level”

Sound management plans ahead of the games at Dean Court tomorrow, and someone who is clearly open to utilising his squad with no fear in making changes. “On the pitch, whether you're new or old, what you're being asked to do is really difficult. So I'm really grateful to all of them for what they're producing. It takes big courage so I'm proud of all of them whether they've been here for a long time or if they've just come in the door. The fact the new signings have hit the ground running is because of the people that are already in this building” The fitness side of things is also improving greatly, as Bournemouth will find out tomorrow, this side now competes for the full ninety, something at the start of the season some players found hard to do.

Martin continues to look for improvements, that’s expected from any leader of young men in a rich vein of form, but he isn’t afraid to single out players at times “Grimesy, the captain has been incredible, what he brings off the pitch as a leader, Kyle Naughton the same, Ryan Bennett and Ben Hamer have stepped up massively as professionals. I'm delighted with them all."

Scott Parker is far more cautious after seeing his side beaten on Wednesday night by Preston 2-1 at home. “It’s very easy winning football matches or 15 unbeaten, you often find that the train just rolls and you don’t really get to know what your team is about, or how much you can improve," says the ex - Fulham manager. We’ve got a very good habit of analysing things, but certainly in adversity or when things go wrong, that’s when you can really gauge or you can develop a team. You can develop individuals because these are the moments that test people. I say test people. We’ve lost one game out of 16 and we’ve had an incredible start to the season, so I’m very steady and very level in my thinking in what I’m saying. But of course it’s the first time we’ve experienced this, so now we’ll improve, we’ll get better for this and we’ll go again."

To me that feels like he is finding it hard to move on from Wednesday.

Ally Ross - The Sun
With the allegedly ‘bigger’ newspapers predicting the final three is as it is today, Bournemouth, West Brom and Fulham to dominate for the rest of the season, I’m certain this brings a smile to numerous Championship managers faces. In fact in two cases I know personally their thoughts on the way the league is going. There are of course ‘journalists’ who want us all to continue in the way the country has been for thrifty plus years, Ally Ross of the Sun went one further yesterday. Attacking Swansea City and Russell Martin for his vegan stance, and stating he fitted some sort of woke agenda for the BBC. He also used that to attack the club and its ability to be anything other than mediocre this season.

I mean, yes the blokes an attention grabbing amoeba with questionable views, but even he should know the more things you attack and ridicule the less you have in support of those views. Even if they are your only way of gaining some form of limelight to boost that incredibly small sack of fluid you carry around with you.

Ally Ross quote reference BBC’s Football Focus -
It didn’t end there, either, because the item that really took the biscuit was an interview with Russell Martin, the manager of Swansea City, who are the very definition of mid-table mediocrity at the moment and unworthy of any neutral’s time. Crucially, though, it transpires Russell is a vegan with “a strong interest in the environment and sustainability” who makes his players recycle and turn off the tap when they’re brushing their teeth. How the hell this will help Swansea sneak promotion wasn’t explained. Nor would the BBC political propagandists even think they have to because, despite the show’s name, activism rather than football seems to be the show’s main focus now

This individual is a scaremongering journalist that specific readers enjoy in these tabloid rags. His constant attacks on society today, allegations of weakness in our society for being inclusive, and his constant demands for a return to the ‘good old days’ should tell you all you need to know about this excuse for a journalist. These things we read are where racism breeds, this is where they climb out of the gutter and divide people’s thoughts so hate can win. The hate and bullying on social media is born from tabloids, the divisive and pathetic one liners that appeal to a brain that is inadequate and needs to be led.

Yes, I know.

So, with that said, and done and dusted ( unless he wants a good old joust ) we look to tomorrow and a huge game not only for Swansea City, but for AFC Bournemouth as well. Should be a cracker.

Photographs licensed from Reuters

Swansea City Polls