Another defeat and another game of complete dominance on the ball has again cast ‘some’ doubt on the ability of swans manger Russell Martin to deliver his total football vision to Swansea. It isn’t that his players can’t do the possession based side of the game, or even at brief intervals make it work, it’s the very fact there seems to be no acknowledgement of it failing during a game.

We all know that retaining the football is key to dominating football matches and will ensure any opposition have their minds concentrated on what you do, not on what they can do. Yesterday we saw a comfortable Blackpool formation hardly rattled by all the play that went on in front of them. When the swans did get close they were let down by their own inability to retain the ball, or were just muscled out of the move. We saw that with Gary Madine’s only goal of the game, however you have to ask referee Steve Martin why he didn’t give a free kick for the whole penalty area scenario.

Usually a master passer of the ball Matt Grimes wasted chance after chance by playing long balls that never reached their target, and Flynn Downes had one of those games he will want to quickly forget. This is the area which takes the strain when the swans are attacking. Yesterday Jamie Paterson ( again ) was toothless, his head down running with the ball in to problems was another factor to his side losing the ball. In fact if we look across the team, and I will leave Kyle Naughton out of this, we saw such negativity in executing the game plan it all seemed pointless.

Michael Obafemi ( again) allowed balls up to him to bounce off him like hot potatoes, Joel Piroe in a more advanced midfield role found space but never saw a ball played up to him. Both players became very frustrated as the game ‘wore’ on. It has to be said, and this is the crux of the point here, we didn’t see any change of tactic or game plan from the side lines throughout the process yesterday. It just seemed that the management team were happy to see slow and ponderous build up play ended by a basic defensive strategy from the home side that were never threatened in any real way.

The lack of pace is the real issue. If Russell Martin had that threat to either turn to or select from the start I’m certain much of this would not be an issue. However, that’s as easy as saying ‘if’ to any response as we witnessed yesterday. There is no ‘if’ because the faith Russell Martin places on what he has, and realistically what he is going to get is where he is at. He cannot sit back and say ‘Well, I haven’t got the players, and this lot aren’t up to it ‘ ( in some cases that’s true ) What he is doing is making do with what he has in his squad. It is becoming obvious he is failing to see a way out no matter how much he relies on players to make the same mistakes time and time again.

Persistently drilling the side in possession, failing to see where the obvious flaws in his plan are based on the lack of skilled personnel available is the problem. We don’t see a shift in strategy within a game, yesterday Swansea plugged away ‘tirelessly’ but slowly hoping they would find that key pass or ball that would bring them at least a point. Looking at the bench yesterday was pretty uninspiring, and that’s with all respects to the players on it. Most sides have game changers or players who can deliver something a bit different. Unfortunately Russell Martin had nobody of that ilk. My apologies to those players but not one could or did change the game, let alone implement a different tactic.

Any opposition manager in the Championship will see right through Russell Martin’s brief just as Neil Critchley the Blackpool manager did yesterday. And as he did in November in Swansea. We did cover his ability to set up and deal with this type of football in the week. Yesterday looked a bit like taking sweets from a child. Let the precious things play with their toys and when they get a bit noisy take them away for a bit. Then when they slow down let them play again, but only until we feel slightly concerned about their behaviour. Then we will take their toys off them again. They can’t chase us or demand we let them play, they are too slow and too versed mentally in what they do, the habit now can’t be broken.

Not being able to break the habit is much the same as not being able to go to a plan B or C during a game. The fixation on the dream, the passing for passings sake, the inability to see that key option ahead because a sideways pass is a safer option is much like ‘passing’ the blame. You go and do it, then I won’t have to take responsibility, side to side, we can call it probing if you like. Then from that probing we score goals. That tactic was never going to work at Bloomfield Road no matter how much two thousand away supporters want you to do it. Their loud and proud voices were the only positive from that game.

As we have said numerous times of late, this now is a free hit for the rest of the season. Not forgetting a few wins would help along the way. The pressure is seriously off. Unfortunately this week we haven’t seen a team under no pressure, they look like a side completely under pressure. The emphasis and responsibility on them to perform and win football matches far outweighing their ability to take enjoyment from what they do. The issue there is when there is real pressure on Russell Martin next season, and there will be - how will that transform itself on to the pitch ? If the players now under free license and no pressure can’t do it today, what happens come next season ?

It surely now is a dilemma for the swans boss, he can see his players can’t fulfil his ambitions as it stands, well, it’s very rarely that they do. He knows he hasn’t got any strength in depth at all to change his line up so he is stuck with what he has. There was a time when players and managers would not be looking forward to playing against this type of football. But as the season has progressed its now bogged down in a slow and ponderous process of passing and losing football matches. The lack of choice in team selection leaves Russell Martin’s players tired and unable to deliver. That in turn projects itself in to the stands and questions will always be asked when a team makes the same mistakes over and over again.

We are pretty sure Russell Martin see’s it and wants to do something about it, but sadly with what he has in his locker so to speak, he just can’t. We will see evidence again this season of Swansea City’s style of play winning games, that’s a given, but really will that be enough games to convince people it’s the right way ?

And more importantly will it be enough for Russell Martin’s employers to invest not only their faith but their money too in this huge plan that can often fall flat on its face ? It did in Blackpool yesterday for all to see, and so many other places this season, including at home. Only one man can determine his future at Swansea City by dealing with the present, that may mean a bit more flexibility and conscious decision making during a game.

Can he do it ? Only time will tell, but there’s a growing number who doubt it is at all possible. Even with the ingredients he needs.

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Photographs licensed from Reuters

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