Current Swansea City head coach Russell Martin cut a forlorn and lost figure post the latest Swans defeat at home to Birmingham City on Saturday. And despite his desire to bring a unique style of play, and after eighteen months of attempting to do so he finds himself with some big big decisions this week.
The biggest decision has to be his health and his family. Now Martin may well sound like a defeated man and talking of his week from hell he most certainly illustrated that on Saturday. "I've not felt as low as this” When asked if he had spoken to the club's owners Martin stated. "I don't want to get into that. Of course I have. We'll have to wait and see what happens. I've done my very best to keep everyone focused on what's important this week. I've done my very best to be as honest as I possibly could with everyone which has probably made some people really unhappy. I have to deal with that and the fallout from that. We had a real opportunity to build on the togetherness and the support everyone's given each other this week and we haven't quite taken it. But I'll be fine."
We know that calls have flowed between the club and the majority owners from Saturday morning onwards. Julian Winter and Russell Martin have had brief conversations and later today and most certainly tomorrow afternoon more will take place between the parties. The split now between the owners and the staff at the club in Swansea has never been wider. The more important issue is the mindset today of the Swansea boss and his coaching staff to carry on regardless of the lack of unity at the club.
Russell Martin and Matt Gill are settled in the area they have journeyed through half of their current Swansea City deals. Their families have been welcomed with open arms by the Swansea community and they are extremely grateful for that support. Matt Gill confirmed that exclusively to Swansea Independent recently. "The welcome to the area has been brilliant, people have been so welcoming to us all, we just want to do the best we can for them”. However we return to the comments and openness of Russell Martin on Saturday and what was quite clearly a man on the brink health wise. That must always come first, and if that’s the case there is only one answer to this issue.
Football is just that, a game that pits the wits of two teams against each other. The court of Swansea City opinion has grown against the current management team, not massively but it is growing. The blame game will always play out on websites and social media, weak and shallow people unable to evidence their screaming and demands, but more than capable of anonymous venomous posting. They are not the reason Russell Martin should spend any longer in Swansea than he needs to.
We ask him to consider the real people.
If it comes up in discussion during these meetings this week, and it fits Russell Martin’s future plans then a negotiated contract settlement may well work for him and his family. If now after time to reflect he feels there is still work to do then it could be the decision will be made for him. It’s an uncertain week and an unnecessary week brought about by poor management both off the pitch and on it unfortunately.
The fall out will go on for far longer than a few days as well. And Bill Shankley’s famous words on football importance mean even less today, in fact I’m unsure if they ever were anything but just words. Remember when we stated last week the long game for this transfer window was to push Russell Martin in to a strategy that he brought about his own constructive dismissal ?
How do you feel about that today ?