Swansea City will leave in the direction of Bedfordshire tomorrow to prepare for their away championship game at Kenilworth Road, Luton on Saturday ( Kick Off 3pm ) Russell Martin finds himself as the head coach of a Swansea side that hasn’t experienced such a low time - potentially going back to the dark days of 2002.

The Swans have been lower in the league structure before of course. However, since the supporters took back the club, and of course the hard work that got the club back went on for a number of years prior - in fact from 1997, has there ever been such ill feeling ? ‘That’ Hull game was surely the lowest and most jubilant time in May 2003. Once the club sealed its immediate future in that last game there has rarely been a low point since. In fact the rise of the club through the years, that story of course we all know, hardly ever had the feeling of gloom and despondency we all feel today.

Of course, some will argue with that. But for me, I won’t.

Regardless of anyone’s feelings towards Russell Martin, his theory and practices and that of his staff there is a cloud hanging over the club. The feeling of the supporters has never been so negative, and even us at Swansea Independent have pointed the finger at the majority owners this year. However, their financial prudence cannot be argued with. The input of finance even this week of six million pounds should indicate the welfare of the club, albeit in the immediate future is secure.

The cries for the ownership to leave are not only going to be fruitless, they are pointless.

No matter what happens off the pitch we have a team at Swansea City who are in a hole which seems impossible to get out of. That has resulted in so much unhappiness within the superb support the Swans have that there is some alarm the head coach hasn’t been relieved of his duties. Again, we all know the script of this season, it’s been shocking at times. Russell Martin remains at the club because there’s little financial reasoning behind him and his staff leaving at such a significant cost. This would leave the club spending even more ( unless they promote from within, a further cost saving ) which is pointless at this stage. The club as we illustrated yesterday is ‘highly unlikely’ to be relegated even if they only win two more games this season, even now on forty three points the club could be safe.

That’s here –> Swansea relegated ?

Despite the state of the clubs playing staff, lack of business in January and results this could now be seen ( or at least should be ) as a golden opportunity. Playing first team players like Ryan Manning
( leaving ) Kyle Naughton ( out of contract at the end of the season ) Joel Latibeaudiere ( same ) Matt Sorinola ( gone ) is pointless. Russell Martin may as well fill those positions with younger players. Why ? and we have to be honest, we all know what’s going to happen if he doesn’t.

The same that we have witnessed all season. So really, where’s the issue ?

Russell Martin has already admitted this may be the case come next season, so from a relative position of safety why not start that ‘process’ now ?, Let’s leave the future alone as to whether he will be at the club or not. We have to deal with what we know, not what a growing number of people want. Regardless of Martin’s feelings on these academy products, if he leaves it until the start of next season he will have players who are ill prepared for the season to come. Joel Cotterill and Cameron Congreve have experienced first team time, so let’s get them in. Let’s see Liam Walsh, how about taking the armband off Matt Grimes and giving it to Jay Fulton or Joe Allen ? Take the pressure off. Give Grimes a week or two off from the responsibilities of the armband. Bring in a wing back from the under 21’s if that’s preferred ( it shouldn’t be, let’s see 442 ) and give a left or right back some experience. Is Ben Blythe ready ? Or shall we wait until the opening game of next season ?

Let’s drip feed them in to some games. Can it be any worse ?

People will disagree, some will even say it’s madness to even consider it, but we can’t leave it until the last minute like we as a club are prone to do. If this club is driven to turn young players in to established first team regulars, and then look to cash in, then why not ? Remember when Ben Davies came in for Neil Taylor, that’s a point in case, he had no choice, I recall a few bemoaning the idea. On reflection, it sort of worked.

It surprises me in fact we haven’t heard a whisper of this potentially happening on Saturday, albeit away at a very good Luton side. Yes, these next four games could well throw up four more losses, who knows there could be a win in there. And it’s not about destroying confidence in players, it’s about preparation for the inevitable next season.

So how about not just planning for the summer, let’s plan for next week first and see what we have got.

Luton Town v Swansea City kicks off at 3pm on Saturday.

Photographs ©️ with permission Swansea City AFC

jacktar added 09:28 - Mar 2 I see your point but a bit of a no win for RM really. Play the youngsters and lose and the fans would be up in arms saying that this isn't the time for new blood, we could get into a relegation battle. Play the regulars and it would echo the same old, same old with the fans still concerned about a relegation battle. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Not a good time for Mr Martin I fear.

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Badlands added 11:30 - Mar 2 Drip feeding younger players into games should have been happening all season. If Martin does use the younger players they will be exposed to the toxicity of the manager's making. While Martin is in change the style won’t change, the tactics won’t change so it doesn’t matter who is on the pitch the results won’t change. I do not like seeing people lose their jobs which is part of the reason I believe Martin should be sacked. Eh! As unlikely as it is that we will be relegated this season it will be because of once brief period of success in the autumn. Would you bet on new players having any more success next season? It won’t happen and in a relegation Martin,s approach would be quite hopeless. Fair weather fans would fall away while the moaning of the conspiracy theorists and entitled ones would make supporting the Swans even harder. Income would drop leading to reduced hours and redundancies among the club's none-playing staff. The players and coaches rarely experience the financial consequences of their failures (handsome payments see to that) but to those down the hierarchy it can be devastating. We should bite the bullet now so a new manager can get to grips with the squad and discover what is needed in the summer. It would be disastrous, in my opinion, to allow Martin to stay in post and influence the summer transfer period.

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Bluswan added 14:19 - Mar 2 It is not too difficult to broadly agree with the sentiments expressed in this article and with the comments posted in response, for the reality is that SCFC is now beginning to drop like a stone. But there again we have been consistently edging downwards since the owners came in 7yrs ago. The systemic and withering decline of the club on the pitch, in financial worth, and damage to the club’s reputation is totally down to them. But the difference now is that the speed of the decline is increasing under Martin’s tenure and i can’t imagine Cooper making the same mistakes nor indeed Potter before him. But let’s get it in perspective. The sustained decline of the club is the fault of the owners, the current position is added to by the failure of Russell Martin to make the best of the very poor hand he has been dealt with by the Owners. He was after all their third choice when they couldnt get in Eustace and I think, Jody Morris - hardly setting the managerial world alight themselves. Martin came with at best a moderate reputation from MK Dons. He is a talker and an ideas man but as yet he hasn’t proved that he can deliver on the pitch, in fact far from it. So I agree that for the rest of season Martin has to blood the youngsters (and we are already a young side), give Grimes a break and make Allen or even Fulton captain - but the danger is that if Martin doesn’t change his tactics the young players may well lose confidence as the defeats continue to roll in and the crowd continues to get on their backs as we witnessed against Rotherham. And what on earth is Winter doing with his time at the club? He us certainly not managing, supporting and enabling Martin to reflect on his mistakes and through tactical adjustments and better decision-making get some spine and aggression in the side. But the big picture is not about Martin. Managers, as is stated above will often get big payoff’s, the big picture is about the Owners as it is they who have driven us down into this position. When they took over 7yrs ago I said then that American ownership of British football clubs NEVER works. The American business model is self-serving and self-indulgent, extremely arrogant, and because it they ‘manage’ from a great distance lack the connection, empathy and understanding to provide effective oversight of British clubs who have often served their local communities for decades before the American cavalry arrived. And before anyone quotes Wrexham at me - they have a very different financial model which is based on philanthropy and is part Canadian owned anyway!

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ReslovenSwan1 added 00:01 - Mar 3 you are as green as grass if you think Reynolds is happy to throw money away on good causes for no return. If the player s declined to take part in TV shows for free they would be gone. They had no truck with Wrexham Trust. It was 100% ownership of no deal. Levien and co have given Swansea Trust 5% forever. The trouble with Swansea fans is that they see the Huw Jenkins achievements as the norm. It was extremely difficult to get to the PL and he made it look easy. Fans have treated him shamefully for a fake narrative set up by nobodies.

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Freelander added 07:09 - Mar 3 Yes I agree in some of these comments on here well let's be honest RM has no plan B he picks the the same team time and time again as not to loose playing the ball backwards then blaming every one bar himself he should stick to managing teams in the lower leques and he should pack up and go but saying that with Levien and Kaplan still in charge the club will not be going anywhere as they have no intention of investing any money of thyere own into the club just getting funds from else were and I for one do not hold much hope for next season them two will not be happy untill we get relegated then you will not see thyere backsides for dust got what they wonted out of the club financially but that is what the Americans do with our football clubs.

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ReslovenSwan1 added 12:32 - Mar 3 Quote "with Levien and Kaplan still in charge the club will not be going anywhere as they have no intention of investing any money of their own into the club just getting funds from else where " This is blatantly not true. £16m invested as checked by the Trust and much of it from the Levien Kaplan Group.
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Bluswan added 13:25 - Mar 3 I am certainly not as ‘green as grass’ resolvenswan1. If only, as my first swans match was at the Vetch in 1963… and I suspect you are just one of tiny number apologists for the American owners. The facts don’t lie - in 7 yrs these owners have taken us from PL down to the lower reaches of the Championship and most probably to L1 next season. We are suffering from enormous reputational damage under these owners and their tenure can only end badly. And the Wrexham story is about philanthropy to date - though this may well change as Wrexham hopefully progress from the conference up to the championship over the next 3-5yrs.

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