There should always be a period of time of reflection before something as testing as the latest transfer window is reviewed and commented on. And now with the dust blown off the month of January we do now have some questions that need asking, not least as the majority owners of this club are now as quiet as ever.
The failure to sign anyone wasn’t down to West Bromwich Albion pulling out of the Karlan Grant deal late last night. The club should never have been in that situation in the first place. After thirty one days of pontification and positive statements from Russell Martin, he as an unsupported manager must now also be asking the same questions.
We have all read and been informed quite succinctly at times of the targets the club had, or led everyone in to believing they had. But of course any club can talk about any transfers and interest, it’s what they do about it which gives followers of any team confidence in their leadership. The majority owners clearly never intended to put any physical cash in to any signing this last transfer window. They made inquiries via Julian Winter, the Swansea City CEO who would have known exactly the state of the clubs finances or how how he could improve the club. Was he a part of a wider conspiracy ? Just asking the question. Trying to get Chiedozie Ogbene on the cheap didn’t work, although some will tell you he will eventually end up at Swansea. That’s now open to a lot of discussion. And after our recent experiences nobody will believe a word they are told by the clubs ownership in any event.
The plain facts are that Swansea City never intended to spend a single dollar on any player to support a promotion push guided by Russell Martin. It seems as well that some believe there has been a loss of faith in his ability to complete his plans at Swansea. Hence no incomings. I find that hard to believe in full, and without anything from the Swansea manager or the ‘leadership’ at the club that’s pure speculation.
Possibly.
The simple fact is that Swansea City followers have been led down the road of the usual transfer window indecision that reflects a club in decline financially. The jewels have slowly been sold off under the cover of a ‘player financial strategy’ but no matter how you dress it up the club are slowly selling off their assets and not refinancing anything in to the clubs structure. If Swansea City get anywhere near the top six at the end of this season it will be a miracle, the fact they are where they are is of credit to the coaching staff.
What Swansea City do have now is a situation whereby the majority of the fanbase have negative feelings towards the people who make decisions for the ‘greater good’ of the clubs future. When a relationship breaks down to that extent, where trust and confidence is lost then a parting of the ways can be the only answer. In real terms for now that means a drop in the attendances at the swansea.com stadium and no further renewals of season tickets, for some. That will be the first step, it’s a well practised response by fans of all clubs. And of course there are those who would never sacrifice their match days in that way.
The real test once again comes when Russell Martin faces the pre match cameras this week. His responses to questions will most certainly tell everyone where he stands as the manager of Swansea City. He is too much of a diplomat to absolutely bring forth the real reasons which many already possibly know for the worst transfer window the club has had in recent times. However, he has a way with words, and as we have reported many times he can leave people with certain answers to many questions, and that is likely to be the case again.
Unless of course this time he just lays it out there for people to believe or not ? And for us that’s when the strategy of the ownership will be revealed, because if he has had enough of taking the poison then anything can happen. And that will play straight in to the Americans hands. Russell Martin could be held in breach of his contractual agreements with the club.
Maybe that was the plan all along ? After all our majority owners revel in litigation or moving the goalposts as such when it comes to financial decision making. Kill two birds with one stone maybe ? Spend nothing after indicating they would, and then getting rid of the coaching staff in one fell swoop.
Just a thought of course.