With two points in six games and defeat in the South Wales derby, Duffman will be thrusting in the direction of the exit if Swansea don’t pick up form fast. We spoke to Keith from Swansea Independent and Phil from Planet Swans.

What did you make of last season, and Russell Martin's reign overall?

Phil: As far as last season went, it was a season of three parts. In September, October, April and into May we looked the best side in the division. Sadly in between we won three in 24 – two against ten men – and that is why we finished where we were. Many will tell you that if we had held onto Martin we would have gone up this season and on the evidence of the end of the season that could have been the case. But what if we were that side that won three in 24? And that is how I would sum up the overall Russell Martin reign – very, very good in places but capable of being equally as dreadful in others.

Keith: The website was fully behind him. We saw what he was trying to do and over the last ten games of the season it really clicked. He was so close to getting the Swans in to the play offs. The problem was an awful run from the start of January to mid-March. That’s where Martin lost it. However, the majority owners didn’t support him in the January window and by his own admission Martin was affected mentally by the lack of support. Personally, I genuinely believe had the Swans got in to the play offs they would have won them. The football at the end of last season was sublime.

It's been a poor start to this one, what do you put that down to?

Phil: A new manager, some different ideas and a huge turnover of players. I don’t think it is anything more complicated than that.

Keith: Michael Duff is trying to change the whole ethos of how the team play. It’s backfired badly on him, he is losing the players and has most certainly lost the goodwill of the fans. He called Martin’s tactics extreme on the weekend, however whatever his idea of what is needed is beyond most who watch the Swans week in week out. It’s appalling football.

Swansea’s league games so far…
Swansea 1-1 Birmingham Yates 76 – Dembele 43
West Brom 3-2 Swansea Ajayi 18,Rushworth og 50, Swift pen 64 – Darling 74, Wood 80
Swansea 1-1 Coventry Yates 41 – Godden 39
Preston 2-1 Swansea Hughes 67, Holmes 79 – Ashby 33
Swansea 1-2 Bristol City Cullen 10 – Sykes 48, Bell 59
Cardiff 2-0 Swansea Tanner 71, Ramsey pen 86

I really liked the Michael Duff appointment, but obviously the results aren't there at the moment and the criticism has really ramped up after the weekend – where are you on him?

Phil: Oh, loads. Some of it relevant and some of it driven by the fact that he isn’t Russell Martin which is something some definitely need to get over. Saturday was dreadful and has summed up our season to date - everything the manager promised at the moment seems to be nowhere near what we have, and certainly nowhere near what we want. The pressure will be mounting on the new manager and with every passing game that will become worse certainly until we win.

Keith: There’s plenty: he isn’t embracing the club by the sounds of things, and people are talking within the club and on the outside. He really needs to take stock on how he is doing things because as it stands he is very much on the edge. If the fans turn and the main websites he’s toast. His tactics and attitude towards the game against Cardiff on Saturday night was shocking. Cardiff are no great shakes and we hardly laid a glove on them. He embarrassed the Swans support who went there (a bubble game takes a whole days travel for most ) and lost all faith in him in most quarters.

Leads turned into defeats in three of the last four - any particular reason or failings?

Phil: Aye we have a poor defence who have a habit of going to sleep and conceding easy goals. It’s been a problem for many years and a definite reason why we signed three new defensive players on deadline day.

Keith: The players are being run in to the ground in training. They seem to have little or no energy for the fight on a match day. They don’t seem to have the energy to last the whole game, maybe that’s something that will change with more fitness, but it’s losing the Swans games.

Once again this transfer window a star name leaves without adequate replacement - what did you make of the activity done? Is it finances or incompetence driving the perceived failures in Swansea's recruitment (Martin particularly scathing of what he was given to work with)?

Phil: We signed 13 new players. In perspective that is 13 more players than we managed in January. I am not sure we can say yet whether they are adequate or not but it’s nice to at least see us signing. Jerry Yates has goals in him – whether they are the same number of goals as Piroe we wait to see but our financial model says someone needs to move on, so he did.

I’d ignore personally what Martin said. He seemed to conveniently brush off a pretty poor record in the loan market and let’s just say that he probably had more signings that didn’t work than those that did. January was close to incompetence and our windows will always be dictated by finances and pretty much always have been (even in some of our early years in the Premier League).

Keith: Like every club the Swans have a ‘player trading model’ however, this season Joel Latibeaudiere and Ryan Manning left, then Olivier Ntcham, a big loss. Ryan went on a free but around £1.5m was secured for Latibeaudiere and Ntcham. Then there’s the £3.5m on Obafemi plus Joel Piroe has left for around £12m. The club relies on a big sale every summer (last summer it was Flynn Downes to West Ham). The majority owners want to run the club on what they receive in on transfers. There has been investment but that’s all a bit of a mystery as it isn’t reflected in the club’s financial checks. It seems to be in some form of LLC.

Ins >>> Jerry Yates, 26, ST, Blackpool, £2.5m >>> Josh Tymon, 24, LB, Stoke, £2m >>> Mykola Kukharevych, 22, CF, Troyes, £1.8m >>> Nathan Tjoe-A-On, 21, LB, Excelsior, £300k >>> Josh Key, 23, RB, Exeter, Undisclosed >>> Josh Ginnelly, 26, LW, Hearts, Free >>> Krystian Pedersen, 29, LB, Koln, Free >>> Nathan Broome, 21, GK, Wimbledon, Free >>> Charlie Patino, 19, AM, Arsenal, Loan >>> Bashir Humphreys, 20, CB, Chelsea, Loan >>> Jamal Lowe, 29, CF, Bournemouth, Loan >>> Harrison Ashby, 21, RB, Newcastle, Loan >>> Carl Rushworth, 22, GK, Brighton, Loan

Outs >>> Joel Piroe, 24, CF, Leeds, £12m >>> Michael Obafemi, 22, CF, Burnley, £4m >>> Morgan Whittaker, 21, CF, Plymouth, £1m >>> Steven Benda, 24, GK, Fulham, £800k >>> Ryan Manning, 27, LB, Southampton, Free >>> Joel Latibeaudiere, 23, CB, Coventry, Free >>> Kyle Joseph, 21, CF, Blackpool, Undisclosed >>> Oliver Ntcham, 27, AM, Samsunspor, Undisclosed >>> Kyle Joseph, 21, CF, Blackpool, Undisclosed >>> Andreas Sondegaard, 22, GK, Released >>> Brandon Cooper, 23, CB, Orient, Loan

Star men in this team and weak links?

Phil: I’ll highlight here Josh Key who has been the best player for me so far this season. Young, assured and seems to be good at what he does. Too early to judge on many others including the rest of our new additions.

Keith: Nobody has really stood out this season. Charlie Patino on loan from Arsenal looks decent and has contributed three assists but he’s a young kid. Jerry Yates has scored a couple of goals but has spent much of the last three games on his backside complaining to the referee. Nathan Wood is decent but has his dissenters as does Ben Cabango. It’s hard to put anyone up as a star player so far. They are all just very below average.

Revised expectations for the season?

Phil: I haven’t revised by expectations, I think we will be mid table – this division is as tough this season as I have seen it with lots of clubs having much bigger budgets. Mid table would not be failure.

Keith: There has to be an expectation to get in to the play offs. At this point in time it’s a huge no, no. However, if the club act swiftly (pending a continuation of the current form) who can say? Steve Cooper is a prime example when he went in at Forest. This week is huge for Duff, he has to turn it round, however you won’t get a better chance to take advantage of the mess on the pitch that’s for sure.

Links >>> Official Website >>> Planet Swans — Blog and Forum >>> Swansea Independent - Forum >>> Wales Online — Local Paper >>> The Jack Army — Forum >>> SOS - Fanzine

The Twitter @loftforwords, @swansnews @swansea_indy

Pictures — Action Images

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TacticalR added 17:55 - Sep 19 Thanks to Keith and Phil. I always get nervous when I read these 'oppo in crisis' interviews. Having said that Joël Piroe looks a big loss. The fitness problems sound familiar. Maybe both teams can have a rest for the last 30 minutes of today's game?
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