InvictaSaint

This para from Martin’s Coach’s Voice article is particularly interesting. He’s generally been given time but he’s never been given money. Now he will have the money. However, he also knows - presumably - that SR will want - at worst - a two-season max stint in the Championship. So time is far less of a given. How he manages those competing demands will be very interesting.

Spot on.

That was an absolute cracker - Friday night just before Xmas. Jo Tessem scored in a 1-1 draw. I pulled my back in a service station toilet on the way up (not what you’re thinking you smutty lot - I lent awkwardly over a sink!) so was in agony most of the game. The music really cheered me up!

This would indicate you’re right….(from the outgoing director of marketing)

Just as a counterpoint, here are some alternative Swansea fans’ views I have found over the last couple of days. But I imagine it will be like every other manager - some will like him, some will be indifferent and others will hate him, for whatever reason. Take David Moyes - got West Ham to a European final, but only just survived in the PL. Some Hammers like him, some don’t. It will be the same with RM. We just have to hope that with better resources, a long pre-season (such as he didn’t have when he joined Swansea with a week to go before the season kicked off) and our support, he makes a good fist of it. As supporters what else can we do?!

But again you’re being selective. Wyn mentions a number of positives within his post. I certainly wouldn’t say there’s ‘nothing to allay our fears’ - quite the opposite. But if you go looking for misery, you’ll almost certainly find it…. A more balanced view would be that Wyn highlights some concerns over a potentially fixed mindset related to possession, resulting in less attractive and less effective football, but counters that with an indication the winning run at the back end of the season showed Martin being more adaptable and flexible. If you then take the context of Littledavewatson’s very reasoned and reasonable post you get a sense of what Martin was up against in January and how that affected things. With better players he might not suffer those issues. Nothing is guaranteed and Martin may fail or may succeed. But taking a balanced view is key.

Very selective. Does this not count then?

I think we all know the answer to that one….

From a Dons supporter:

Worth a listen:

From somebody who knows him and has got his coaching badges with him…

The comments I posted above might suggest otherwise….

Two Swansea fans’ views. Somewhat more positive. “Southampton gave a great manager and fantastic person, but a long contract with assurances is needed to succeed.”

Spot on - this is the absolute nub of it. Even with Romeu - who was definitely adding protection and broke up play before it got to the edge of our 18 yard box or out wide, which we have badly lacked since his departutre - with JWP in the middle we didn't /don't have pace to break through the lines. Hence the endless recycling of possession which does nothing for us. This has to be an area where we look to invest and improve, particularly if (as has been mooted) we go down the heavy possession-based football route.

Yes. That is oh so clearly what I was advocating. For the hard of understanding....it is NOT my opinion. I am simply passing on - on a football forum - what somebody who has worked with / met him thinks of him. Take it, leave it, ignore it - don't really care. But don't wilfully misinterpret it.

Not my opinion - just passing it on from somebody who has worked with him. Which I imagine is more than you have done. Go back to commiserating over your beloved Gooners missing out on the title.

Spoke with a colleague at work today who did his UEFA B licence with Russell Martin, and who has had a number of interactions with him over the last few years. He holds him in very high regard. Says he is a very good man manager, and a thoroughly decent human being. He is a purist so will not abandon his principles just to get results. His football is heavily possession based - 60% plus - and his teams often win games in the last 20 minutes once they've ground teams down. However, supporters enjoy watching his teams - there is positivity around watching them - and he gets good buy in. My colleague's view is that he has not had the tools - or at least not all of them - at his disposal at Swansea to get a team where we need to go, but that given the right resources he will do very well. Says we could do a hell of a lot worse, and would recommend him over Schumacher if that were ever a consideration.

Spoke with a colleague at work today who did his UEFA B licence with Russell Martin, and who has had a number of interactions with him over the last few years. He holds him in very high regard. Says he is a very good man manager, and a thoroughly decent human being. He is a purist so will not abandon his principles just to get results. His football is heavily possession based - 60% plus - and his teams often win games in the last 20 minutes once they've ground teams down. However, supporters enjoy watching his teams - there is positivity around watching them - and he gets good buy in. My colleague's view is that he has not had the tools - or at least not all of them - at his disposal at Swansea to get a team where we need to go, but that given the right resources he will do very well. Says we could do a hell of a lot worse, and would recommend him over Schumacher if that were ever a consideration.

Anyone else’s ticket not turned up yet….?

Interesting that you never see them both in the same room at the same time….🤔

Silver linings and all that….

Silver linings and all that….

Agree. Posted this at the end of yesterday’s game. Sums him up,