Martin stated the three point remit that he received when hired (5:40): 1) return the Swansea way; 2) promote talent from within or find young talent and develop and turn into assets; 3) get as close as possible to the playoffs.
1)
Martin's ball is NOT the Swansea way. The last manager who has played the Swansea way was Graham Potter. I am not saying that we have never played the Swansea way under Martin, but that has been sporadic and in patches.
2) Yes. When we look at the stats
the vast majority of our players have improved under Martin.
In season 2021/22 Paterson scored 9 goals and had 9 assists, Piroe scored 22 goals and had 6 assists, Obafemi scored 12 and had 3 assists, Manning has had his second and third best season ever under Martin, this season is Grimes' best season ever (1 goal and 6 assists already), Oli Cooper has scored 5 goals and has 2 assists this season, Ntcham's 4 goals and 3 assists in 2021/22 and 5 goals and 2 assists this season is the best he's ever produced on the football pitch, Cullen has already 5 goals and 1 assist this season, Sorinola has never scored 2 and assisted 2 at this level, same with Luke Cundle (1 goal and 2 assists this season), and this season is Joel Latibeaudiere's best one. Fulton has improved his passing and has almost double as many key passes per game as under Cooper.
But, but, but...
I doubt Oli Cooper and Luke Cundle would have gotten a chance had it not been for Paterson's injury and Ntcham's inability to play more than 20 minutes. I also doubt Cullen would have gotten a chance had Obafemi not gone AWOL trying to force a move to Burnley.
Let's not forget that Martin initialy froze Fulton out, sent one of our most talented players Whittaker out on loan, nd only sporadically played talented Oko-Flex.
Conclusion:
Martin can't take credit for some of our players' improvement, and for the others we'll never know whether they would improve even more under an other manager.
3) To be fair to Martin
this Championship season is more competitive than ever. The big Championship clubs have excellent managers and top quality squads. Burnley, Sheff. United, Middlesbrough, Watford, Norwich, Blackburn and WBA are all up there in the top ten. Two experienced managers Alex Niel, at Stoke, and Nigel Pearson, at Bristol City, are below Swansea in the league table.
Interestingly, John Eustace, who was Swansea first choice candidate for the manager's job in summer 2021 is managing Birmingham and is 19th in the league table. Martin, who was allegedly the club's third choice, is currently 12th with Swansea.
@CroJack made a comment in another thread (?) relating the squad's age and I am intending to do a comparison of the squads from the Martinez, Sousa, Rogers and Laudrup seasons'.
I didn't make a comment on the squad's average age. My point was that
this season only four senior players have performed at an acceptable level. In the beginning of the season Paterson was first injured and then frozen out, same with Obafemi. Ntcham can't last more than 20 minutes, Allen was also injured and can't last more than 70 minutes. Cabango and Lati are too slow to play high back line. The rest of the players are the players who have never (regularly) played at this level. Fisher, Benda, Wood, Darling, Cundle, Sorinola, Oko-Flex, Cooper, Congreve, Cullen, and now Whittaker.
It is pointless to do comparison with Martinez, Sousa, Rogers and Laudrup squads for different reasons. Each period in time is unique, the opposition is different (managers and players), the squad is different..., but I can bet that none of the managers you mentioned ever had 6-7 players in the starting XI who had never played at this level game after game after game.
Here's the thing: Martin has had the same core group of players for 1.75 seasons.
No, he hasn't. Downes gone, Wolf gone, Laird gone, Christie gone, Smith gone, Hamer gone, Bennet gone, Paterson and Obafemi first injured, and then frozen out. That's too many players.
Martin inherited Andy Pandy's squad less Ayew and less top quality loans (Brewster, Guehi, Gallagher) that returned.
No, he hasn't. Roberts, Lowe, Ayew, Bidwell, Woodman, Hourihane, Dhanda, Gyokeres, Palmer, Peterson, Gibbs-White, Guehi, Brewster, Gallagher etc. all left before Martin took over.
if you scan the squad, what do you seeing being different next season? what are the gaps and can they be filled?
Should I be completely honest? Keep Oli Cooper, Morgan Whittaker, Joe Allen, Jay Fulton, Matty Grimes and Liam Cullen. Get rid of all other players. We need a complete overhaul of the squad. But first of all we have to find an excellent goalkeeper.