Former Swansea City man delivers honest Russell Martin verdict | OneFootball

Former Swansea City defender Neil Taylor has admitted that he is a fan of the approach Russell Martin has taken regarding his style of play and has suggested that the club are heading in the right direction under the guidance of the 36-year-old.

Martin has opted to utilise a possession-based system since being handed over the reins at the Swansea.com Stadium last year following a spell in charge of Milton Keynes Dons.

During the current campaign, only Burnley have averaged more possession (63.7%) than Swansea (62.8%).

By sticking with this particular approach, Martin has overseen eight victories in the Championship this season.

Whereas Swansea’s progress has been hindered by the fact that they have also suffered six defeats at this level, they are currently level on points with Millwall who occupy the final play-off spot.

Having been forced to settle for a point in each of their last three league fixtures, the Jacks will be determined to get back to winning ways when they face Norwich City on December 10th.

Ahead of this upcoming fixture, Taylor has shared an honest assessment on Martin.

Speaking to Swansea’s official website, the 33-year-old said: “I think it’s brilliant, the way Swansea look to play.

“I love it.

“I’m a massive Russell Martin fan.

“We played a behind-closed-doors friendly once against MK Dons when I was at Villa during an international break, and I remember playing them and thinking how unusual they were as a side at that level.

“You don’t usually get that, a team in League One that looks to try and dominate the ball so much, that doesn’t usually happen.

“They didn’t beat us, but you look at it and think ‘fair play, they’ve got a real identity and way of doing things'”.

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Taylor later added: “I speak to Joe Allen and he has told me a lot of good things, and he speaks highly of a lot of players like Joel Piroe, who is quality.

“Russell Martin is definitely a Swansea-type manager.

“It’s definitely the way to go, he’s fulfilling the remit, he’s developing young players.

“If he can do that whilst being successful, then fair play. I think it shows real bravery to try and do things differently, as they are, and it’s great to see a team and a club with that identity.”

The Verdict

When Swansea are firing on full cylinders, they are capable of producing an attractive brand of football and thus it is hardly a surprise that Taylor has praised Martin’s approach.

In order for the Jacks to reach new heights in the Championship over the course of the coming months, they will need to improve their consistency as a failure to deliver the goods week-in, week-out has prevented them from emerging as a legitimate contender for automatic promotion.

With the transfer window set to open next month, it will be interesting to see whether Martin opts to secure the services of some fresh faces.

By signing players who are the perfect fit for his system, the Swansea boss could potentially boost his side’s chances of achieving a great deal of success in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.