, Comment: Russell Martin’s nostalgic new era has Swansea City on course for a return to the glory days

Comment: Russell Martin’s nostalgic new era has Swansea City on course for a return to the glory days

Russell Martin and Swansea City seem like a match made in heaven – Martin an up and coming manager with a distinct, contemporary style of play and Swansea City a club famed for playing, and arguably pioneering such football in the English leagues, and craving it once again.

In the not so distant past, we were hailing Swansea City’s arrival in the Premier League and their newfound tiki-taka football. A style of play now utilised across the globe arguably had its origins in Wales, when Brendan Rodgers was the man at the Swansea City helm. The now Leicester City boss guided Swansea to promotion from the Championship in 2011, adorning this new style of football and asserting both himself and Swansea City as football contemporaries.

The Swans would spend seven seasons in the Premier League. Michael Laudrup came into the club when Rodgers left for Liverpool in 2012 and would do well to carry over much of the good work that was put in place before him, lifting the League Cup in 2013 as well. Though Swansea City would go on to record higher Premier League finishes under both Laudrup and then Garry Monk than what they did under Rodgers, there was a sense that the club had started to lose that identity which made them such a favourable addition to the English top flight.

, Comment: Russell Martin’s nostalgic new era has Swansea City on course for a return to the glory days

Relegation would beset the club in 2018. Carlos Carvalhal gave a spirited performance in the Swans job but couldn’t prevent them from returning to the English Football League after some regressive years in the Premier League, with Graham Potter then coming into the club. The appointment of Potter was a wildcard one, and one which was likely an attempt at bringing back that exciting, post-modern style of play to the club and, for all intents and purposes, he did. Potter impressed enough to land the Brighton & Hove Albion job and has since asserted himself as one of the best up and coming managers in the country with a keen footballing philosophy.

But then came Steve Cooper. Never before has a manager achieved back-to-back top six finishes with a club in the Football League, yet been so overwhelming slated for the job he did. On paper, he achieved exactly what was expected of him. But when you scratch beneath the surface and look at what Swansea City fans had to sit through for two years, you realise why Cooper was such an unfavoured name and why he simply had to go.

Swansea City fans have grown accustomed to a certain brand of football in their modern history. Cooper’s was the exact opposite of what that brand is – a decent enough manager and a good youth coach, undoubtedly, but he didn’t have the Swansea City DNA. Martin however, does.

, Comment: Russell Martin’s nostalgic new era has Swansea City on course for a return to the glory days

Arriving at the club rather hastily after a failed pursuit of QPR assistant John Eustace, Martin inevitably had a shaky start to life at Swansea City. There were early questions about how forceful he was proving with his unique, passing style of play and there looked to be some unsettled names in the Swans camp after his arrival, with the likes of Jamal Lowe seemingly dashing for the exit upon so.

Despite losing him, Andre Ayew and Connor Roberts too, Swansea City look a much better side this season. They’ve replaced their previous star men with new ones who compliment Martin’s philosophy – Joel Piroe and Jamie Paterson have arguably been two of the best Championship signings this season, with 22 goals contributions between them being a huge reason why their side are surging up the table.

In fact, there’s new favourites right across the pitch. Ben Hamer seemed an underwhelming signing at first but he’s since eclipsed every Swansea City fans’ previous favourite goalkeeper Freddie Woodman. Ethan Laird has hit the ground running after his loan move from Manchester United, Olivier Ntcham is another summer signing who’s slotted nicely into the side and names like Matt Grimes, Korey Smith and even the once contested Ryan Bennett who were already at the club before Martin, have all taken their games to the next level.

, Comment: Russell Martin’s nostalgic new era has Swansea City on course for a return to the glory days

Seeing Swansea City play such liquid football is nostalgic. Little over 10 years since Rodgers’ Swansea City won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, playing that infamous tiki-taka brand of football, Martin’s Swansea City look to be on course to achieve a similar feat and they’re doing so in a similar style.

Swansea City have become the trend-setters once again. That previous philosophy etched into fans’ minds by the likes of Rodgers and perhaps even Laudrup is being satisfied, and it’s made even more satisfying after two years of Cooper’s negative, unoriginal, and often painful football

The challenge ahead for Swansea City and Martin is huge. Competing with the likes of Bournemouth and Fulham this season is no mean feat. Those with recent parachute payments seem to be conquering the Championship this season and breaking into that echelon will be difficult for any side. But if Swansea can maintain their form, keep on building upon their newfound but also pleasantly nostalgic identity under Martin and also rather importantly, keep those Premier League vultures from sniffing around their manager, then they’ll be rejoining football’s elite soon enough.

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