Without knowing who will actually be here, a narrow 4-2-3-1 with a lot of interplay and movement behind would seem to... Favour: Smallbone, Tella, Alcaraz, Mara, Ballard, Che. Progressive AMs (Smallbone/Alcaraz) and ball-playing forwards that can alternately drop off to receive the ball and make runs behind (Tella, Mara, Ballard, Che). Disfavour: Djenepo, Onuachu. Djenepo isn't a great passer or decision-maker in condensed spaces, but he has also never seemed particularly adept at making runs beyond the defense, preferring to receive the ball wide. Big strikers can do quite well in the Championship, but Onuachu probably doesn't fit Martin's style. ????: Sulemana, Edozie, assorted Armstrongs. Sulemana and Edozie could both be holy terrors, with their pace and close control, or they could be entirely out of place. Stu has in the past been good playing as a narrow wide man, but his passing over the past 18 months has been pretty brutal. It would seem like a good fit for a quick forward like Adam Armstrong, but only if he can actually finish.
7 months on since I wrote this. I'd ask how he's faring but I think it's quite clear given your insane unbeaten run and league position! Glad to see him succeed and definitely confirms that it was never a Martin issue at Swansea - as some fans would claim and amazingly still do - but more of a lack of investment from our owners. All the best for the rest of the season chaps, hope you make it.
Said it then and will say it again: I have a fondness for Swansea as you charted a path in the PL that we followed soon after, showing up in the top division unafraid and attacking. Hope we go up this year and you join us a year later.
Thanks. I thought you looked good in the second half against us, recently. Fingers crossed you can bring that game to your match with Leeds this week.
He's done incredibly well. We have really evolved as the season has progressed. At the start we were slow and predictable. But now we are dynamic and just dominating teams with quick one-touch, positive attacking football. The unbeaten run looks nice, but to be honest we were lucky not to lose away to Preston and away to Huddersfield, and we haven't played any of the top teams away yet. Even if we don't go up, the team spirit that RM has created is so good to see. The squad became so fractured and negative during the past few seasons. Can see a lot of the players staying loyal over the summer, because of RM. So we'll have a good squad again next season, and another good crack at going up.
