The Trust is disappointed to see the departure of Russell Martin from Swansea City to take up the vacant manager’s post at Southampton, as confirmed in the club’s earlier release HERE
However, we would like to place on record our thanks to Russell and his backroom staff for the work they have done in their two years in SA1.
Russell joined the Swans after back-to-back playoff campaigns under Steve Cooper but was faced with the proposition of working with reduced funding as our parachute payments came to an end. This is a difficult prospect for any manager, but we appreciate the work Russell did in this context. In his time with us, Russell nurtured and developed a young squad, and we are left in a strong position with a young nucleus of players who will lead us into the future. Russell’s brand of football was both exciting and nerve-wracking in equal measure at times, but the dedication of the players and commitment to the way of playing never faltered. He will be forever etched in the history books as the architect of a historic double over our South Wales rivals Cardiff City in 2021/22 and compounded that with a further double this past season. These are matches that we as fans will remember and cherish forever.
Russell’s tenure was not without its challenges however, and everyone associated with the club was disappointed with the January transfer window & the poor run of form in the winter period. We know this hurt Russell and the senior management team after the work done in the lead up to the window, and we understand and share in the frustration of fans in what might have been. The club has since seen some changes to its structure, and we hope these will help avoid the challenges experienced during January.
As a Trust Board, we would like to place on record our personal thanks to Russell for his continued dialogue with us both through formal and informal channels during his tenure, and for his willingness to engage in our member activities. Russell was a guest at our Trust Board meetings several times, brought his full squad along to the highly successful bowling night charity fundraiser last November and we also hugely appreciate the way he embedded himself into the local community.
It is hard to say whether a new contract would have convinced Russell to stay, and with Southampton having just been relegated and therefore benefitting from parachute payments, we understand why he has chosen to take this opportunity. It is a well-known fact in football that for managers, their careers follow two main trajectories – they move up, or they get moved out. Whether that is in months or years, that is typically the trend.
We wish Russell and his family well in this new opportunity for them.
Looking ahead
It is yet another big summer for the club, with leadership changes already made in the form of the new Chairman Andy Coleman, and with another new manager set to take over the squad. We know that this is frustrating for the fanbase, but when you invest as a club in young talent (both on and off the pitch) and develop a certain style of playing it is inevitable that bigger clubs will come calling when they see potential.
Naturally we would have liked this to have been concluded weeks ago, but the negotiations between the club and Southampton have been complex, and we support the club’s position in wanting to extract the maximum value for Russell and his team. This has of course delayed our own recruitment for a new manager, but we are confident that a new manager will be in place imminently.
The Trust has been in almost daily discussions with Andy Coleman about the manager situation, and whilst we are frustrated that more could not be shared publicly in the lead up to today’s announcement, we appreciate the diligence with which Andy and the senior management team have gone about the task.
In our conversations with Andy, we have also impressed on him the need to provide clear and consistent messaging going forward, to give the fanbase confidence in the vision and plan for the club in what is going to be an extremely important period.
We expect an announcement on a new manager to be made in the not-too-distant future and will warmly welcome them in with the same level of support that Russell and his predecessors have received.
Swansea City Supporters’ Trust
21st June 2023
