Swansea City head coach Russell Martin. Pic: Getty Images.

Russell Martin Hails Swansea City’s Return After Five Weeks Without Full Training Sessions

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By David Williams

Russell Martin has spoken of his pride in Swansea City for the way they stopped the rot at in-form Huddersfield.

The Swans head coach had plenty of praise for his players who earned a 1-1 draw away from home to end a run of four straight defeats.

“We could have probably had the three points and I don’t think anyone could have complained,” said Martin, whose team remain 17th in the table, 14 points off the play-offs but with three matches in hand.

“I’m incredibly proud of the players for how they performed in the second half. I’m so proud and loved so much of our performance.

“It stops the run of poor results. To get a point in that way was incredible. We played with great energy in the second half and the fans played their part.

“It was a big day for us on the back of three poor results. We have not had a full training session for five weeks or played in front of fans.

“It has been a really difficult time, especially with the transfer window and players wondering about their future. The guys on the pitch today did me proud.”

 

Flynn Downes’ late goal rescued the draw after the Swans had fallen behind to Danel Sinani’s 15th-minute opener.

Following a slow start to the game, Martin’s men responded well, with Ryan Manning and Cyrus Christie both going close to a deserved equaliser.

Swansea then bossed the entire second half, with Huddersfield barely able to get out of their own half.

“I understood why we were tense for 15 or 20 minutes, and we conceded a goal in that time,” added Martin.

“But then Ben Hamer made a really big save and from then on I thought we were great, starting with that last 20 minutes of the first half.

“We just felt we needed to free ourselves up a bit in the second half and play with a bit more belief, which is what we asked them to do at half-time.”

Martin picked out goalscorer Downes, whose goal was his first for the club since he joined from Ipswich Town.

“I’m running out of superlatives for Flynn,” said Martin.

 

“He came from League One. He was a really important signing for us. We were really supported by the owners with that signing, and I think it’s been justified because he’s one of our biggest assets.

“He has all the ingredients he needs to play at the very top. He knows how I feel about him and how we feel about him as a coaching staff and what his ceiling can be. I think he can go and play wherever he wants eventually.

“Without attracting too much attention to him from other people, Flynn – just the way he is as a boy, every day, the way he trains, how respectful he is towards his team-mates, the way he conducts himself – is an incredible character.

“That’s the beauty with having someone who worked with one of our coaching staff for two years who really understands the boy, even though he had a tough time towards the end at Ipswich.

 

“That’s the whole point of trying to play the way we want to play, to bring the best version of people out. He suits what we’re doing incredibly well.

“We have a lot of good players, some of them are suited more to the style of play than others. He certainly is that. He’s been incredible.”

 

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