Former Swansea City player Ian Walsh says American owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan have been "absolutely rubbish" for the club.
The duo arrived in south Wales in 2016 and have overseen a decline in the club's fortunes, heightened by Premier League relegation in 2018. Resulting financial pressures have meant successive Swansea managers have had to sell their top players each summer to balance the books in SA1, with current head coach Russell Martin no different.
After the 2-0 defeat to Luton on Saturday, Martin admitted he cannot bring in any further signings this summer unless he sells. His remit from the owners is to create assets, he says, with the latest, Flynn Downes, sold to West Ham United for £14million earlier in this window.
Walsh, who represented Swansea over the course of two years and who is now a pundit for BBC Wales, says the owners must back their manager but believes it is already time for them to move on from the club.
"Indirectly he was putting it back on the owners there," Walsh said of Martin's post-match comments.
"For me what that interview did was Russell Martin saying to the owners please, please, please invest in the club.
"The problem with the manager I feel, and he's got to be honest with himself, he wants to play a certain way but you have to have really, really good players.
"If you're signing players from lower divisions who are new to the Championship but haven't played that many games it's going to be difficult.
"If he's not supported by bringing in the players that he needs to play that way and in a successful way, then it's down to the owners.
"The owners have been absolutely rubbish for Swansea City Football Club. The time is now for them to get back on their horses and get back to the States."
Levien and Kaplan have been rarely seen at the Swansea.com Stadium in recent years, although Covid has played a part in that. Walsh, though, believes they should be making more of an effort.
On Martin and the mounting pressure on him amid the club's slow start to the season, Walsh believes he deserves more time.
"I'm not totally convinced about calling for the manager's head at this stage after only five games," Walsh added.
"But I am convinced about calling for the heads of the owners to get themselves back to Swansea and to see if they can improve the squad and invest some money.
"But I can tell you the answer to that will be no. We're not far away from the end of the transfer window now and there's not going to be enough time to change things.
"If the Americans aren't going to invest, get them out of here and see if someone else can come in and do a slightly better job.
"I know it's difficult with finances in the world these days, but the manager is only able to sign players from a certain level and those players aren't good enough unfortunately to the way he wants to play.
"I'm a great admirer of 'total football' and love that but there are times you can change."
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