Your Swansea City headlines on Friday, April 21.
Contract stalemate
Russell Martin says there is "no news" regarding contracts at Swansea City despite admitting the club need to be "proactive".
The head coach - who will enter the final 12 months of his deal with the club in the summer - has regularly stated his desire to have his contract situation, along with those of his staff, resolved one way or another as swiftly as possible.
He is also keen for players including Joel Piroe, Steven Benda, Joel Latibeaudiere and Ryan Manning to sign new deals.
However, with just three matches left to play this season, the 37-year-old reckons the expected investment into the club in the near future could give Swansea clarity as they bid to continue to build for the future.
"I don't think so, I've got no news for you on that really," he said when asked if there were any developments on new contracts being issued at the club.
"I'm not in charge of it, I've got no news unfortunately. I just get a bit bored talking about it. We need to do something with certain players, even trying to sign some players and be really proactive. It's just not quite happening at the moment. It's not my job and hopefully with things happening in the background we'll get some clarity on things.
"It's not my job to worry about that, I spent too much time worrying about all of that and it affected how the team performed and how I performed, so I'm just focused on coaching the team as well as I possibly can and focused on the staff we have. The players and the staff are brilliant. I'm focused on them to give them everything I've got and hopefully we can keep on winning. I'm sure the rest will take care of itself."
Jay Fulton recently signed a new contract to remain with the club until 2026 while academy star Ben Lloyd this week put pen to paper on fresh terms.
Ex-Man Utd starlet reveals he hated Swans loan
Daniel Nardiello revealed the brutality of League Two ensured he "hated" his loan spell with Swansea City.
The Manchester United academy product joined the Swans on a one-month loan deal in 2003 and made five appearances for the club before securing a switch to Barnsley for the second half of the 2003/04 campaign.
And while the former striker admits his stint in south Wales benefitted him in the long-term, Nardiello - who went on to earn three caps for Wales - says he was desperate to return to Old Trafford following his brief time under Brian Flynn at Swansea.
"I was used to playing on perfect pitches at youth team level," he said on the Undr the Cosh podcast. "Carrington is like a carpet, it's not men's football, (in League Two) you're not up against 6ft 4in centre-halves who just kick you for 90 minutes.
"Going to Swansea in League Two, my debut was Rochdale away. It was just brutal, I hated it. I loved the opportunity, and that month I was there, I learnt so much from that month, I took it into my next loan at Barsnley.
"It was really tough, I found it really hard and I couldn't wait to get back to United. No disrespect to Swansea, it's a great club. You were training on a farm, it was bobbly pitches, it was awful, there was no structure, it was proper League Two football.
"I was just itching to go back so I could go out again, try and prove myself somewhere else and luckily a month later I went to Barnsley and I did OK. But it was a good learning curve for my career."
Martin chasing 'perfect week'
Russell Martin admits he's chasing a "perfect week" as he returns to former club Norwich City for the first time since his Canaries testimonial.
The Swans boss spent almost a decade at Carrow Road during his playing career and won three promotions with the Canaries.
And ahead of his first trip back to Norwich since playing in his testimonial match for the club in May 2019, the head coach stated his sole focus was on securing a fourth successive win for Swansea that would cap off a dream week following victories over Preston North End and Huddersfield Town since last weekend.
“It was an amazing part of my life and a time I will always be grateful for. I shared it with loads of really good people," Martin said of his Norwich career.
“The kids were born there. There will always be an affinity. But I haven’t been back since we left, apart from my testimonial game at the end of that season.
“It’s a chapter I remember really fondly but it’s closed. Despite the feeling I have for some of the people there, it’s my job and I am representing a brilliant club and some brilliant people. I want to win for them.
“I am just looking forward to the game. It’s another team chasing the play-offs who need a win to keep their season alive. If we can get three wins it will be the perfect week.”
Extended blip costly
Iwan Roberts has fully outlined the costly nature of Swansea City's poor run earlier this season.
The Swans were fourth in the table after beating Cardiff City 2-0 in October but won just three of their following 21 league matches, collecting 16 of the 63 points on offer during that period.
However, they have since recovered from those struggles, winning five of their last six fixtures going into this weekend's clash with Norwich City at Carrow Road.
Indeed, Swansea's current six-game unbeaten run is their best of the season so far, with Martin's troops picking up 16 of the last 18 available points to move to the cusp of the top half of the Championship table.
But ex-Wales striker believes Swansea's resurgence has come too little too late when it comes to the possibility of snatching a top six place.
"When you had that bad run of three wins in 21, it has cost you massively," he said on EJFOF.
"Every club has a blip, sadly your blip went on for 21 games. That's why I think you will just miss out on the top six.
"You had exactly the same amount of points in those 21 games as you have in the last six. It'd be a little miracle if you made it."
READ MORE:
Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe breaks silence after Swansea City brawl
Russell Martin blames Preston boss for 'carnage' with Joe Allen at end of Swansea City match
Swansea City player ratings as Piroe immense again and Allen sublime despite red card
The devastating impact gambling has had on Russell Martin's life
