What next for Russell Martin as promising coach reaches the end of his tether?

Swansea City’s winless run in the Championship is now over, but it still feels like Russell Martin’s time in charge is coming to an end…

The 2022/23 promotion race in the second tier was expected to be wide open, with few envisaging Vincent Kompany’s Burnley p*ssing the league as they have.

I was among those that saw enough potential in Swansea to peg them as a potential Championship promotion candidate, but this campaign has gradually drifted into bleak territory for Russell Martin’s side.

The Swans flirted around the play-off picture – as pretty much every other team in the league did – during the opening few months of the campaign. But a dismal stretch of just three league wins in 20 games saw them plummet towards the wrong end of the table.

Heading into last weekend’s home game against Bristol City, Martin’s team had picked up just one point in six games. They were also not yet safe as just seven points separated them and the relegation zone.

So Martin and his players can be forgiven for their rapturous celebrations after a much-improved performance saw them cruise to a 2-0 victory.

It was clearly Swansea’s most important result of the season and it placed them within touching distance of Championship safety with eight games to go.

It’s a timely boost for Martin, who will be hoping to use this morale-enhancing win to help Swansea kick on until the summer. But you do get the feeling that he will remain on the tightrope even if the Swans end this campaign brightly.

The 37-year-old has rightly been lauded at times during the early stages of his managerial career. And like many other wet-behind-the-ears coaches, he has grand expectations.

That is evident through his modern coaching style as he places plenty of emphasis on possession-based football. These tactics do not always work in the lower divisions, as the players need to have the confidence and ability to put the manager’s methods into practice.

But Martin should at least be commended for establishing a preferred style of play from the offset. He knows what he wants and he has made it abundantly clear this season that he is unwilling to waver away from his chosen style.

This has led to some criticism, which is understandable given the wretched run of form the Swans were on.

When Swansea have clicked under Martin, they have been a delight to watch. But it has happened far too many times when their passing moves have lacked substance and they have failed to threaten in…