Russell Martin: Swansea City players not yet fit enough to play our style

Russell Martin was named Swansea boss just days before the Championship season began

Russell Martin says Swansea City's players are not fit enough to play his style and insists results will come as their conditioning improves.

Swansea have taken only one point from Martin's first three Championship games after a 3-1 defeat by Stoke City.

But Martin says it will take time for Swansea's new coaching staff to make their mark.

"We were brought in two weeks ago - that is why I am not anxious about anything," said the head coach.

"The pre-season was disrupted so I don't want to be disrespectful to anyone, but they are not as fit as they should be or they can be for our way of doing things.

"I think the intensity has been a bit different - I think a few of them have said it to you (the media). The more we train and play, they will get fitter and stronger.

"We will get them to where they need to be physically."

Swansea fell behind after 15 minutes against Stoke to a Nick Powell header and the game was all but over after Sam Clucas and Leo Ostigard struck early in the second half.

The hosts did at least offer a response through Joel Piroe's first Championship goal.

"We didn't start very well - the guys were tired," Martin added.

"We knew this. This was our biggest fear before the game, that we are not quite conditioned well enough to play how we want to play, but we'll get there.

"If we had a pre-season, the Blackburn game finishes differently, this game finishes differently, the players are conditioned, we have a couple of different options we haven't got now.

"But that isn't the case. We have a long season to get a lot of things right, but what I have seen in two weeks from the players is an incredible willingness to try to do what we want them to do, a real togetherness in the squad and in every single game we have been really competitive.

"This team will be capable of a lot when we get conditioned to the way we want to play, we get some key players back and we help them out with some additions."

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