Russell Martin: Swansea City have 'moved on' after miserable transfer window

Russell Martin has been in charge at Swansea for just over 18 months

Head coach Russell Martin insists it has "never been a thought" to leave Swansea City and insists the Championship club have "moved on" after a miserable transfer window.

Martin has admitted he was "really hurt" after defeat to Birmingham City followed a fruitless January.

But Martin is looking to the future after discussing transfer failings with the club's American owners this week.

"Ultimately I think it'll turn out to be a positive for the club," he said.

Martin said last week Swansea needed to change the way they operate in the transfer market after numerous attempts to bolster his squad in January came to nothing.

After missing out on the likes of Chiedozie Ogbene, Josh Key, Cody Drameh, Malcolm Ebiowei, Sorba Thomas and Joe Gelhardt, Swansea thought they had sealed a late loan deal for West Brom striker Karlan Grant - a player who had not been on their list of targets - only for Albion to pull out of the transfer just before the January 31 deadline.

"Everyone agrees, we'll try and do things a bit differently and try and improve on what we've done," Martin said ahead of Saturday's trip to Sheffield United.

"Everyone's been really honest with each other, that's all you can ever ask for. We're moving on and focusing on getting some stuff done here at the club.

"Josh [Marsh, Swansea's head of football operations] has been in some positive talks with some our players' agents. From it there's come some positive stuff and some positive actions."

Martin is halfway through the three-year contract he signed when he left MK Dons to take over at Swansea in August 2021.

The Swans' 4-3 defeat to Birmingham came 24 hours after the former Scotland defender brought his entire backroom team into his pre-match press conference as a show of unity after the disappointing transfer window.

Martin's dejection was obvious in which Swansea conceded two late goals having been 3-2 up.

Jay Fulton is one of a number of players who could be offered new deals by Swansea

"It had obviously been a difficult press conference the day before, so then you worry about that and how that might affect things," Martin said on Thursday.

"Then to lose in the way we did, I made mistakes so I wasn't happy with myself.

"I was low, I was tired and I was really hurt. You probably got to see that."

Swansea are 13th in the Championship, five points adrift of the play-off places with 17 games to play.

While some consistency is required if Swansea are to have any chance of finishing in the top six, Martin says he is looking ahead with optimism and rejected the idea that he might walk away after such a difficult spell.

"It's never been a thought. Why would it be?" he said.

"Of course everyone's frustrated about what happened last week, but that's gone, you can't affect it. There is no point stewing over it.

"You have a choice of what to focus on and our choice is to focus on building a team and working with young players.

"The league is starting to take shape, the teams in and around the play-offs are the ones with financial power, as is usually what happens.

"If you haven't got that you need time to build, and the one thing I have been given here is patience and support in that sense, in terms of the understanding of what we are trying to build."

Joe Allen will be back in Swansea's squad for Sheffield United having returned to fitness in the week he announced his international retirement, while Liam Walsh is also included after a long-term Achilles problem.

Joel Latibeaudiere misses out with a calf strain, but could play against Blackpool next Wednesday.