These are your Swansea City headlines on Thursday, February 17.
Owners here for the long haul - Martin
Swansea head coach Russell Martin says the club's US owners are committed to a "long-term project" in south Wales.
Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan have come in for renewed criticism in recent days amid the Supporters' Trust announcement that they had signed a settlement regarding a sale of the club to the Americans.
There have been calls in some quarters for the owners to depart but Martin believes they are in it for the long haul.
"We’ve spoken about it already about the plan and what we want to do. They’re really on board with it," said Martin.
"They’ve said all along it’s a long-term project. We’re never going to be a club that will splash a lot of money because it’s not the business model here.
"We’ll try to do it in a different way in the way we recruit, do things on the pitch and around here [at Fairwood].
"I believe it’ll be successful in the long-term. I’m really confident we’ll get the backing we need to try and be competitive and build on this season and make sure we improve."
Travel arrangements change
Martin has revealed Swansea will travel to Sheffield sooner than planned on Friday.
The Swans are due to face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon, but warnings have been put in place due to Storm Eunice - with travel plans set to be disrupted.
As a result, the Swans look set to leave south Wales early on Friday morning and could potentially train at St George's Park if they are unable to use their Fairwood or Landore bases.
"We’ll have to wait and see. It’s affected our plans," said the head coach.
"We’ve had to shift things around a little bit. We just need to make sure we don’t get caught and to make sure it doesn’t impact our plans too much. Fingers crossed it’s not as bad as everyone’s fearing.
"We’re planning to travel much earlier than planned. We probably won’t train here. We’ll train elsewhere.
"We’re just in the midst of planning that, that’ll all be sorted in the next hour or so. Hopefully it gives us the best chance of going up there and winning a game of football."
Ogbeta, Naughton still absent
Two men who won't be travelling to Sheffield are Nathanael Ogbeta and Kyle Naughton.
Both remain on the sidelines due to injury, with the former yet to make his bow for his new club.
Naughton is still recovering from a thigh complaint that forced him off against Luton Town, while Ogbeta suffered an injury in his first training session with his new club.
"He’d love to be back for this one it being his hometown but it’s a game too early," Martin said of Naughton.
"We expect him back for West Brom. Bournemouth potentially but probably not. He’s very nearly there now. We have to be patient."
Asked it Ogbeta would be available for Sheffield United, Martin replied "no".
Hourihane on homework duty
Conor Hourihane says he's used his contacts at his former loan club to get the inside track on Martin's Swansea ahead of the clash with Sheffield United this weekend.
Hourihane spent the second half of last season with Swansea on loan from parent club Aston Villa.
Now with the Blades - also on a temporary contract - the Republic of Ireland international says they'll be swotting up on Saturday's opponents.
"I was speaking to one or two of the lads and they try to play some good football with their new manager,” he said.
“They play out from the back and pass the ball, and that's how Swansea have always done it.
"They'll be trying to take the ball in certain areas and probably not bank up as much as Hull did, but everybody brings their own strengths and different challenges.
"We'll do our homework on them. We've got our own strengths and we'll try to pinpoint their weaknesses.
“But whatever happens, we'll be ready for it.”
McBurnie backed to find form
Another former Swan will be in the opposition ranks on Saturday, with Oli McBurnie expected to lead the line for Paul Heckingbottom's men.
The striker has found the net only seven times in the league since his £20million move from the Liberty in the summer of 2019, with six of those goals coming in that first campaign in the Premier League.
Injury and illness have struck him down in recents weeks, not helping matters one bit.
Blades legend Chris Morgan believes he will come good, though.
"He does everything right," he said.
"He pulls off the back of the defender, he gets up early and he's looking to guide it into the far corner.
"It's fine lines, a couple of yards past that post where a fit, on-song Oli McBurnie is at least getting that on target.
"He's still trying to find his match legs, he's been out a while and it's that match sharpness, certainly in and around the penalty area.
"That's what strikers who are playing week in week out they don't need to look where the goal is, it's instinctive but at this moment in time the chances that Oli is getting he's thinking about them and not doing it instinctively."
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