Russell Martin has claimed the reason Swansea City’s players are not fit enough is because of their disrupted pre-season. The Swans head coach claimed a summer of upheaval is taking its toll as his team crashed to a 3-1 home defeat to Stoke City on Tuesday night. The protracted departure of Steve Cooper, the cancellation of pre-season fixtures due to Covid-19, and the unsuccessful pursuit of other candidates before the club turned to Martin all combined to leave the squad underprepared for the start of the Championship.

Mick McCarthy hailed Cardiff City saviour Aden Flint after the two-goal defender rescued a dramatic point with two towering headers in a 2-2 draw at Peterborough. The Bluebirds were staring at a first defeat of the campaign after conceding twice in three minutes early in the second half.They were still in shock from teenage talent Harrison Burrows’ 49th-minute opener when they were stung by a second Posh goal from Siriki Dembele following a clinical counter-attack.

New Swansea City signing Ethan Laird has paid tribute to Nicky Butt for his progress through the ranks at Old Trafford. Laird – who could make his Swansea debut at home to Stoke City on Tuesday night after joining on a season-long loan from Manchester United – says former United star Butt has been a key figure in his development. Butt left Old Trafford earlier this year after a shake-up in the club’s academy staff but not before he had helped the likes of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Dean Henderson and Scott McTominay break into the first team during his nine-year stint as a coach.

Newport County manager Mike Flynn remained upbeat despite his team suffering a first defeat of the season at Mansfield on Saturday. The men from Rodney Parade had started the 2020-21 campaign with back-to-back 1-0 away wins, but a third straight trip on the road proved a step too far. Mansfield goals came from George Maris and Ollie Clarke either side of a Newport equaliser from Robbie Willmott with all three strikes coming in the first half.

By Paul Jones  Leandro Bacuna is delighted to see the Cardiff City fans back supporting their team and is hoping the Bluebirds can continue their unbeaten start to the season when they travel to Peterborough on Tuesday evening. “I don’t think playing without the fans is football,” explained Bacuna who arrived in South Wales from Reading in 2019. “It’s just a different vibe having the fans back, having the 12th man supporting you, it makes football.”

Swansea City new boy Flynn Downes reckons the pass masters will soon be back and it will be torture for the opposition. The club’s £1.5m signing from Ipswich believes new head coach Russell Martin can take the Swans back to the time when they used to kill teams through death by a thousand passes. It was only 609 passes in the 0-0 draw against Sheffield United on Saturday but Downes played for the Tractor Boys against Martin’s MK Dons last season and said: “It was the worst.

Despite a goalless draw against Sheffield United, Swansea City head coach Russell Martin thought “there were a lot of positives to take” from his first home match in charge. The former MK Dons chief has clearly already implemented his passing style on his new players, yet said that his side, “lacked the fitness to do it for 90 minutes.” He admitted there had been disruption to his side’s pre-season.

Mick McCarthy is going to enjoy his bully boy strike pair of Kieffer Moore and James Collins for however long they throw their weight around for Cardiff City. Bluebirds manager McCarthy praised Collins for “bullying” Blackpool’s defenders in his side’s 2-0 win at the newly-promoted club and said Moore had “put himself about” before clinching the win with the second goal. The twin-headed threat could be in jeopardy if Wales striker Moore is the subject of offers from other clubs in the remaining two weeks of the transfer window, but McCarthy insists he will not lose sleep over an outcome he cannot control.

By Tom Prosser  Newport County AFC have bolstered their attacking options with the signing of experienced striker Alex Fisher ahead of their clash with Mansfield on Saturday afternoon.  Fisher becomes County’s 13th addition of the summer window and has put pen-to-paper on a contract that will see him remain at Rodney Parade until 2022.

Mick McCarthy has told his Cardiff City players their away form is critical to any hopes of a promotion push in the Championship this season The Bluebirds boss takes his side to Blackpool on Saturday in their first away trip of the campaign, having been held to a 1-1 draw with Barnsley last week. Last season, Cardiff managed to win 10 matches away from home and draw five – a return bettered only by Norwich City and Brentford, who both won promotion to the Premier League.

By Tom Prosser Joe Day is delighted to be back at Newport County and after making so many memories during his first spell at the club, he is now excited to create many more new ones with Michael Flynn’s men. The goalkeeper made nearly 250 appearances for Newport before joining Cardiff City two years ago. He found game-time hard to come by at Cardiff and was sent out on loan to both AFC Wimbledon and Bristol Rovers but he insists he returns to Rodney Parade as better goalkeeper.

The coach who denied Swansea City a place in the Premier League has an early chance to remind Swans fans what they are missing on Friday night. Brentford head coach Thomas Frank – who ended hopes of a Welsh club in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory for the Bees in the Wembley play-off final in May – is in the big time this evening with a home match against Arsenal. It will be a fixture the Swans could have savoured had things not gone so badly wrong for former head coach Steve Cooper and his team in what proved to be his last competitive fixture in charge.

Anthony Limbrick insisted he was proud of his players’ Euro campaign despite The New Saints’ agonising defeat to FC Viktoria Plzen in the Czech Republic. TNS suffered penalties heartbreak as their chance to reach the Europa Conference League were ended by a 4-1 shoot-out defeat. The outcome was made all the harder to swallow as Saints’ goalkeeper Paul Harrison had earlier been hit by a bottle thrown from the crowd.

New Swansea City head coach Russell Martin insists he is hopeful captain Matt Grimes will remain at the club. Grimes was expected to join the raft of other players who have moved on since the end of last season and has been linked with Premier League Brighton and Watford as well as the Swans’ Championship rivals, Fulham. Bournemouth are also understood to have re-activated their interest in the player in the past few days.

The New Saints have been warned to expect a very different task when they bid to hold onto a two-goal Europa Conference League advantage in the Czech Republic tonight. FC Viktoria Plzeň manager Michal Bilek has told opposite number Anthony Limbrick he will face something far tougher than was served up by the Czechs when they came to Wales. Limbrick’s team moved into a 4-0 lead at Cardiff City Stadium last week before conceding two late goals.

By Tom Prosser  Marley Watkins only has a Cardiff City contract until the end of August but he may have just earned himself a longer one as he bagged a brace against Sutton United in the 1st round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday Evening. Watkins’ goals played a big part in the Bluebirds coming from behind to record a 3-2 win over the Football League’s newest team. “He’s done his chances of signing a longer-term contract no harm,” said Cardiff manager Mick McCarthy.

By Tom Prosser New Swansea City signing Flynn Downes is eager to start working with his new gaffer Russell Martin and has revealed the former MK Dons boss played a big in his decision to move to South Wales. “I am buzzing to be here, it’s a massive club and I cannot wait to get going,” said the 22-year-old. “I spoke to the gaffer, and I just liked the way he came across, the players they have got and it all just added up for me. “The style of play massively appeals to me, I played against the gaffer’s side with Ipswich last year and I think we only touched the ball about four times during the entire game.

Marlon Pack admitted Cardiff City’s tribute to Peter Whittingham left him with a lump in his throat – and a protective arm around teammate Joe Ralls. For the first time since Whittingham died last year at the age of just 35, the return of supporters for the opening day 1-1 draw with Barnsley meant Cardiff fans were able to join an emotional big screen tribute to arguably their greatest player. Images of Whittingham, and his goals, triggered a heartfelt response among the Bluebirds players and midfielder Pack – who opened the scoring – revealed: “I found myself choking up and getting a lump in my throat. 

Michael Flynn had his faith in 42-year-old striker Kevin Ellison rewarded with an opening day 1-0 victory at Oldham. County experienced late delight in Sky Bet League Two as Ellison’s goal handed them a gritty away win in his 24th season of professional football. It was his 160th goal. The hosts were without five key men due to Covid-19 protocols as well as injuries and lacked the necessary spark up top in the absence of Dylan Bahamboula and Hallam Hope.

New Swansea City manager Russell Martin insists he was encouraged by his team’s “courage” in trying to adopt his passing style, even though his first match in charge ended with a 2-defeat at Blackburn Rovers. The Swans suffered opening day defeat at Ewood Park – a venue where they have not tasted victory for 50 years – with Jamie Paterson marking his debut with a goal. The visitors had trailed to a Sam Gallagher goal and a Ben Brereton penalty after a mistake by Swans keeper Steven Benda, but finished the game strongly as they adjusted and adapted to a new gameplan and style of play under the 35-year-old Martin.