By Gareth Vincent
South Wales Evening Post

Managers up and down the land will be scrapping it out for signings today in football's answer to the Boxing Day sales.

Roberto Martinez, however, can sit back and stay out of the scramble having secured his buys - and his bargains - a long time ago.

Tonight's closure of the transfer window means almost nothing at Swansea City, where the curtains were being drawn a while back.

Yes, there is a need for a second goalkeeper to offer back-up to Dorus de Vries. Some would argue that a winger with speed would be useful addition to Swansea's squad, too.

But so unconcerned is he about the need to bolster his options that Martinez may stick his phone on silent this evening.

''Hopefully we will be able to strengthen in the goalkeeping department,'' said the Swansea manager. ''But it's a special position and there is always the emergency loan market if we need it. There will be no rush because the window doesn't count much at this club.

''We are always looking to improve, but we don't work to deadlines.''

The suggestion is that Swansea's new keeper may not be recruited before the emergency-loan system clicks into gear in a week's time.

And though he highlighted a lack of pace out wide as a potential problem following Paul Anderson's decision to snub a return to Wales, Martinez does not appear to be too worried now.

Why, on the evidence of the three weeks of the new season, would he be?

So far, so very good for Swansea.

As yet the Championship has presented few major hurdles for Martinez's team.

It should be pointed out that Swansea are yet to do battle with any of the sides who are heavily fancied to be in the mix for a place in the Premier League when the next summer transfer window approaches.

But this season should not be about overpowering the likes of Wolves, Reading and Birmingham City.

Swansea's primary aim this term is to establish a foothold in the second tier and, on the evidence of their first four encounters in the division, they will manage that without any problem.

Beaten but unbowed at Charlton, Swansea eclipsed Nottingham Forest and eased past Plymouth Argyle.

This weekend they could only draw with Sheffield Wednesday but, once again, it was those in white who emerged with all the credit.

Another week, another opposition manager saying lots of nice things about Swansea.

Brian Laws reckons few visiting sides will get anything at the Liberty Stadium this season, and accepted that Wednesday had been fortunate to escape with a point.

For Martinez there was frustration that Swansea had not humbled the men from Hillsborough, frustration which tells much about the club's outlook for the rest of the campaign.

''We are desperately disappointed to have dropped two points against a club the size of Sheffield Wednesday and that just shows you how far we have come,'' said the Spaniard.

''But we have to make sure we keep our standards up, because we will win more than we lose if we keep performing like that.''

The sour taste left by Steve Watson's equaliser will linger in Swansea mouths for a few days yet. But the overwhelming feeling during the two-week international break should be a blend of confidence and optimism.

For Swansea, as was suggested to Martinez this weekend, have seen nothing to frighten them yet this season.

''Only ourselves,'' he said. ''I think we need to get better. If we are going to carry on improving as a football club, we need to win this kind of game.

''We controlled the 90 minutes and we created more than enough chances to score more than one goal.

''But we didn't do that and we ended up getting punished. That's a lesson we need to learn.''

Swansea should soon get the message, for the same problem keeps rearing its head.

Hopes of a result at Charlton were dashed because Swansea's control of possession was not reflected on the scoreboard, and their failure to kill off Forest before half-time left them needing to win the game all over again after the break. Even the inept attacking force that were Plymouth nine days ago were only denied a draw by a dubious refereeing decision because Swansea had not put the Pilgrims out of their misery earlier in the piece.

For all that, mind you, making sure your consistently dominant team has sufficient cutting edge is a pretty good problem for a manager to have.

''You'd rather create 16 chances and score one than create two and score two,'' Martinez said, ''because most of the time you will win games if you create that many chances.''

Wednesday had actually threatened first, Marcus Tudgay heading over and Ettiene Esajas forcing Dorus de Vries into action early on.

But Swansea gradually got their passing game going and their procession of opportunities began around the half hour. Mark Gower had two efforts, Tom Butler and Jason Scotland one apiece.

Ashley Williams headed a Butler corner on to the post, Garry Monk and Gorka Pintado both nodded wide with the goal gaping and Febian Brandy did a Williams by glancing Ferrie Bodde's cross on to the woodwork in stoppage time.

By then Watson had shown Swansea the way, heading home from Tudgay's clever pass, to cancel out Bodde's fabulous long-ranger.

The Dutch playmaker is still banned from doing interviews by his boss as a result of his summertime ramblings about Derby County.

But it is probably safe to assume that he was over the moon, or words to that effect, with the swerving, dipping 30-yarder which left Wednesday keeper Lee Grant grasping at thin air.

''We have seen Ferrie do that time after time,'' Martinez said. ''He is a top-class player and it's great to see him enjoying his football. The whole Derby thing is behind him now.''

Just as Derby, like 16 others, are behind seventh-placed Swansea in the early Championship table.

Wednesday, it should be said, hit the woodwork themselves late on when Tommy Spurr's mishit cross looped on to the bar.

Had that gone in, the Owls may have left with three undeserved points rather than just one.

''My players feel like they have lost the game,'' Martinez conceded.

They should not be too downhearted, for Saturday was another day packed with promise about what lies ahead.