MARTINEZ HAILED AS THE GREATEST
By Gareth Vincent
South Wales Evening Post
Huw Jenkins has hailed Roberto Martinez as Swansea City's greatest ever manager.
John Toshack is the most successful boss in Swansea history after steering the club to the top flight in the early 1980s.
But Jenkins is convinced Martinez will soon emulate Toshack's feat — despite admitting today that Swansea simply cannot compete with the wages being paid by some of their rivals.
"We have got the best manager this club has ever had," the Swansea chairman told the Evening Post.
"Our great strength is the structure we have and the management team we have — Roberto, Graeme (Jones) and Kevin (Reeves).
"Everybody here knows we have to work differently from other clubs and that is a strength we have.
"Everybody at Swansea is working for the same cause - they know what we are doing and why we are doing it.
"We haven't got a choice but to work the way we do financially, but we all believe it's the right way to work anyway and that's important.
"The fact that we haven't got the money some clubs have got is not going to stop us moving forward."
He added: "We have to make sure that he (Roberto) is here for a long time to come.
"He has got our full backing, but he needs to see the support growing year on year.
"He needs to see the club developing every season."
SWANS BRUSH ASIDE £4m BID REPORTS
By Gareth Vincent
South Wales Evening Post
Swansea City have laughed off reports that they have tabled a multi-million pound bid for James McCarthy — but they have made an ambitious enquiry about the Hamilton wonderkid.
Absurd stories emerged from Scotland last night claiming Swansea were prepared to pay £4million for 18-year-old McCarthy, who is one of the hottest prospects in British football.
The suggestion was that Swansea had offered five times as much as a reported £800,000 Celtic bid for the midfield prospect.
It is understood that Celtic's offer was closer to £400,000, but even the suggestion that Swansea could afford to pay £2million is way off the mark.
"I thought April Fool's Day was last month," chairman Huw Jenkins said. "This is fantasy football."
TATE DETERMINED NOT TO REPEAT SAME MISTAKES OF LAST SUMMER
By Chris Barney
South Wales Evening Post
Alan Tate has departed for his summer break adamant he won't repeat the mistakes made last year.
Swansea City's vice-captain gave a brutally honest assessment of himself to the press back in October when he conceded that his lack of first-team action was the result of a little too much relaxation during the 2008 close season.
The 26-year-old had to wait two months before his first serving of Championship football — he donned the goalkeeping gloves against Queens Park Rangers after Dorus de Vries was stretchered off.
Many were questioning why Tate had been out of the picture before then, but the former Manchester United trainee had the answers.
Not one to shy away from speaking his mind, Tate said at the time: "I did things in the summer I shouldn't have done. There were two holidays I probably shouldn't have gone on, but you live and you learn.
"I have got no-one else to blame and I am big enough to accept that.
"I made a few mistakes last year and I realised that soon after. But I'm going to be in much better shape this time around."
But Tate admits he will be raring to go again after a short stint away.
"We had a great season although we were unlucky at the end," he said.
"We obviously drew a lot of games, which cost us, but it was a very good year.
"We now have next season to improve on that.
"I'm sure the fans are really looking forward to next season.
"I am too and I'll come back a lot stronger than I did last summer.
"I made a few mistakes last year and I realised that soon after. But I'm going to be in much better shape this time around."
DE VRIES AGENT SAYS SWANSEA DEAL CAN STILL BE DONE
By Chris Wathan
Western Mail
Dorus de Vries could still have a future at Swansea City - despite a new deal for the Dutchman hitting the buffers.
De Vries was one of five out-of-contract players sum-moned for talks with Swans boss Roberto Martinez at the end of the Championship campaign to thrash out their futures.
But although Swansea were prepared to put a two-year offer on the table for de Vries, the 28-year-old has stalled on signing.
And after missing a deadline for a response, speculation has raged that the former Dunfermline and Den Haag keeper has played his last game in a Swansea shirt.
But de Vries' agent last night insisted the deal is not dead in the water as first thought.
And, although Liberty Stadium chiefs are ready to stand their ground over their offer, it is understood the door still remains open for de Vries.
"Swansea made him an offer and there has been a final offer and Dorus is thinking about it," Arnold Ooserveer told the Western Mail.
"Swansea want to have an answer as quickly as possible, but at the moment Dorus needs more time.
"He hasn't given an answer yet but the situation is that he needs more time.
"If it's finished for Swansea because there's already been too much time, I don't know.
"But I think there is still time for an answer."
SWANS KEEN ON SCOTTISH WONDERKID
By Chris Wathan
Western Mail
Swansea City have made an audacious enquiry for Scottish wonderkid James McCarthy.
Roberto Martinez is believed to have made a tentative move for the 18-year-old Hamilton Academical star, currently viewed as the hottest property in the SPL.
Celtic and Portsmouth have already made bids for the midfielder, recently voted as Scotland's young player of the year, while Premier League clubs including Tottenham have all been linked with the Accies ace.
Now it is understood Swansea have ambitiously joined the chase despite the stellar competition for the youngster's signature.
Some reports in Scotland have even claimed the Liberty Stadium side are leading the way in the race for the teenager, but it is not clear if Swansea have made a formal approach for McCarthy.
Portsmouth have already had one offer of £500,000 turned down for the player, who also snubbed a move to Liverpool two years ago.
And after Celtic last night saw a reported £500,000 offer flatly rejected by Hamilton with boss Billy Reid hinting the club are looking for a seven-figure bid, it would suggest Swansea would already be punching above their weight in their bid to steal the prodigy.
Yet it is known Martinez has been tracking McCarthy for some time, with assistant Graeme Jones a firm fan of his talents since his days as Accies No 2.
And the Swans boss watched him as recently as Wednesday night when he featured in Hamilton's defeat to Falkirk.
But despite their admiration for McCarthy's talent, it is thought Swansea are far from hopeful of succeeding in luring him to the Liberty Stadium.
Martinez - who also attended Rangers' clash with Dundee United during his stay in Scotland as part of his bid to bolster his squad ahead of the new season - arrived in Spain last night where he is expected to take in further games.
