Martinez sees champion potential

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Swansea boss Roberto Martinez believes his side are showing the signs of playing like champions as they head to bottom club Port Vale on Saturday.
The Spaniard described parts of their performance in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Walsall as "well above" League One standards.

He said: "To see the players express themselves tells me there is a huge belief and confidence there.

"In a way, that's synonymous of playing like champions."

Martinez will be hoping to avoid a repeat of the rare slip-up against Port Vale's fellow strugglers Crewe who held the Swans to a 2-2 draw last weekend.

Vale are bottom of League One 11 points adrift of safety, while Swansea are eight points clear at the top.

But Martinez said: "I don't think the encounter is going to reflect their position in the table.

"We need to be very alert and ready and have the lesson from Crewe's performance in our head and make sure it doesn't happen again.

"If Port Vale have the attitude of a must-win game and show it from the first minute and we are not at the same level, then we are going to suffer."

Swansea currently boast the best form in the whole Football League and will be searching for their 16th game without defeat at Vale Park.

But those statistics do not interest Martinez.

"I don't really want to think about it because results are not really my aim," he said." My aim is the level of performance of the boys.

"In that respect, the results are the reward of our work and that's the way we need to carry on working.

"If we don't do that, the form and run of results count for nothing."