What Russell Martin has said about the collapse of that move makes no sense. Firstly, he says he doesn't think a deal was ever done; why was Whittaker in Lincoln, then, visiting the cathedral? Then he says there were numerous conversations with Whittaker on deadline day about what was best for his future; as Martin has said several times that he wants Whittaker to go out on loan, that suggests that Whittaker was not keen. That would hardly have been conducive to an effective loan period. And the fact that he can't get into Swansea's match day squad (let alone the team) and that Martin is referring to Whittaker as having to do more, does this all suggest an attitude problem? Something isn't quite right about this one, it makes me a bit nervous.
Your view might be correct. I have no more and perhaps less knowledge than you will have... but that's not my take on things at all.
Not all managers are as candid as ours.
Martin is quite correct is saying no deal was ever done. That is clearly a fact. A deal might have been agreed contingent on Swansea getting their transfer business done.
Part of managing your squad involved talking to your players. If you have sent one to Lincolnshire and he can sign under certain circumstances but not others, then a few phone calls making sure everything is ready to go and how the other deals in the chain are going will no doubt have happened on deadline day. Someone would also have rang him to tell him to eventually head back to Wales.
As for what has happened to Whittaker at Swansea since. Well if he was going to get in the team or match day squad in the normal course of things, he would never have been a candidate for a loan. He was always going to be on the fringes at best.
Swansea made the decision that he was needed as cover for the squad. As we know only too well injuries can happen and the quality of those not in your first choice squad does matter. Whittaker was kept as insurance.
The insurance hasn't been used and it looks like all parties would have been better off had the signing been allowed. So the man who made that decision (Martin) has to put forward an explanation, as to why Whittaker isn't being turned into the next Brennan Johnson.
I haven't followed the ongoing day to day affairs at Swansea but I would be more than happy to have a man who was sat in Lincolnshire with a pen in his hand waiting to sign for us in August, actually do so in January.