Laudrup relieved after Swansea break drought

Michael Laudrup says his joy at seeing Swansea overcome Wigan was also tempered with a large amount of relief after a run of poor form.

The 48-year-old manager was glad to get back to winning ways after five games without a victory, as goals from Michu and Pablo Hernandez helped Swansea beat Roberto Martinez’s side 2-1 at the Liberty Stadium.

And the Danish boss now believes his team can build on their victory, citing the domination they enjoyed as a means for climbing the Premier League table.

“You can say there is a mixture of joy and relief, we knew today was very important for us and I think if you see the game the players played with a lot of confidence and patience,” he said.

“You know when you really want something, in this case a win, you cannot think you can do it in 10 minutes. At this level it takes 90 or 94 minutes and that is what happened.”

Laudrup was happy with his side’s control in the second half, praising Swansea’s strength in possession.

“From the first minute of the second half we dominated completely, we did not create loads of chances but we got closer and closer and suddenly it was there,” he said.

“We knew both teams would want the ball as they are both good in possession and I think in the first half we had a little more possession and felt comfortable.”

Martinez, meanwhile, was disappointed and frustrated that his Wigan side failed to pick up a point from the trip.

The game had its fair share of controversy after Arouna Kone’s headed goal – which would have been the equaliser – was ruled out for offside. But TV replays showed that the goal should have stood.

“It’s a big call,” Martinez told Sky Sports. “When I was watching live, it looked level.

“It’s an extremely tight decision, and it’s a shame because it was an outstanding piece of play.

“It was a great finish from Kone and a great ball from Jean Beausejour.

“Sometimes these decisions just don’t go in your favour.”

Despite the result, the former Swansea manager was happy with his players’ performance.

“I think we deserved something, it was the game we all expected in terms of the manner of both teams and the concepts we share,” Martinez told reporters.

“We saw a real fight for possession and who would control the game and I thought we did that better than Swansea in the first half. We created better chances and restricted Swansea really well.

“But in these games you need that sharpness in the final third and probably we missed that today.”