Emerging Scotland
27 Mar 2008
By Gareth Vincent
South Wales Evening Post
Roberto Martinez has hailed Jason's Scotland emergence from the shadow of a legend as the striker closes in on a 30-goal season.
Martinez reckons the Trinidad & Tobago international was given something close to an impossible task when Lee Trundle ended a glorious four-year stint in Wales last summer.
And the Swansea manager believes Scotland now deserves to be a fans' favourite himself after taking over from a great.
Scotland has not produced the tricks of Trundle in his first season as a Swan, and he has not charmed the supporters in the same way his Scouse predecessor did.
But his goal record is fabulous, with a spectacular double against Bristol Rovers on Monday making it 28 in 40 starts and seven substitute appearances.
"Let's be realistic about this, rightly or wrongly people have seen Jason as filling the boots of a legend," Martinez said.
"It's exactly the same as it will be for the new manager when Sir Alex Ferguson leaves Manchester United.
"People have seen Jason as the man to fill Lee Trundle's boots and that's near enough an impossible job. Nobody could do that. It's like trying to find a replacement for Alan Curtis - you don't get these things in football.
"We need to understand that Jason didn't come here to replace anyone. He came here to enjoy his football and to help Swansea City move up a level.
"There's still a lot more to come from him, but he has played a huge part so far and the fans need to see that Jason is another fantastic Swansea player, not someone who is trying to fill Lee's boots."
With seven fixtures to go, Scotland's goal tally is already five more than Trundle's season's best for Swansea.
And his match-saving contribution against Rovers was straight out of the Trundle book of spectacular left-foot strikes.
One difference is that Scotland is predominantly right-footed.
"I think everyone is starting to see the quality Jason has got and to realise how important he is to us now," Martinez added.
"He is a special player, the kind you don't get in League One, and if we keep giving him the service, he will keep scoring goals.
"He hasn't scored many better than the equaliser against Bristol Rovers, but I can guarantee you that's a normal thing for him on the training ground.
"If he gets a bit more confident, we will see more and more like that."
Apparently Scotland regularly bemuses his team-mates with his clever touches during the week.
But, as agent Mike Berry told the Evening Post last week, Swansea's supporters are yet to see the 29-year-old at his best.
Why? Because, Berry suggested, they have not given Scotland the right welcome.
"I think our fans have appreciated Jason but haven't been as vocal as they have been towards other players," Martinez went on.
"His agent knows that when Jason feels loved and feels wanted, he will perform even better. He has a bag of tricks he will try if he feels the warmth of the fans.
"But Jason has worked really hard since the day he arrived here and you just have to look at his goal record to see how well he has done.
"I think it's just a matter of time before he gets the recognition he deserves."
Even if he doesn't net again before May, Scotland must go down as one of the buys the season given that he cost just £25,000.
"We had to go through hell with the work permit and with St Johnstone to get him here," Martinez said.
"But players like Jason don't come around too often.
"He said he wanted 30 goals at the start of the season, and I believe his best is still to come."
