Roberto Martinez's Swansea have been the Championship's surprise package

Wales boss John Toshack says Roberto Martinez should be manager of the year for leading Swansea City to the brink of the Championship play-offs.

Toshack had predicted that the Swans would struggle following their promotion from League One last May.

But he now admits he got it wrong and praised the work of the young Spaniard.

"It is incredible what they are doing and I think Roberto is manager of the year, never mind manager of the month," said Toshack.

"When the season started, I thought if Roberto could keep the side out of the bottom six at the end of the season, he would have done a terrific job.

"Swansea really have surpassed anything that I thought they could have done, but it's still a very difficult time of the season to go.

"Darren Pratley and Ferrie Bodde are big, big misses for them. I just hope it doesn't take away what they have achieved up to now."

Swansea are enjoying their most successful spell since Toshack led them to the top flight in the early 1980s.

They are ninth in the Championship, four points and three places off the play-offs going into Saturday's match with Ipswich.

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Last season, Martinez led the Swans to the League One title in his first full season as a manager defying some critics who questioned his appointment.

And Toshack has not ruled out successive promotions with a place in the Premier League, possibly along with arch-rivals Cardiff who are also riding high in the Championship.

The Bluebirds are fifth, six points ahead of the Swans and seven points off the automatic promotion spots.

"Hopefully Swansea can push on and we could see a Cardiff City v Swansea City at Wembley Stadium," he added.

"It looks very much like it could be on the cards. Imagine that at Wembley.

"In our wildest dreams, we couldn't have thought of that, but it is very much on.

"But the way Cardiff are going, I wouldn't rule them out of getting one of the top two (automatic) places."

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