Put all contract talks on hold

As the Portuguese looks set to mastermind what will be a third successive escape from relegation by the Swans it would be so obvious for the Swans to move into extending the contract to take him into next season.

But the reality should be that there is no rush to make that extension. First and foremost the concentration should be on allowing Carvalhal to finish the job that he has started so impressively. Although most of us believe that he will steer us to safety, there is still points to be won before that becomes a mathematical certainty.

A win this weekend will of course go a long way towards securing that status for another season but we still need to wait a few more weeks just for it to b absolutely secure.

This will be the third season running we will have been seen to defy the odds should we stay up. Francesco Guidolin did it two years ago, Paul Clement did it last year and it looks almost certain that Carvalhal will do it this time around.

But we should be wary of long contracts and the like because the other two managers have not survived beyond Christmas of the same year in which they performed the seemingly impossible. When Carlos arrived it was a short term contract which seemed to suit both parties and whether that should – or need to – change is a subject that is open for debate.

Don’t get me wrong, I want him to be here next season. Given the obvious weaknesses in the squad he has done an incredible job to get us to anywhere near safety let alone looking in the position we are in now but that should not automatically mean a three year contract on the table waiting to be signed.

History tells us at almost every club that the importance of a contract is anything but that. They get broken very easily and a bad run of form around September – November can see a supposed hero one moment be looking for new work very soon. Just ask Guidolin and Clement how it worked for the within six months of securing safety.

And certainly for me the time is not to extend the contract immediately. Yes talks should take place and both sides should decide if there is an interest to take the relationship beyond the end of the season but let’s not make hasty decisions and assume that the options we have today are the only ones that we will have in May.

And, as said already, this is nothing against Carvalhal, just that we should approach everything with caution given the mistakes of the past.