Rob Davies
Swansea City severely over promised and under delivered in a transfer window which saw six depart but not a single player in as Karlan Grant’s loan move from West Brom fell through in the final moments.
The only positive to take from January is the retention of Morgan Whittaker who returned from his loan at Plymouth – arguably only because Rangers wouldn’t package the right deal for his services.
How on earth it came to this when we heard plenty of soundbites over the past six weeks that the January window had been well planned with talks at advanced stages is anyone’s guess but all it points to is discontent between the American ownership and management.
Whilst the season hasn’t exactly been sparkling in a below par Championship it was widely recognised that perhaps with some quality and experience – something Russell Martin emphasised he wanted – the team could challenge for the play offs come May.
But Tuesday’s lack of even a single signing leaves the squad significantly weaker than it was at the start of January and suggests trouble ahead in more ways than one. After all it isn’t the first time this board have refused to sanction deals and it certainly won’t be the last.
Playing devil’s advocate for a moment it does appear that the deal collapsing for Grant wasn’t Swansea’s fault but what can’t be argued is that the ineptitude of transfer dealings yet again demonstrates that this ownership group does not have any intention to support the team and grow the club.
Leaving your only deal until the very last moment of the transfer window is never a good idea but it’s all the worse when you’ve lost six players from your first team squad albeit some of which haven’t featured a great deal.
It leaves Martin to reflect on another disastrous January window much like the last when deals were vetoed by the owners for Ryan Longman and Matt O’Riley.
To top it all off, the Swansea City Supporters Trust have recorded a 22 minute video with Jason Levein and Jake Silverstein. Now is the opportunity to really challenge the owners, yes?
Well, take a look and give us your thoughts…
All does not seem well in SA1 and I’m sure plenty more will come out in the coming days.
I thought the interview made it quite clear what went wrong against their best intention and that all the moaning from fans and bloggers is inaccurate and hurtful. People posting and commenting on here and elsewhere should stop perpetuating and exacerbating the same old lies about the ownership group. There are no bad intentions. There’s no asset dripping. There’s no conspiracy. Just some businessmen, who happen to be Americans, wanting the best for this club. Like you, me and everybody else at SA1.
I can’t believe the above contributor is serious – these men have the gift being able to defend their ineptitude and lack of interest and investment .They are well versed in this .Just look at where DCUnited and Brisbane baketball team stand in their respective leagues.Lack of investment is nothing new to them nor the practice of defending that lack of investment.We were only looking for two players .We were the only championship club not to sign a single one .Wake up to the facts
They were trying to sign a full back and a striker and it didn’t come off. The latter due to some serious mismanagement at Chelsea. That’s Force Majeure. This is what happens in January. We could’ve resorted to all kinds of dumb transfers to make up for missing out on deals. I’m glad we didn’t. First rule of the January transfer window: don’t panic. We don’t have that kind of money lying around.
And technically, DC United aren’t low in their league, or anywhere in their league really, as the MLS is on a break. But I’m sure you didn’t make the effort to brush up on that.
I see they finished bottom with a goal difference of -35 .Not much else to be said .
If we can’t tempt a full back from Exeter wedo have some problems – Force Majeure or not.
Can’t understand Mathias comments. We had a player that Rotherham were holding out for 1 million for Swans didn’t want to pay. They hope to sign him in the summer but he will have more options. We went for Grant and WBA stated if the Swans had made their approach a day before the deal would have been done. There a number of players who chose to go to other clubs Why? Is this a 1 off bad window no .
Look back on previous windows and we have all the answers.The selling of players at the last minute and then grabbing some player at the last minute that the manager didn’t want . A Shrewsbury town fullback perhapscome to mind?
The only reason the Americans gave that interview was to save their embarrassment . It was an unfair contest .The questions were put very sensibly but let’s face it they were on their own territory and hardly facing Jeremy Paxman