Michael Reeves
Whilst we wait for the official confirmation that the managerial hunt has started there has already been much speculation as to who the Swans may turn to as they prepare for the post Russell Martin era in SA1.
A look at the betting at this stage rarely tells you a story that will play through to appointment with Chris Davies the current favourite at 2/1 followed by John Eustace (3/1), Nathan Jones (6/1) and Oscar Garcia and Steven Schumacher (both 8/1)
Former Swans bosses Brendan Rodgers features at 12/1 with many other names on the list but all at extending odds beyond Rodgers.
Personally, and as much as this would not be a popular opinion, the name of Nathan Jones should not be dismissed as no chance. He is well known to Paul Watson and with him coming into the club to be a big part in this kind of appointment we should not dismiss his view in being able to influence the majority owners of the club.
I struggle to see why Schumacher would pass up the chance to work with Plymouth in the Championship to work with us and the link with Eustace is an interesting one as we know he has come close twice to the job before now. Could it be third time lucky for the Birmingham boss and would it be lucky for us? His record at Birmingham is not sensational but then again he wouldn’t be the first manager to turn up here without a strong record on paper behind him.
One of the things that we do know this summer is that the new people coming into the club (Andy Coleman and Paul Watson) are both determined to seal some of the leaks that come from the club but, as experience tells us, that is easier said than done as Swansea remains one of those cities where everyone seems to know everyone else’s business.
When you then add to that the fact that managerial searches often throw up appointments of people that featured nowhere near the top of betting lists when they are first compiled. And often the appointment that is maybe not the first choice of the club – we know this of some very recent appointments and also some very successful ones here at the club.
It can therefore be assumed that the club are working on some managerial thoughts that are certainly not in the public domain and if Watson and Coleman are determined to stop the leaks then watching how this one pans out will be a sure sign of how good they are at stopping those leaks. It’s early days for one of them and pre-appointment for the other!
Many people have questioned why any manager would want the job at Swansea and cite the lack of support given to recent managers by the owners but we should never lose sight of the fact that, despite their shortcomings, most recent managers have been backed well (ignoring certain windows!) and that Swansea has a reputation for allowing hungry ambitious managers to take early steps in their career. Just take a look at some recent (and current) Premier League managers as a good indication of this.
So as the calls take place between SA1 and the other side of the Atlantic in the main we can probably only guess which names are under discussion and you can guarantee that it will be significantly more than just one or two. And that is before we have the names of those who want to put themselves forward for the job and we should not underestimate just how many people that could actually be.
The next few weeks will continue to see us speculate and debate the names that are in the public domain but it should be the names of those who aren’t that could probe to be the most interesting of all.
Just a shame we don’t know who they are…!
Do we know Watson is coming?
There seems no chance the Plymouth manager would come .Why would you leave a buoyant newly promoted club who are in the same division as us .Secondly – there is no chance of our owners paying the compensation package that would be needed to bring him here .
Despite the attitude of the owners and the fact that three promising managers have been allowed to leave in when you might think they had more to offer we are an attractive proposition .We shouldn’t be so negative .We spent seven years in the premier league and achieved a lot.We have fine training facilities , a lovely stadium and live in a beautiful part of the world .
Most managers have been backed well ( ignoring certain transfer Windows ! ) Still trying to work that one out ????
I guess It means that they have been promised to be backed but when it comes down to it during the transfer Windows they weren’t backed !!
Why don’t you just be honest and say the last two managers have been promised financial backing but received nothing and that’s why both have left for bigger and better things ,
The club is a joke right now and it’s not getting any better anytime soon !!
Have you actually looked at the squad that was presented to Steve Cooper for two seasons and the players that Russell Martin signed (whether permanent or not) – I am in no way a fan of our American owners Charlie but they have certainly put their hand in their pockets over the past few years especially when you consider the sorry state of the club accounts.
I quite agree with Charlie’s comment re ‘backing’ because this incorrect statement jumped out of me from this opinion piece by Planet Swans. The facts are that since relegation, player sales up to Jan this year totalled over £108whereas just over £15.8m was reinvested on incoming players. The reality is that Potter, Cooper and now Martin left primarily because a lack of backing and an overriding lack of trust in the approach and the ability of these distant owners. Had Cooper in particular been backed in the Jan transfer window 3yrs ago (rather than by the owners parachuting in two crocked and unproven American players) then there was a very good chance that we would have returned to the PL at that point. Make no mistake, these owners have not backed their last three managers and the economics involved and their actions demonstrate this.
And yet Huw we are a club still losing money? Again not defending the poor management of the club overall but what do you want them to back them with? Magic beans?
The Trust has been diluted due to “investment” of £20m which is keeping us afloat. We have to have reality in this situation and the fact is there is no solution to throw money – without those sales then we would be sailing up a creek commonly known as a shit one!
I realise Robert that you are not defending the owners but it is important to remember that when the owners took over the club they publicly stated that they would invest in the squad and this was echoed at the time by the outgoing board. We were told that the club was in safe and ambitious hands and that they were determined to maintain our PL status, build upon our League Cup triumph and success in Europe. The first indication that they were clueless came very quickly when they sold Gylfi for £44m on the last day of the transfer window without any replacement. But then of course they repeated the same mistake.
Now look at us. A club with no sense of direction, owners clearly lacking the basic skills of leadership and management, but also since relegation. having cleared a £84m profit in transfer/purchase sales (and this doesn’t include the sales from Jan onwards).
We have had good quality managers walking out because they know they won’t be backed in the transfer market, and why…because these owners have consistently taken out and not reinvested, and then have the temerity to plead poverty and lay their blame at the door of the managers. They also seem also to be unable to make the right decisions at the right time. This is the problem when culturally they are so divorced from the centre of activity.
Strangely, the club is not in a dreadful position financially especially when compared to many other clubs – but where we consistently come up short is the lack of investment (or better termed reinvestment) by the owners from the profits they made on player sales. We have been offered only loan notes by Silverstein and co – certainly not ‘hands in pockets’ investment – but just a profit-making exercise.
Ultimately if the owners don’t have money to invest then they should sell and get out rather than continue run down the club for their own ends and lurch from one self-made crisis to another.
Fair comments thanks for taking the time. I still maintain that the managers have been backed within the financial constraints of the club though but completely respect your point of view