Groundhog Day – Its all the same words but where are the actions Andy?

Wednesday, 7 February 2024, 8:26
7
3 mins read

Andy Coleman has started again the words that follow a transfer window and there is more than a small feeling of Groundhog Day about his words as he defended what appears to be another poor window by determining that we are in a better position to go into the summer window.

The Swans bought in three players at the back end of the window as well as seeing – amongst others – two of the summer signings depart whilst there was more than a small amount of speculation that we would have been happy to see more of the summer captures depart the club during January.

It was a damming statement of the summer window that was lauded so highly by Coleman after the window closed at the end of August and brings heavily into question the effectiveness of a transfer policy that seems to rely much more on the data mechanism than it should do.ย  ย And of course a transfer policy that has more failures than successes over the past few years.

With potentially up to eighteen players either seeing the end of their contract or loan at the end of the season together with those who seem to be surplus to requirements the Swans are facing a massive summer window with very few fans having any confidence that we have the ability to navigate it with any success.

These were all points placed to Coleman when he spoke to BBC Sport at the weekend but he opened with a claim that the Swans ended the window in a stronger position than we started itย “I think we wanted to end the window stronger than what we came into it, which I feel we’ve done,” Coleman said.

Embed from Getty Images

“We needed pace and some physicality, and I think Ronald is a great example of a bit of both.

“We’re excited to see how all the new signings fold into the club and how they can help us move on for the rest of the season.

“There were certainly other targets that we wanted, which we didn’t get, whether that be down to targets going elsewhere or not being available.

“January is never going to be a massive window, nor should it be planned to be a massive window, as there aren’t typically great deals out there.”

His last part is probably classed as correct overall but the issue with us not planning a massive window is that it puts more pressure on us getting the summer deals right which clearly we have already admitted that we fell well short on.ย  ย To move on two signings within six months tells you much and the impact of the players that we secured during that window has been minimal in most cases with other players not even being given the chance to prove whether they were a good signing or not.

Much of the criticism of that window has been aimed at Sporting Director Paul Watson, a point that Coleman addressed in his interviewย “I’m aware of it and if I were a fan I’d be upset as well,” he said.

“The team isn’t performing and we haven’t seen the results we all hoped for at the start of the season.

“Injuries have certainly played a part. You can plan and have strategies in place but ultimately, if the players aren’t there, it limits you significantly.

“The planning that took place going into the window did use data as a key component, but it’s not the only key component.

“We worked more closely with the scouting department and the manager to make a full team enterprise, which I feel it is now.

“The set-up is very different from the summer – there were vital pieces missing from the scouting and the data side.

Embed from Getty Images

“Now I feel we are getting them in place, each window we progress, we will be able to utilise those tools and take advantage earlier.”

As ever these are just words that are provided with hindsight from the Chairman.ย  ย Going into any window where you make thirteen signings when there are pieces missing from the scouting side feels negligent at best and even with his comments he is suggesting that the places aren’t there as he would have wanted which tells you that we are even possibly now saying we have wasted two windows in a row?ย  And that is before we consider the fact that last January we failed to make a single signing.

Unfortunately, as every window closes we say the exact same things just using different words.ย  ย They focus around how difficult it was to conduct business, how players have turned us down and how we will learn the lessons of the previous window(s) and not make the same mistakes again.ย  ย With the problem being we do just that – make the same mistakes and continue the constant regression of the football club.

And to prove that point, Coleman finishedย “We’ve already started working on the summer, be it pre-contracts and targets, you name it, we are now in a better position to move earlier which I think is ultimately what we all want to focus on.

“We want to be better now and in the future. We need to build a sustainable club on and off the pitch.

“This doesn’t happen overnight. I do recognise fans, they’re just like me, we all want to win.”

So there we have it.ย  ย We are working on the summer (we were working on January in September) and we are in a better position to move quicker (as we were supposed to be in January) and overall we want to be better.

When do the words end and the actions start?

Images courtesy of Getty Images, Athena Picture Agency and Swansea City Football Club.

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Avatar of Nocountryforoldjack
Nocountryforoldjack

Roger Freestone

5,643 messages 54 likes

Another in the long list of frauds at this club and they are taking the piss out of us fans.

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W
Whaleoilbeefhooked

First Team Player

140 messages 2 likes

Iโ€™m afraid thatโ€™s me done !
100% wonโ€™t be renewing my season for next year. These Inept imbeciles have finally convinced me nothing will change while they keep sucking the lifeblood, and money out of us.
STID

Reply 1 Like

Avatar of nickyfran75
nickyfran75

North Banker

9 messages 2 likes

What an imbecile. He is one dangerous individual, he bangs the drum that he's the decision maker, boots on the ground, no need to talk to Daddy in America blah blah and he is overseeing us limping to possible relegation.

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Avatar of monmouth
monmouth

Roger Freestone

7,906 messages 472 likes

Post Trump Yanko Wanko. Just talk bullshit, lie and make ridiculous promises based on nothing, and the little (and stupid) people will lap it up. Rinse and repeat. Someone (hello โ€˜Trustโ€™) needs to quote all his previous bullshit since he rode into town back at him.

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R
Ringwood

Alan Waddle

822 messages 149 likes

Coleman can't cut the mustard !... we saw it coming.

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Avatar of Swanjaxs
Swanjaxs

Roger Freestone

13,091 messages 1,061 likes

The sight of this utter minge boils my piss.

Reply 2 Likes

Avatar of Nocountryforoldjack
Nocountryforoldjack

Roger Freestone

5,643 messages 54 likes

He's what's known in the trade as a total flange.

Reply Like

Phil Sumbler

Been watching the Swans since the very late 1970s and running the Planet Swans website (in all its current and previous guises since the summer of 2001 As it stood JackArmy.net was right at the forefront of some of the activity against Tony Petty back in 2001, breaking many of the stories of the day as fans stood against the actions where the local media failed. Was involved with the Swans Supporters Trust from 2005, for the large part as Chairman before standing down in the summer of 2020.

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