Transfer latest: A week to go it remains quiet at Swansea City and the squad remains worryingly thin

The closure of the transfer window is in sight and all seemingly remains quiet at Swansea City as we approach the end of a period that we were told we had planned for months to execute.   Words used by many at a recent, relatively hostile, fans forum but all the hostility of the night will remain in place unless something changes dramatically in the next week.

There is little doubt that the four players we have so far secured this summer have made an instant impact in the team and it says much that they are all likely to be called upon to have some level of impact on Sunday.   Add to that a quality capture in Ronald from January and the last few transfer deals done at the club have been of quality.

However, it cannot go unnoticed that we do not have enough of an in depth squad to mount any level of serious Championship campaign.  It is not a case of needing lots of injuries to reach the bare bones it could be as simple as just one or even two injuries in key positions which can see us potentially looking to players to step up who possibly need further development than an initial throwing into the deep end.   And you can even put injuries to one side at the moment and consider the demands that we know a Championship season throws out that can often see you playing three games in an eight day period which does require more depth to a squad than Luke Williams has been given to date.

The club ownership can bleat as much as they want about the financial position of the club but the fact that we are losing £2.5m per month at the end of last season with a sub standard squad (which last season’s was) is nothing more than a mis management of the club and the operations that we undertake on a daily basis.  We can all take best guesses as to what exactly makes up that loss but it stretches far beyond the wages that we play the playing staff which in itself can be pointed at as a reason why we struggle to get so many deals over the line.  This can be said is something that disrupts our transfer plans but the simple fact is if we are insistent on having salary control on the playing side (which broadly is something we agree with) then you have to ensure your planning and targets are within that bracket and not hope that our targets will lower their demands simply because we are knocking on their door.

It is that kind of mentality that has cost us some free transfer departures in the past and will probably cost us similar in the future.   The problem we have in almost every level of negotiation that our owners undertake is that they believe they hold all the trump cards and the simple fact is they don’t, often it is far from it.

To be just over a week before the closure of a window, almost four games into a season and having just four new signings is a sure fire indication that the “planning” that went into the window is well short of what it should have been.   We won’t know exactly why that is the case – and nor will we ever be told – but the simple fact is that whatever industry you work in if your planning does not deliver as you expected then you didn’t allow for the inevitable curve balls that you will be thrown in the execution of your plan.   We can roll out the party line as much as we like “it’s difficult to get deals done in August” which no doubt will be one of the excuses thrown if needed but the reality is that in a market where time to deal is restricted by calendar dates then you have to make the most of those dates you do have.

As said earlier the players we have secured this summer have been quality additions but we also have to remember that at least one of them would have been nowhere near Andy’s plan when he pulled it together.  We cannot criticise the move for Vipotnik but it also shines a further light on how weak the plan was to start with.   Paul Watson and Andy Coleman are currently overseeing their third transfer window at Swansea City and it looks set to be remembered as another one where we came up woefully short.   Whilst many say that football management is one of the few industries where failure is rewarded it could easily be argued that football recruitment could be another one of those!

Of course as well you can remember when we look at the execution of the plan that it is harder to execute any plan when you have to report across the Atlantic for almost everything that you do.   Andy Coleman continually makes the point of being “the man in charge” when he references him being here but nothing has changed in the eight years of the current ownership is that the main two of Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan will be pulling as many strings now as they did back then.   That hasn’t and won’t change no matter what anyone says (and remember Coleman isn’t the first one to have pulled that mantra)

Of course we have to give credit and note that there is still a week left of the window and there is certainly enough rumours and suggestions passed that we are looking at players – especially of the loan variety but I would be bold enough to say now that our first targets in many positions have passed us by – if they hadn’t then we would have got those deals over the line.   We can only sit back now and hope that we generate the strength that we need in the squad but, be honest, are you hopeful that it will happen?

Time will tell!