Ten Games In, Too Soon to Judge: Why Sheehan’s Swansea Still Deserves Our Backing

Yesterday’s article on whether the clock is ticking on Alan Sheehan’s tenure clearly struck some chords with Swans fans yesterday with plenty of discussion on our social channels as well as the forum to the article.   It even prompted one Swans fan – Mark from Pembroke Dock – to pen his own response to the article.

This article is below for your reading pleasure and provides an alternative view that suggests Sheehan deserves more time and questions even whether the recruitment over the summer was as strong as most people suggested it was in the last window.

We are always happy to present alternative views on the site so please do get in touch if you want to submit your own article, either on a frequent basis or even, like Mark, as a one off.

Anyway, over to Mark for his words below

I read yesterday’s piece on JackArmy.net with interest. It was sharp, well-written, and raised valid concerns about Swansea’s start to the season. But as with all things in football, there’s always another angle worth exploring. That’s why this article exists.

Alan Sheehan’s appointment wasn’t a gamble. It was a reward. A recognition of the clarity, energy, and results he brought during his interim spell last season. He steadied a drifting ship, injected purpose into performances, and earned the trust of both players and fans. That kind of impact doesn’t vanish overnight, and it certainly shouldn’t be dismissed after ten games.

Especially not these ten games.

Statistically, Swansea were handed the toughest opening run of fixtures in the Championship. Away days at promotion contenders, home ties against awkward opponents, and little room to build momentum. Yet here we are: ten games in, three wins, three draws, three defeats, and a goal difference of zero. Not spectacular, but not disastrous either. And certainly not the kind of record that warrants the creeping narrative of crisis.

The Championship is unforgiving. It punishes inconsistency and devours managers who don’t deliver instant results. But Sheehan deserves more than a ten-game verdict. He deserves the chance to build, to evolve, and to show what this squad can become under his guidance. Because while the table may whisper mid-table, the story behind it speaks of resilience, defensive improvement, and a manager who’s still shaping his vision.

Alan Sheehan didn’t inherit the job by default. He earned it. When he stepped in last season, Swansea were drifting, low on confidence, short on cohesion, and struggling for identity. What followed was a run of performances that brought clarity, energy, and results.

The final stretch of the campaign saw the Swans pick up points, play with purpose, and show signs of a system that could grow. It wasn’t just about results. It was about the manner of those results. Players looked sharper, the press was more coordinated, and the defensive shape tightened. That kind of turnaround doesn’t happen by accident.

So when the club made the decision to appoint Sheehan permanently, it wasn’t sentiment. It was logic. He’d shown enough in a short window to warrant a longer one. And that window should be more than ten games, especially when the squad has been reshaped and the fixture list has been brutal.

There’s no denying the club made noise in the summer transfer window. The arrivals were hailed as smart, technical, and forward-thinking. But when seven of the eleven who started on Saturday were already at the club last season, it’s fair to ask whether the recruitment was as transformative as advertised.

That’s not to say the new signings lack quality. On paper, they’re tidy players. Comfortable on the ball, tactically flexible, and suited to Sheehan’s possession-based approach. But football isn’t played on spreadsheets. It’s played in systems, in partnerships, in moments of cohesion. And right now, the squad feels more like a collection of individuals than a fully integrated unit.

The question isn’t whether the players are good. It’s whether they were brought in with a clear plan to make Swansea a better team. Was the recruitment driven by tactical need or by availability and technical appeal? Because if the latter, we’re left with a squad that looks neat in isolation but lacks the chemistry to consistently threaten opponents.

Saturday’s lineup told a story. A manager still leaning on last season’s core. A team still searching for its rhythm. And a recruitment drive that, while promising, may not have delivered the structural upgrade some expected.

There’s a clear shift in Swansea’s defensive profile this season. Ten goals conceded in ten games is a marked improvement, especially considering the quality of opposition faced. The team looks more organised from set pieces, more compact in shape, and less prone to the kind of lapses that cost us points last season.

That’s not accidental. It’s the result of coaching, structure, and a manager who’s prioritised stability at the back. For a club that’s often been accused of being too open, too easy to play through, this is progress.

Going forward, though, the picture is more complex. There have been flashes of fluidity. Pass-and-move sequences that hint at a more expansive style. But they haven’t lasted long enough or happened often enough to define our attacking identity. Creativity remains a concern, especially in central areas where we struggle to break lines and create overloads.

Still, you can see what Sheehan is trying to build. A team that’s harder to beat, more disciplined, and capable of growing into a more expressive unit. It’s not fully formed yet, but the foundations are there. And in a league as chaotic as the Championship, building from the back is often the smartest place to start.

Ten games is a snapshot, not a verdict. It’s barely a quarter of the season, and yet some voices are already questioning whether Sheehan is the right man for the job. That impatience isn’t unique to Swansea. It’s a symptom of modern football, where every result is magnified and every manager judged in fast-forward.

But let’s pause and look at the facts. Swansea are four points off the play-offs. The defensive record has improved. The squad is still bedding in. And the manager is still shaping his identity. That’s not failure. That’s transition.

Calls for change, while still minimal, are growing. And that’s worrying. Because history tells us that clubs who chop and change managers rarely find the success they’re chasing. Stability breeds progress. It allows ideas to take root, partnerships to form, and systems to evolve. Constant upheaval does the opposite.

Sheehan deserves more than ten games. He deserves a fair run to show what he can build. Judge him at the halfway mark, not after a brutal opening stretch. Because if we’re serious about progress, we need to be serious about patience too.

Let’s not be that club. The one that assumes we’re entitled to better simply because we want it. There’s a reason we pulled off some of the transfers we did this summer, and it’s not because we have a genius running recruitment. It’s because we’re a mid-table Championship side with limited resources and a manager trying to build something in real time.

And with that reality comes a certain type of recruitment. We bring in players who are right for a mid-table Championship side with limited resources. Players who are technically sound, often undervalued, and available within budget. That doesn’t mean they’re bad players. It means they’re part of a longer-term rebuild, not instant saviours.

Sheehan might not be the man for the next five years. But he’s earned the right to be the man for now. If we want to avoid the cycle of short-term fixes and long-term stagnation, we need to give him the time to prove what he can do.

Alan Sheehan has earned the right to be judged over time, not in ten games. He stepped in last season and brought stability. He was handed the toughest start in the league. He’s improved the defence. And he’s working with a squad that’s still finding its rhythm.

This isn’t about blind loyalty. It’s about fairness. About recognising the realities of the Championship and the time it takes to build something meaningful. Sheehan might not be the long-term answer, but he’s shown enough to deserve a proper run.

Let’s not fall into the trap of impatience. Let’s not be the club that tears up the plan before it’s had a chance to breathe. Give him the time. Give him the backing. And let’s see where this can go.