Kenny’s Job At Hand

Kenny’s Job At Hand

An afternoon training session at the Vetch was high on Jackett’s list of priorities as he wasted no time in getting to grips with the players that will make up his squad for the remainder of the season although Alan Curtis is expected to pick the line up for Wednesday’s FAW game at Rhyl.

Jackett has welcomed the bedding in period and told BBC Sport that "It’ll be a good assessing period for me before I make any adjustments to the structure of the club and the playing squad," he told BBC Sport. "I don’t want to go in with too many preconceived ideas."

It is understood that Kenny met yesterday with the directors plus caretaker manager Alan Curtis for a pre-briefing of his squad before he was officially unveiled at the Vetch this morning in front of the waiting media. He told the assembled press "As an ex-Welsh international whose roots are in Swansea, it fills me and my family with a huge amount of pride to be here. My last two jobs have been as a No 2 but I’ve always wanted to be a manager myself. Swansea is a club ready to be successful with good attendances and a new stadium on the way. It has a young, ambitious board and some talent on the playing staff. I intend to take this fantastic opportunity."

Jackett would have had a close look at the playing staff this afternoon and hopefully he will have seen ways to impart the levels that most fans seem to believe are missing. In evidence over recent months has been a lack of fitness and even in some quarters a lack of committment for the Swansea City cause. This is what fans found most unacceptable and with strong rumours still of a drink culture at the club, Jackett has some immediate work to undertake that could soon see an upturn in fortunes. Whether this will win favours from all the existing squad remains to be seen.

Captain Roberto Martinez though said that the players would be behind him "I can promise that the new gaffer will have a great reception from the players. Everyone will be 100 per cent behind him, absolutely. And I very much hope that everyone – from the board, through to the supporters and all the club staff – will give him their total support."

Time will tell what changes Jackett will make to the regimes of the playing staff at the Vetch but as someone known for set pieces, tactical ability, fitness and discipline it is quite easy to assume that today was the start of a new, and very different era at the Vetch Field.

Kenny has his work cut out in places but everything he says and all the testaments for the man suggest that he is the one to do that work to the benefit of Swansea City.

A new dawn arises……..

Why not check out the latest Vetch Verdict on the BBC site?