Phil SumblerThere were definitely a few upset people on social media when we broke a story on Saturday afternoon that Steve Cooper’s time was up at Swansea. Clickbait was the accusation but the article was anything but, it was written with the careful consideration it deserved and only when certain sources had been checked.
This though isn’t about being right (or on this occasion being first) but more about the good of Swansea City. We are just seventeen days away from the start of a very important season for us and we have a great deal of managerial speculation with unanswered questions.
Steve Cooper has seemingly wanted out since the day of the play off final. We referenced on Saturday his words on the Wembley turf that day and they still ring true now. He talked about looking back with fondness not looking ahead with excitement. There was no “we will learn from this” but a realisation (or desire) that it was time to move on.
Crystal Palace and Fulham came calling (to some extent) and then last Saturday we had the cheek to suggest he was on his way. Cue the abuse, cue the disagreement and cue the “you made that up for clicks” accusations. The last part of that was not true of course but if it fits the narrative to present…
But anyway, this needs to be resolved and it needs to be resolved quick. It is relatively clear that the local media know what is going on but are being asked not to report on it fully. The articles from Wales Online and the BBC yesterday were laughable in Cooper’s comments more than anything but the words of the manager were “Day by day, that’s how it is. I have always been that way. I have not paid attention to anything else.
“If there’s anything really official to talk about me, we’ll talk about it then but there’s not so we’ll leave it that.”
None of those words are the words of a man who is denying the report. It would have been easy to dismiss the report as rubbish if indeed it was and move on but Cooper gave nothing and that is the sound of someone who – as we said on Saturday – is negotiating an exit with the club. And that is the bit that needs to happen quickly.
Neither side is looking good right now. You have a manager who is clearly not wanting to be here and a club that seemingly don’t want him. Negotiations should be relatively easy to reach especially when they aren’t negotiations that have started in the past few days. I have been fortunate – or maybe unfortunate – enough to see first hand the negotiation skills our our majority owners and they aren’t necessarily quick and they certainly aren’t communicative or effective.
The departure of Gylfi Sigurdsson was long and protracted as the owners believed they could hold out for more and the departure of Joe Rodon was the opposite as we took the first offer available. Even Trevor Birch is rumoured to have said to those close to him that there was more on the table but the Swans didn’t even try for it.
These are the moments that will harm the club. Steve Cooper is a manager. We have had managers before him and there will be plenty more after him. Swansea City has been here for 109 years and we hope for many to come. The club is bigger than one man and no one man will ever be bigger than the club. So we need to negotiate and quickly and bring it to a conclusion. For the good of the football club and for no other reason.
And let’s hope that the appointment of Mr Cooper’s replacement is much quicker and more efficient and with that in mind let’s believe we have the right man lined up already.
This is getting silly now.
Perhaps you are right, perhaps you are wrong – on quite a few things. Many, many people care about OUR club, a club I have followed since my first game in 1957. As you have said previously, this is a fans’ website where fans are entitled to their opinions. Also, there are many experienced ‘students of football politics’ beyond the realms of Planet Swans – there is no monopoly on the status. Abuse of opinion is unacceptable; debate is healthy.
I have no doubt that Steve Cooper was interviewed by Crystal Palace; as a fan, my opinion is that a professional will naturally aim higher while his/her stock is high. They HAVE to think of their career, their pension, their children’s future etc. This does not constitute disloyalty. It’s a professional fact of life.
Cooper responded, “there’s no news; I live day by day,” in response to the question relating to the fact he is in his final year of his contract. Perhaps the club IS engineering his exit, or perhaps he is simply awaiting a possible/hopeful discussion on a contract extension.
What is, however, unsettling, is the Planet Swans clique constantly engaged in an assassination of the current coach. You might be right with your information/speculation, but the way you go about it is disgraceful. There is a distinct lack of balance.
Yes, you are entitled to publish your opinions, but others are too, without being accused, by you, of being online abusers (yes, I know people sometimes respond in an abusive way, which is wrong, but fans are entitled to their respectful opinions)
In my humble opinion, as a student of football politics, and as someone who has published 27 books (one of my professions) Planet Swans is causing untold damage to Swansea City in the WAY you report – I only mention the above as one of your team quoted your publication of ten books and journalistic experience as justification for your opinions – to which you are entitled. It is however, tiresome and unsettling. Could you not give the club and Cooper a chance to sort the situation, without spreading bad feeling? This will have an unsettling effect on everyone, players included.
For the record, Cooper sounded very positive when reporting on the clubs’ training camp at Pennyhill.
Just the opinion of a fan of Swansea City.
A very interesting and well put together comment which I thank you for.
I do have a few comments in return
1. I haven’t written 10 books. Indeed I have only written 5 of which only one I am sole author of. I don’t quote them much or reference them even less. I don’t know to which you are reading in your last paragraph but my journalistic experience is relatively minimal – I wrote the occasional article for Metro in our Premier League years but for 15 years I had to write minimally because of my position in the Trust would mean I could often not write without reference to things that maybe I knew but shouldn’t speak about.
2. Your comment of a Planet Swans clique sadly does you no favours in your response. It’s often been stated but everyone on this website is entitled to an opinion and I will happily publish articles on the front page which differ to my own personal views. That gives it maximum exposure and many people have done that over the years. I will happily do that for you but there is no clique here
3. The online abuse part is simple. There was plenty. I entered into respectful debate with many people over the weekend and others just saw fit to say “you talk sh*t” – they don’t get debated with. In short I agree with your first comment which closed your first paragraph
For the official record. I don’t dislike Steve Cooper and he twice got us into the play offs both times when I thought we may struggle. Kudos to him for that. What I didn’t enjoy was our style of football which was effective results wise but so dull to watch. Therefore I do believe we may be better without him but only time will tell.
I completely respect your opinions made on this – and other – articles and I hope you continue to visit the website for many years to come (and the offer is always there for you to contribute a blog/article as you see fit) but very much I had some good debate over four days waiting for the confirmation of what was reported on Saturday but also some mindless drivel posted in my direction and I handled that in the best way.
And to close on the team comment I have no idea what you have read for that but it certainly wasn’t from me or part of a debate I would use.