Kim Hellberg - Now’s the Time

[Pompeyjack]

I think we should have done better than 10th that year. Didn't trouble the playoffs.

We had some very skillful and pacey players which helped the entertainment factor.

It would have been interesting if he'd stayed on with us the year after, mind.

If I remember correctly, GP took a little while to figure out his best team/formation. I must say that that season was the last time that I enjoyed watching up play and as you say Mr S, a 2nd season "would have been interesting" .

 

[J_B]

If I remember correctly, GP took a little while to figure out his best team/formation. I must say that that season was the last time that I enjoyed watching up play and as you say Mr S, a 2nd season "would have been interesting" .

Indeed.
He took too long to get to his best 11 but he stated that he wanted to give everyone in the squad a chance to stake a claim.
Often forgotten that Dan was incredibly raw with no end product before Christmas but a revelation afterwards. Dan was fulsome in his praise of Potter when he left for Man U for the way he was handled that season.

 

[JackSomething]

I think it's been posted on here many times that it was a real shame we didn't get a second season under Potter to see if we were on the right track. It's hard to point to Cooper's subsequent success as any indication as the team went through wholesale changes in his two seasons and ended up being almost completely different to Potter's team.

We really needed to get our incomings right that summer after relegation and apart from the odd exception (Celina, Carter-Vickers on loan), they were mostly awful. Dhanda, Asoro, McKay, John. It was always going to be tough given how many players left, but our recruitment made it a lot harder. If we hadn't had the likes of Roberts, Rodon, McBurnie, James, and Grimes there to step up, we could easily have done a Luton and been relegated again.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

I think it's been posted on here many times that it was a real shame we didn't get a second season under Potter to see if we were on the right track. It's hard to point to Cooper's subsequent success as any indication as the team went through wholesale changes in his two seasons and ended up being almost completely different to Potter's team.

We really needed to get our incomings right that summer after relegation and apart from the odd exception (Celina, Carter-Vickers on loan), they were mostly awful. Dhanda, Asoro, McKay, John. It was always going to be tough given how many players left, but our recruitment made it a lot harder. If we hadn't had the likes of Roberts, Rodon, McBurnie, James, and Grimes there to step up, we could easily have done a Luton and been relegated again.

I agree.

I still think he doesn't get enough credit for the job he did. Under a less steady pair of hands a firesale; an uninspiring list of signings; and having to blood several youth team players, could have gone very badly wrong.

 

[tardylum]

I think it's been posted on here many times that it was a real shame we didn't get a second season under Potter to see if we were on the right track. It's hard to point to Cooper's subsequent success as any indication as the team went through wholesale changes in his two seasons and ended up being almost completely different to Potter's team.

We really needed to get our incomings right that summer after relegation and apart from the odd exception (Celina, Carter-Vickers on loan), they were mostly awful. Dhanda, Asoro, McKay, John. It was always going to be tough given how many players left, but our recruitment made it a lot harder. If we hadn't had the likes of Roberts, Rodon, McBurnie, James, and Grimes there to step up, we could easily have done a Luton and been relegated again.

Whoever brought McBurnie and James to the club deserved a job for life. If we did not have them to play and then to sell, I dare not consider where we would be.

 

[Nocountryforoldjack]

Out of interest and this maybe a stupid question but how did the name of Hellberg get linked - he seems to be a constant name whenever there is managerial doubt in Swansea

Is he the managerial version of Marvin

Emnes?

He got linked simply because he has hell in his name and managing us is ..... Hell

 

[Swansea93]

 

[Swans Jack]

Not that I don't think that Potter is a decent coach, but I take his season with us with a pinch of salt - we had a very decent squad for this level at the time.

Dan James and McBurnie helped alot. Other than that Potter never really blew me away.

 

[Swans Jack]

Whoever brought McBurnie and James to the club deserved a job for life. If we did not have them to play and then to sell, I dare not consider where we would be.

To be fair McBurnie was flirting either becoming the player he is now or another Cullen. He stepped up, like Dan James did. As James started to become more clinical towards the end.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Out of interest and this maybe a stupid question but how did the name of Hellberg get linked - he seems to be a constant name whenever there is managerial doubt in Swansea

Before the Plymouth game towards the end of last season, I got told by someone who I respect greatly (and has good contacts that have rarely let them down) that he'd interviewed and at that time was front runner for the job.

Of course we won 4-0 that night and continued to play well during the run in, which swayed them towards Sheehan. But Hellberg was definitely a major contender, from what I was hearing.

 

[exiledclaseboy]

Swedish Russell Martin

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Swedish Russell Martin

... which is my main worry.

Let's hope he's a Swedish Martinez or Laudrup.

 

[PenlanJack]

Swedish Russell Martin

It'll be another stat and data merchant if he gets appointed.. we've been stat driven for about 4 years now.. it's time to bin it and instill football traits in players.. because our players are clearly uncomfortable out on a pitch, which leads to so many errors.. Milwall and Preston are doing well because they're coached right, they don't point at spread sheets and demand to play like Barcelona.. there's bound to be a theory on this out there somewhere.. we need to get real, but we won't because Dimi is a grade A moron and a narcissist, he's like Martin, an idiot who'll blame everyone and everything except himself because he's right and everyone is wrong, and he will go on and on and on

 

[sit_down_jack]

Just from looking at articles and what people have said about Hellberg, his style doesn’t sound as patient as Russell Martin. Possession based but faster and with purpose. Just looking at clips of Hammarby, they move the ball much quicker than we do.

 

[PenlanJack]

Just from looking at articles and what people have said about Hellberg, his style doesn’t sound as patient as Russell Martin. Possession based but faster and with purpose. Just looking at clips of Hammarby, they move the ball much quicker than we do.

Michael Duff said and done the same, what a revolutionary he ended up.. I'll say it, and always will.. except the top 5 leagues in the world, all the others don't know what they're doing