Update from the board today THE WEEKS FOLLOWING RELEGATION FROM THE PREMIER LEAGUE HAVE SEEN MUCH CHANGE AT THE CLUB AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS TIME SUPPORTERS WERE BROUGHT UP TO SPEED WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS. Our search for a new manager concluded with the arrival of Graham Potter and his backroom staff. We took a little time over the decision because everybody connected with Swansea City knew just how vital an appointment this was in establishing the future of the club. We interviewed several other candidates including some vastly experienced managers but, in our hearts, we knew Graham had so much to offer. He had been on the radar for some months, not simply because of what he achieved in Sweden but because of his modern, forward-thinking principles which are completely in tune with what is needed at this point in the club's history. Since his appointment, we have been nothing but hugely impressed with his vision for the club, its need to re-establish an identity and a style of football that befits the traditions of Swansea City. please log in to view this image Nobody is asking Graham to take the club back to the past, but we all know both the team and the club have to stand for something and that is exactly what he is striving to do. At the end of last season, we talked about a strengthening and re-structuring of our recruitment process and strategy in an attempt to avoid the mistakes of the recent past. Graham will be at the forefront of those changes but will not be left to stand alone in the process and will receive plenty of support. Graham will be the single most important voice in the recruitment process. He is the leader and has the final say on the players we buy and sell within the financial framework set by the chairman and Board of Directors. please log in to view this image Of course, he will have a support structure around him. Kyle Macauley has been appointed as the club’s new Head of Recruitment after working closely with Graham at Ostersund and the relationship between them is vital to the success of our new system. It will be Kyle who is charged with heading up the day-to-day recruitment process. Between them, they will oversee a completely new scouting network which, as a priority, will be recruited and finalised over the next few weeks. Graham will decide which areas of the team or squad need strengthening and then Kyle will identify the key targets, research and study all the available information including scouting reports and data before providing a list to be pursued. In a series of meetings recently, we were impressed with the diligence and depth of detail Graham, Kyle and Billy Reid have already brought to the job. This has to be a new start for the club and we feel confident they are the men to instill freshness and belief in Swansea City. please log in to view this image Inevitably there have been - and will continue to be - changes in the playing staff. A consequence of relegation is you lose players you would obviously have preferred to keep, but Graham has made it clear he only wants to work with players who want to be at the club and those who share his vision. It is too early to start making rash promises. What we can say with some confidence is that we have implemented much of the changes necessary to make Swansea City fit for purpose once more. Everybody has taken stock, taken a deep breath and will face the new season with an enthusiasm that the club will stand for something in which both the supporters and wider community can take pride. That is the most important thing. Best wishes for the summer and the new season. Steve Kaplan, Jason Levien and Huw Jenkins
I read that earlier and again just empty words in my mind, hope I am proved wrong, no doubt the Swans are funding Wayne Rooneys 2 year deal at DC United at the expense of us signing players. Then he will get loaned to us in January,
The only thing of interest is what they are saying about Potter's role in recruitment. Let's hope that's true.
They haven't exactly lived up to anything they have said since they have been here, it has been bullshit on bullshit, I hope you are right and time will tell. I just don't trust them to deliver anything they say they will.
It is at our expense as well. It is shameful what these yanks are doing. Bet he does come on loan to us though.
The sooner the sell-outs and the merrycans get away from our club the better. Platitudes mean nothing and the merrycans have shown nothing to inspire anyone that they are doing anything at all for the club. Take the money and run you bullshitting barstewards.
Rumors what I've eard:- J Ayew has asked to leave, interest from Wolves, Leicester and the usual vultures Everton and West fekkin Ham who are circling looking for a cheap meal Slime-ball A Ayew has put in a transfer request via his agent, the gutless ****, and hasn't been seen since the last day of last season. Besiktas favorite for the con-artists signature and they're welcome to it, he can go pretend to play football in Greece. Alleged fee is around £15-20M http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-chief-flying-finalise-signing-swansea-city-star-agreement-principle/ Fenerbache looking at Narsingh, for an alledged £8-10M https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/footba.../fenerbache-want-luciano-narsingh_329417.html Wolves fancy Mawson, who has been very quiet. Allegedly he's not asked to leave but then again he's not said he wants to stay either, like I said, he's kept schtum about his future. https://readwestham.com/2018/06/29/wolves-ready-to-rival-west-ham-for-alfie-mawson/ Bony to Besiktas? we want to loan him but they don't want to pay the loan fee, could end up giving him away to free up his wages. https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/footba...wilfried-bony-offered-to-besiktas_329183.html Due to, allegedly, no relegation clauses in his contract, particularly relating to salary, he's on massive wages, Championship wise. Anything near £10M would be a good deal imo. Fernandez wants out and a move abroad allegedly. I here there's a retirement home in Benidorm looking for a center back for their walking football team, would suite him fine. Also heard, only heard so pinch of salt, that Naughton has also asked to leave???? He probably feels out of his depth in the championship and fancies a stint in the conference, we'll see what happens. According to a dog walker I met on the beach, Dyer, Routledge, Clucass, Jay Fulton, Carroll, Fer, Olson, VDH, happy to stay but going with the flow, none have asked to leave at least. McBurnie, after meeting Potter is staying. Heard nowt about Baston, Amat, Monterro, or anyone not mentioned above except Bartley, who is 'in talks' with us, what ever that means. A big 'allegedly' is that Potter would like him to be club captain as he is now one of our more senior player (translated probably means he'll be gone before August)
The only one player I will miss is Fab, and he’s already gone, the rest I couldn’t give a damn about either way. What has disappointed me though, is the signings of Bony and A Ayew, both a pair of wasters, and I’m not much impressed with clueless either, wish we could offload him as well.........
Ship the bloody lot out , they took us down the cowardly bunch ,do they really think they're better than they are
I think they do Matt. Clean slate and start again would be great, but we cant do that. Looking at the squad, I think it looks more than capable of thriving in the Championship. My personal preference would be to dump off what we safely can this summer, its already begun with Messa, Ki going, shame about Fab but his departure was inevitable after the final whistle last season. The Ayew brothers can go but I wouldn't pour any scorn on J Ayew, who did his best and ran himself into the ground for us. his brother though, he can fekk off, Bony too, Fernandez definitely. Mawson will go but Im not worried because we have adequate cover in VDH and Bartely, if we can keep them, I like both. Happy it seems McBurnie is staying, Imo he was treated very poorly last season with the ineffective Abraham getting attention and time he didn't earn or deserve. He wasn't even our player, so McBurnies shabby treatment was doubly shameful imv. Of the rest, decent offers should seriously be consider but imo, the outs depends on the ins. Potter will have to find out what pulling power he has before he starts disassembling the squad. A few U23's who could feature next year include Tyler Reid FB, Keston Davies CB, Joe Rodon CB, Adnan Maric C/AM and maybe a few more. I'm looking forward to this season, I'm looking to see the shoots of recovery begin to sprout. I want to see us be competitive in the Championship and mostly want to enjoy watching my team play which is something I haven't enjoyed for years.
Great to use the youngsters, they will not get us back up, we need seasoned championship players who are used to 2 games a week and the physical demands it brings, whilst the youngsters have done well, it has been against pretty much u 19 to 21 sides as by then most other clubs have either shipped out the **** or they are actually ready to play first team football. I am not doing down what they have done, but if we go into this season playing a lot of kids we are going to be fighting a relegation battle. that worries me. How does it not surprise me that our board will base our season on using kids who lost to l2 side in checkertrade, whilst our club funds Rooneys 3 year 10m pound contract at DC united. Like it or not Cardiff got it spot on and brought in tough no nonsense championship players.
A sprinkling of youth is no bad thing but that balance has to be right, there no prisoners taken in the C/Ship but also there are some tidy teams who do play football as opposed to kicking you off the park ,the trick is striking the right balance .I firmly believe and have posted many times that the financial input into the Academy was purely for the reason we see ourselves now in rightly or wrongly But hopefully we have enough quality there to be able to draw on ,certainly not to find we have a group of youth players unable to make the step up now so desperately needed .
Glad you have the confidence, I am not convinced that our academy playing against other clubs youngsters is a blooding for a tough and physical Championship, we are in the **** if we go into this season with what we have as senior pro's coupled with the kids, we have to bring in established Championship players. just my opinion mind, lets hope I am 100% wrong but foresee a long season and battle against relegation if we don't bring in at least 5 or 6 new faces.
Like I say its finding the balance and I totally agree we need to bring in players of experience of playing a decent competitive level , Imo a few of the youth players have been cossetted far too long and maybe this season will cut the chaff from the Club. I'm hopeful of a tidy season playing decent football and having a more than reasonable chance of winning a few games ,that's not too much to ask is it ?
Nope it isn't, but when I see us not doing much (yet) in the window and I see our money being sent to the US to pay for their players I worry, probably needlessly, but still have a nagging feeling the idiot board wont back the new manager.
