Clement is the here and now so his legacy is still being written. Bradley is not included in this pole. Bobby and Rodgers not included, but all we've had for the last 12 years have been one season managers. Sousa's one season of conservative football failed to get us into the play-offs. We should have cruised into the play-offs but we missed out by 1 solitary goal. His courting Leicester from Christmas of that year didn't help our cause and imo, his personal ambition is the reason we missed out on the play-offs and the reason he's been written out of our history. Laudrup was the sexiest manager we've ever had, under him we were the sexiest, cup winning team on the planet, we were Swansealona in his first year. In his second year we couldn't string 2 passes together or buy a point and under dark clouds of recrimination and accusation he was sacked. Year one under Monk we switched to blue collar, but effective, football and he uninspiringly guided us to our highest ever position in the football to date. Second year on the pitch we couldn't string 2 passes together or buy a point and in a new storm of recrimination and accusation he was, like Laudrup, sacked. Guidolin was here for his pension imo. He seemed to be at 50% capacity and like Jon snow, he knew nothing. He managed to squeeze a year out of us though and he's laughing all the way to his bank. Nothing to say about Bewildered Bob as we're talking about football managers here. The only manager who stand out, imo are the most consistent, innovative and inspiring leaders we've had, Martinez followed by Rodgers. Martinez was the man though who reinvented us, changing us from a chubby mum of a club into a catwalk football team. He showed us a new way to play and through his innovation gave us the belief and confidence we needed to strut our stuff and stomp through the leagues. He started it all and also laid down the foundations that all other coaches and managers who followed have built on. Martinez for me is the greatest manager we've ever had with Rodgers and his inspiring leadership which took us to the premier league second.
And that's the order of how I view who is and has been our best manager, with Martinez being the best ever for me, 'Tea Lady' second of course......
Sousa led Swansea to its highest league finish for 27 years. Failure of the board to provide a half decent goal scorer (rather than the six cheap has beens or never beens) was the reason he played conservative football and the reason he looked elsewhere (lack of ambition on our part). He has since said leaving Swansea was a mistake. Roberto dropped us in it when he left and took Jason Scotland, Reeves and Jones with him and Sousa came in late June. Without Sousa our defence would have been as porous as it had under Roberto (great football shocking defence) and Rodgers would have really struggled. IMO without Sousa's season we would never have reached the EPL. I'm convinced some players led by Monk put a spanner in the works or it could be Monk is destined to run out of gas as a player and manager from March to the end of the season. Either way Monk, the team and club captain was pleased not to have reached the play offs. ps of our recent managers (Flynn onwards) Sousa is probably the only one I'd really welcome back now.
Our bench is best described as goal shy. Let's hope one of them can step up to the mark. VDH in for Bartley. Clucas makes debut, Rocky on the bench.
Everyone is mixing Championship and Premier ....apples and oranges... and Sousa would be the last manager I'd welcome back, followed closely by Monk
Looks like the gaffer doesn't rate Mesa! Or is it the type of player, similar to Britton who he ignored until injuries forced his hand?
