Sad to read that Jonathan Wilsher has left as Head of Media. I understand he was very good at his job. A ‘tidy’ lad who was always great to my late Dad. Good luck for the future Jon
Decent article; Swansea City: Top-six finish a success, but Steve Cooper eyes Premier League push https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53621575
A lot of questions need answering first , has he learned, form his mistakes. can we keep players (including Ayew on reduced wages) ,can he attract the same calibre of player like Brewster for example , will Naughton stay , will other Clubs be attracted to him as a coach because the way footballs going bringing youngster through to the 1st team is the future for Clubs at this level, we've already seen that with Brentford for example.
A well written, thought provoking article leads the reader to ask questions. I’ve a few of my own too Matthew, such as: where’s the “investment to get us to the next level” and by that I don’t mean an extension on the east stand. That Mindy Kaling seems to be doing alright for herself recently...
Quite fancy Ayala. Dunno whether he’d be an asset or a liability in the first team dressing room tho Taff. Wages aside, comes with baggage that chap, bit of a diva I hear?
Whilst Cooper is used to dealing with ‘young’ players, he probably recognises that you need ‘experience’ in the team as well. If Ayala has a reputation for being a diva, then I’m surprised that Cooper would be interested.
VdH gone “Mike van der Hoorn says he will look back on his time with Swansea City with nothing but fondness having grown as a player and a person in SA1. The defender has left the club following the end of his contract, bringing down the curtain on a four-year spell with the Swans after his move from Ajax in 2016. Wayne Routledge and Kyle Naughton are in ongoing discussions regarding their own futures at the club. There have been 125 appearances and six goals along the way for van der Hoorn, while the 27-year-old also had the honour of skippering the club during the 2018-19 season; a task he took to with aplomb despite it being his first experience of captaincy. Add in the birth of son Louen last year and it’s fair to say his stint in Swansea has been a notable one in van der Hoorn’s life - on and off the field. “Swansea will always be a special place for me,” he said. “I came here and it was the first time I had not been at home, that I had been abroad, in my career. “My son was born here, so it will always be a special place for our family, and I will come back. “I will want to show my son where he was born, and we have made a lot of friends here. “We will try and come and visit the games, we will see what the future holds. I cannot believe these four years have happened so quickly. “There are special moments, your first appearance, first goal, first game as captain. You remember all those as they are steps in your career.”
Good luck to him, but I've never felt confident in him. Seemed a liability far too often and just couldn't pass forward without giving the ball away. No issues with his commitment, but hopefully one less thing to worry about next season.
Like Stereo-confidence wasn’t great from the off. I thought, Ash gone, centre back from Ajax I’ll have some of that. Watched him come on for his first pre-season at Wolves and saw him get flicked in the plumbs as he launched the ball into the stand behind me..and go off after 5mns. I thought sh1t, here we go. Affectionately called him Van Der Hoof after that! Good luck to the lad.
Wayne Routledge has extended his stay at Swansea City after putting pen to paper on a new one-year deal at the Liberty Stadium. The 35-year-old was out of contract at the end of the 2019-20 campaign, but will bring up a decade of service with the Swans after agreeing terms through to the summer of 2021. Routledge joined the Swans from Newcastle in 2011, and has gone on to make 284 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 32 goals. The most recent of those goals saw him help the Swans earn a place in the Championship play-offs, as he headed home Conor Gallagher’s cross late on in the 4-1 win over Reading.
That’s good news we need some old heads in the squad.....only another 10 or 12 needed now isn’t it to make up the numbers....
They say there's no sentiment in football but for me I'm glad he's signed, a good professional and on his day ( now past I'm afraid) he was technically astute up there, with Trundle Michu and Hernandez imo .Always working quietly just getting on with the job with no histrionics and bleating to the media. My type of professional
This just announced very Interesting. Swansea City is pleased to announce the appointment of Jake Silverstein to the club’s Board of Directors. Silverstein from Portland, Oregon, has today finalised a significant investment in the club which has been matched with additional funds from the entity controlled by majority shareholders Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien. The investment is a boost to the long-term strength of the Championship club following the challenges surrounding Covid-19 and preparation for the club's third season in the Championship. Silverstein, co-owner of MLS side Houston Dynamo and NWSL Cup winners Houston Dash, is also chairman and CEO of Stormlight Holdings, the major American-based private investment firm of the Silverstein family. “We are pleased to welcome Jake to the Board and Swansea City Football Club,’’ confirmed co-managing owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien. “Jake is a highly-respected individual, businessman and sports team investor. He has experience, knowledge and expertise across a wide range of fields which will be an asset to Swansea City. “We are looking forward to his contribution." please log in to view this image Silverstein, who has Welsh roots through his mother and has visited Swansea on a number of occasions, was excited and honoured to join the Swansea City family. "As my love of football has grown, I have been eager to deepen my investment in the sport,’’ he said. “I joined the Dynamo and Dash ownership in 2015 and my love for and commitment to football continues to grow. “I am so excited to become part of a football club with such a devoted supporter culture and rich history. Jason, Steve and I share a vision for Swansea City's future trajectory, and I am thrilled to join the club. “I love watching the Swans play. The team has developed such a distinctive and engaging style on the pitch, and I have a deep appreciation for its fan culture and the club's commitment to its supporters. “By joining the club’s Board, it will allow me to become actively involved. It’s something I am passionate about and, as such, I will be applying a lot of focus on the football club going forward.’’ About Jake Silverstein Stormlight Holdings makes long-term investments into fundamentally sound businesses across a wide array of assets in the United States and New Zealand. They are committed to core values and prioritise partnering with business operators, entrepreneurs and other family offices with whom they are philosophically aligned. Silverstein, who entered university at 15 and holds a BA in theoretical mathematics and an MBA from the University of Michigan, led the family’s investment into MLS side Houston Dynamo in 2015 and serves on the MLS Board of Governors and Business Ventures Committee. He sits on the Vision Circle of the X-Prize Foundation, a non-profit organisation that has gifted $140million towards the search and development of industry-changing technology that brings us closer to a better, safer and more sustainable world. He is also a director of the WJ Silverstein Family Trust which supports organisations working to improve lives with a focus on health and well-being.
and no money, pity as we seem to have glut of the buggers with deep pockets , perhaps we could sell some