It's Luke Williams

[CroJack]

Luck runs out.

In poker, after billions of hands. In football? I don't know. Ten games? One season? Or two? Or season after season like Dyche's Burnley in the Premier League, when they kept winning their games 1-0 with one shot on target? There is something called the statistics of luck, and the point is that luck runs out in the long term.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Nothing announced yet ... if it is Williams then we're going to have to negotiate contract buyouts etc. As we know from Martin, this can take a while. We have a transfer window to conduct. Williams or another is going to have minimal input unless they arrive in short order.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Latest betting has Eric Ramsay assistant at Manchester United as the clear favorite. Williams is the second favorite.

 

[jackodiamonds]

Or season after season like Dyche's Burnley in the Premier League, when they kept winning their games 1-0 with one shot on target?

Dyche was cynical enough to see how to break football and then willing to go ahead and do it. 10-man ultra-low block, funnel everything into the middle toward the goal, put lots of bodies between the opponent and the goal, give your keeper plenty of time to see and react to long shots and play for set-pieces on the break. That's not luck, that's almost genius, but who'd want to watch that every week?

 

[CroJack]

That's not luck, that's almost genius...

If anyone was genius there, then it was his strikers who had to score from one shot...

It was luck, and when his luck run out he was relegated and sacked.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against defensive football. In my opinion, Dyches football at Burnley was unsustainable. Why? On average, even the best strikers in the world need at least three chances to score a goal. When Leicester won the Premier League title they also played defensive football but they were also excellent at quick transitions and they counter-attacked a lot. They used to create many good chances, which was not the case for Dyche's Burnley.

 

[jackodiamonds]

I honestly think Dyche would have been happy with 38 0-0 draws for 38 points and a 17th place finish each season.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

I honestly think Dyche would have been happy with 38 0-0 draws for 38 points and a 17th place finish each season.

With the expectation to steal a couple of wins along the way to push him safe.

 

[ivoralljack]

IT'S OFFICIAL!
Luke Williams | I want to excite the fans, coming back to Swansea City was irresistible | Swansea

 

[The Blobster]

Finally ! I think Luke will be a good fit for us and he will introduce an attacking style of play .
Let's hope the Wanks give him the support he needs , particularly in this transfer window .
Welcome back Luke , good luck , you are going to need it !

 

[ivoralljack]

Have a good feeling about this. I can't tell you why but I think we're going to have a good go at the top 6 now. Instinct is a funny thing. For no tangible reason I decided to check Swan's website as I felt there was good news to be had. And there it was! So now it's down to our Pep look-alike and I wish him all the very best in his career with us.

 

[CroJack]

but I think we're going to have a good go at the top 6 now.

I don't think we have quality in the squad to have a go at the top six but we have enough quality to shoot and cross more than we did so far this season.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

OK ... let's acquaint ourselves with reality ... this is more back to the future:

His arrival sees Williams return to SA1 having previously been a leading member of Russell Martin’s coaching staff during the 2021-22 season, proving a popular and respected figure among the first-team squad.

Does he have the madness within him. I don't remember Martin's Madness as being particularly successful going forward. Are we going to see a buzillion passes backwards before we dare to try one going forward. Time will tell.

He fits right into the mould of other talented and ambitious young managers who have succeeded here.

Like who for instance ... Martinez, Rogers? Surely, not the recent crop ... Potter, Andy Pandy, Martin, Duffer. In terms of performance: Potter and Cooper both had records > 40% although Potter was midtable before being grabbed by BHA; Madness ... don't make me piss my pants laughing; Duffer ... nick-name says it all.

Williams is stepping in, with his own butt-lickers, to take over from the most successful interim manager we have ever had. Sheehan shone with >50% points in an away biased 7 games; this is a potent record of competence. Williams is going to have to perform at >40% or be deemed a failure. How tough is that ... only Martinez has hit 50% over the long haul ... only Jack Bradshaw (1919-26), Harry Griffiths, Kenny Jacket, Rogers, Potter and Cooper have a record >40% . Most recently plying his trade in the National League and L2 following a coaching team role with us ... Williams is going to have don his Super-Man cape and leap tall buildings in a single bound. The Championship is not the lower leagues.

I am disappointed for Sheehan. Glad to see he is staying around, at least for the moment, he demonstrated that he could get results when they mattered. Initially dreading what would result, now I would have been satisfied if the Club had decided to stick with Sheehan until the end of the season at the least.

A new era begins. Best wishes to Williams. Williams has to continue the momentum established by Sheehan. I don't have the patience for a honeymoon period.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Found this quote ...

Sporting director Paul Watson said of Williams, “We know Luke can coach the style of play we want, in part because he was an integral part of delivering it here in training sessions when he was an assistant. Luke’s ability is also backed by the data and results. He is a great fit for Swansea City and our ambitions.”

2 + 2 = 5? Club didn't think much of Martin ... January 2023 Transfer window ... no re-up on his contract. So we go to the guy that was integral in producing a team that was toothless in the attacking half of the field during the Madness reign. This is logical ... not!

 

[ivoralljack]

Found this quote ...


2 + 2 = 5? Club didn't think much of Martin ... January 2023 Transfer window ... no re-up on his contract. So we go to the guy that was integral in producing a team that was toothless in the attacking half of the field during the Madness reign. This is logical ... not!

But he didn't have the final say though. Maybe he wanted us to be more direct in attack but Martin overruled him. Granted it was in the lower leagues but he certainly got County scoring goals and I don't think he'll change because he's come to us. It depends on if our players can deliver what he wants.

Agree about Sheehan. He showed promise in his caretaker rule and I'm glad he's staying with us. He can give valuable input to Williams.

I don't think we have quality in the squad to have a go at the top six but we have enough quality to shoot and cross more than we did so far this season.

I agree with you. But, without going into detail which would have you all laughing at me, I had this omen and it was strong....... too strong to ignore. I guess we'll find out just how strong as the season progresses.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Since managers and head coaches come and go ... Williams is on a 3 1/2 year contract ... nice pay day if he fucks up ... who wants to bet that he'll be here at the end of next season. If he's bad he'll be gone. If he's good he'll be gone, unless we're in the Prem, and that's only going to buy us a season. At that point, we will need Sheehan to take the helm and deliver the same stewardship.

On consideration, I really don't like this big fish eats little fish way of doing business when it comes to managers / coaches. We've suffered from it (Martinez, Rogers, Potter), we did the same thing to the old clubs for Martin and Duffer and now we've done it to Notts County. I feel sorry that Notts are now in the predicament of having what could have been a highly successful season crushed unless they can find a suitable replacement.

 

[ivoralljack]

I feel sorry that Notts are now in the predicament of having what could have been a highly successful season crushed unless they can find a suitable replacement.

Duff is available!

 

[CroJack]

If he's bad he'll be gone. If he's good he'll be gone, unless we're in the Prem, and that's only going to buy us a season.

You have forgotten the third option:

If he is mediocre, we'll still be in the Championship and he'll still manage us.

 

[jackodiamonds]

Are we going to see a buzillion passes backwards before we dare to try one going forward.

I will be disappointed if that is the case. Notts County have been the highest scoring team in all four divisions over the past 2 seasons, and that doesn't happen if you don't get the ball forward.

Notts County make the most dribbles in League Two, which is good news because dribbling is superior to passing to break down a defence, and Martin's Swans never dribbled (20th in the league last season).

They're also the joint third most-fouled team (consistent with dribbling a lot), which means plenty of set-piece opportunities, and they take 69% of their shots from within the box, which implies decent penetration. Martin's Swans often had to settle for long shots because they lacked the strategy to create anything better (I suspect the lack of dribbling is a large part of that story). And since at least Bolasie, Paterson, Key, Lowe, Cooper, Patino and Humphries can all dribble, there are skills for Williams to work with.

I know you really wanted Sheehan and consider Williams a high-risk lower-league appointment, but I think given the Swans situation this is a decent hire, and you know how much I hated Martin's goal-shy possession-obsession. Sometimes the student outshines the master.

 

[Victoria Swan]

Pep look-alike

Yes, quite remarkable similarity. Just hope he is half the football genius and attracts (or creates) one tenth the brilliant players!
Never mind that darts guy, this is going to be our own Cool Hand Luke