NEW MANAGER

[ivoralljack]

I think most of us feel the time is coming for a change. Now without being daft and listing managers we would have no earthly chance of signing, who do you guys think MIGHT accept our job and make a decent fist of it. Of course, the salary we could pay would be a big influence on whomever we could try and persuade to come. None of us know that, so we'll have to make some educated guesses.

Right, being daft I'd bring back Michael Laudrup like a shot and offer him a HUGE bonus if we went up. He might feel he has unfinished business with us and I drool at the prospect of the undiscovered diamonds that he could bring in and who would come because of his name. Jenkins has gone so he might consider it. Okay, that's my dream done and I know it's a dream but for now I'll suggest Chris Hughton as a more realistic choice. I'll suggest others when I've thought more about it.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Available coaches - here's the current list of coaches / managers on the dole.

And .... drum roll please ... Laudrup has been out of work since June 2018.

I don't track coaches, I know many on here do, but I don't have a clue as to who is who.

As @ivoralljack has said, Laudrup likes a project and may be willing to come back. He would appreciate the talent we have on hand. We have several young players that he could have a tremendous impact on. He knows our veterans. He's also somebody who might also be willing to take on the project on a low base and with a big at risk payment on success. Not to approach him would be foolish ... the worst that could happen would be a flat "no". He knows Curt and Leon and the U23 team coaches and other back room staff ... it would take very little for him to get up and running.

What we don't want is another low rent wanna be, who's all talk, no street cred, never played the game, and really has no idea what we are all about.

Bottom line for me ... Cooper is not getting it done; not looking like he's going to get it done; and things are just spiraling downwards in terms of player performances, results and, if not already, player attitudes. It has to be frustrating as all hell for Grimes, Roberts, Fulton, Byers who can do a side by side comparison of last season and this and realize that they're being under-served.

Which leads to me to tomorrow ... tomorrow should be Cooper out and Curt / Leon in. It's a quick fix. Curt has coached in the Prem and been reasonably successful at it. He knows the players. He knows how we want to play. And, he has no trouble stepping back when a new #1 is hired. The rot has to stop and this is the first step in a multi-step process. It sends a message to the players that may be getting an attitude that it stops right here and now.

 

[ivoralljack]

The other attraction for Laudrup would be the fact that we now have super training facilties with an Academy to match - something we didn't have when he was here. I remember going to Llandarcy to watch the lads being coached by him and on one occasion having a 15 minute conversation with HJ who was also there. Had I had a crystal ball I could well have been tempted to punch his lights out there and then!

I very much doubt it will happen but I very much want it to happen. As it happens (please excuse the repetition) I was the one on an old forum who suggested he would be ideal for us and described him as a 'dark horse' because he wasn't even in the betting at the time. Don't know why but I had a gut feeling he was right for us and, lo and behold, it came to pass.

 

[ivoralljack]

Just very briefly glanced at that list, Yankee, and didn't look at them all. Gonna get pelters for this but even Mark Hughes would, I think, do a better job than Cooper. He'd certainly toughen our lot up and take no nonsense from anyone. As for a dark horse, how about Clarence Seedorf? No way would players disrespect him after what he's achieved....... and likewise Hughes, who is capable of getting teams to play football although not exactly Swanselona style. Still, you never know at this level.

Of course, there's loads of very competent coaches from Balkan countries most of whom are equipped to coach technical excellence and would dovetail perfectly with us. @CroJack can brief us about them no doubt.

 

[CroJack]

Forget Laudrup. He will never manage a small European club again (his words), and he has a job as a Champions League pundit for ViaSat-Discovery Channel. It's an easy and well-paid job.

 

[CroJack]

Marcelino is available. He was interested in Swansea job when we were in the Premier League. But he is ruthless and he would want a complete clear out in the squad, which is impossible in our situation.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Better to lose with dignity under Curt than lose with despair and shame under Cooper.

But under Curt we would have a fighting chance and a plan to win.

 

[ivoralljack]

One thing is for sure - I read today that the WBA fans were singing, "Who put the ball in Swansea's net? Half the fucking team that's who", they chanted and I do NOT want to hear anything like that again this season!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be honest and say that I'd prefer Cameron Toshack to Cooper the way I'm feeling right now. At least he knows the young players well, who would respect him, and he is totally immersed in our footballing culture. To me, Cooper is falling between two stools in that he knows what we want but he is not equipped to get the players to deliver it.

I think Blackburn is going to be the litmus test for him. THREE wins in our last 15 games makes us First Division fodder let alone promotion hopefuls and, if we don't WIN against Rovers, surely Cooper will be on borrowed time. The way we are playing shows us that what he is doing is patently not working. It's just not good enough and the powers-that-be must be living in a vacuum if they can't see it. The players' attitude and performance on Wednesday night will tell us all we need to know.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

It was an embarrassment how easy and soft the victory was for WBA. It's not that they dominated or were total class like our famous display at home in the Prem. They just played good solid football that we complemented with stupid shit punctuated with a bizarre lack of pride, organization and commitment ... to which they replied: goal, thank you very much. It's a good job the match was only 90+ minutes long and WBA decided to show off and pass the ball for the last 5 of it otherwise it could easily have been more.

We can't have this. Not only does it negatively impact the signing of any player we really want to get, but it's going to have a commercial impact because what's the incentive to any fan to walk into the Club shop and buy merchandise or pay for a ticket to freeze and watch dross. In the Championship, nobody buys a ticket to watch the away team like they might for a Prem game.

 

[Behindthegoal]

I wonder how low Wednesday gate will be.
Hopefully low enough for Head Office to get the message:-
"You'd better commit or we won't come to watch."

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Does anybody know if Cooper is skating free or on Double Secret Probation.

Steve Cooper | We're determined to put things right | Swansea

Now .... finally, at last .... he's "determined to put things right".

I wonder ... what he thinks he's been doing up until now. Did he happen to pass Curt on his way into the office this morning and instead of "hello", Curt uttered "WTF over". And then, the dim little light behind his eyes, suddenly flickered ever so briefly with some semblance of realization that he had had is proverbial shit handed to him by WBA.

I am reassured. I am heartened and excited with giddy anticipation to see the rebound in the next game. I am shocked to see hell finally freeze over and lots of little devils busily skating, slipping and sliding around bruising their bums and their knees as they go. Truly, hell hath frozen over.

How many useless soon to be fired managers have uttered these immortal words .... "determined to put things right" .... and then frantically phone a friend, look back on their coaching course notes, scream and shout on the the training field, desperate to "put things right". And yet .... I wonder, how many have ever reached that objective or for that matter come anywhere close to it as the ax sharpens and slash, it finally takes of their heads.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

Here's how it should be done: Highlights | Swansea City U23s v Norwich City U23s | Swansea

The first team may not be familiar with quality and cohesion but the U23 certainly are, thanks again to T&R. For all practical purposes this is a brand new squad of players after the loss through promotion and age out of McB, James, Roberts, Grimes, Byers, Garrick, Cobango et al. And yet, the U23 after starting slowly are developing and improving .... funny that.

At the U23 we're on an upward path and at the first team we're on a downward path. Why is that?

 

[CroJack]

Sousa and Marcelino are frontrunners for Arsenal job.

 

[CroJack]

Watching Salzburg v Liveepool. Who is Jesse Marsch (Salzburg American manager)? Salzburg play fantastic football.

 

[KVetch]

Their Track record so far hiring relatively unknowns. I doubt managers like Robert Moreno would want to come here unless the price is right. We'll likely get someone like Alfie Westerberg from Sweden. Paul Tisdale, though those two have managed a few teams. We need someone who knows how to attack and create.

 

[Jackflash]

What we need is a manager who can synchronise the very capable squad we have,at present the only player that really knows what his role is,is our keeper Freddie. Cooper should be long gone. It's criminal to think we had a manager like Laudrup,and after sacking him and numerous changes end up with Cooper.
Under Cooper its very easy to understand why any player would want to leave the club.We may yet see a bit of an exodus of players in January due to his sheer incompetence.One only has to look at him stood on the sideline, hands permanently in his pockets that vacant haven't got a clue whats happening look on his face. If we are to keep him then relegation looks a strong possibility, surely thats obvious to everyone. I note that Birch has gone very quiet on our form since being part of the selection party that was taken in by his fast talk. I remember Coopers talk after being given the job,"I'm very grateful to Swansea for giving me the chance after trying for a while" Meaning....... Im greatful to Swansea for believing my cock & bull spiel about my capabilities.

 

[Victoria Swan]

Bigger mistake than firing Laudrup (who has a 'my way or the highway' sulky attitude wherever he's been) was not giving Graham Potter whatever he needed to stay. The man had the tactical nouse and the man management skills to get us back into the Prem as well as attract players who want to play under him. He also knew how to get the absolute best out of our youngsters - something Steve "The Owl' Cooper was supposed to have but clearly doesn't.

 

[ivoralljack]

I have to say, VS, that Potter wasn't blameless either and made his share of mistakes whilst he was here including things like team selection and subs etc. Mind you, he, of course, was still getting to grips with the job and it has become evident that he was light years better than Cooper is proving to be. Quite what our options are right now, I have no idea but, as we doubtless will be given no cash to spend, we can't even get rid of him if we wanted to. Perhaps young Toshack, overseen by Curt, might be the only answer we have if it comes to the crunch.

It brings me to another point. It is quite ludicrous that football/sport management appears to be the only career where you can be handsomely rewarded for failure!! Where is the incentive to succeed if you know that you are going to be paid millions if you don't and are sacked? In any other walk of business life, if you fail you are out on your arse with little or no compensation and just a reference if you're lucky. This ridiculous state of affairs HAS to be addressed in short order because, whilst the very top teams can afford it, others cannot and we are going to see many clubs go to the wall if this stupid practice continues. Contracts should be drafted to take account of proven failure and that applies to players as well.

 

[Jackflash]

I don't think anything would have kept Potter here, with us the possibility of Premiership football was never a cert. We offered him a new contract, but the lure of Premiership football is most managers dream.
His reasons for taking the post were, "I was sold by the long term vision by Tony Bloom, Paul Barber & Dan Ashworth. The ideas and plans they have for the future of this football club excited me, I am thrilled and honoured to be part of it."
By comparison what can we genuinely offer any manager of any standing anything,would our owners have a meeting with a prospective manager.

 

[Yankee_Jack]

This is the last week of training ground work before we hit a period of 4 matches in 10 days, then a cup tie 4 days after that.

Is this a week to make things better or worse. Is Cooper capable of correcting and improving or inflicting damage. Luton beckons ... a good time to tell.