Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.
We all remember the Jaws films right? When those good looking co-eds made the grave mistake of wandering back into the sea ? Only to be severely
mutilated - or worse- when the ever building Musical crescendo was followed by the inevitable first bite of the monstrous killer shark ? It was ever thus.
We Swans have just suffered a traumatic week.
Just 7 days ago, all in the garden was rosy, with news filtering through of Huw Jenkins' purportedly successful pursuit on the conclusion of the Gylfi Sigurdsson deal being the first step to us completing a structured Summer to complement our excellent first season in the PL. It was even announced on the Official Site.
Well, just today, Hoffenheim cast doubt on the validity of the deal, and I rocked back again, since the previous couple of days had been traumatic to say the least.
Just 7 days later, here we sit, Manager-less, again, and with the Icelandic International's deal in the balance now that Brendan Rodgers has found it impossible to resist the lure of the opportunity to manage one of Britain's Iconic Clubs and accepted the poisoned chalice that is the Liverpool Manager's Vacancy.
Do you, just like me, get the feeling we've been here before? Because we have, surely, and several times over.
The increasing feeling I've had over the past 7 days is that this is Deja Vu. It felt overly familiar.
From Brendan's seemingly initial rejection, to the Club's carefully worded and dubious denial, to the inevitability of the leaving, it all felt a touch " I've seen this before".
You couldn't make it up, really.
Look, let's be realistic here - we all knew that the day would come when the Manager who took us into the PL, and kept us there in our first season, would one day de-camp to a "bigger" club, one with the cachet to attract an upwardly mobile, ambitious Leader who obviously has talent. It's just that we didn't think, or hope, realistically, that it would happen quite so soon. Ah well, I'll repeat, it was ever thus.
It would be unfair I feel to say that the roller coaster ride that we've been on since BR came to the Club, on the back of the Martinez and Sousa evolvement, has been anything other than thrilling, and enjoyable in the extreme.
It's just that it feels right now like a real body blow to the solar plexus - a kick in the guts even - to a loyal and fanatical fan base that now has to contemplate the fact that the very last game he managed us in, the 1-0 victory over King Kenny's warriors in that now bizarre Elvis day, was against his new employers. Isn't that Ironic, surely?
Whatever.
The news today that our beloved Swans have agreed the compensatory deal that sees Rogers take Colin Pascoe (Coach), Glen Driscoll (Conditioning Expert) and Chris Davies (Match Analyst) with him doesn't feel so very different to Roberto Martinez's previous plunder of our Staff when he went to "better" himself at Wigan Athletic. Ah well.You Live, You Learn.
A further touch of Irony too in the fact that Rodgers got the Liverpool gig ahead of the brown-shoed one, who was also interviewed for the vacancy. Bloody hell, what is it with these guys? Get your bloody hands off my apron strings , won't you!
The stock response from many Swans fans that I've read, including the estimable Jim White, Internet-Meister of the fantastic SCFC2 website, seems to me to be "Thanks for the Memories, Bren, and good luck too.". I say this with all respect, but excuse me, I BEG TO DIFFER.
Whilst I too have enjoyed the fruits of our progress, BR's leaving for Liverpool fills me with nothing other than pure rage.
Rage at the inequity of hitching a ride on the back of a so-called "smaller" Club who, it must be remembered, were good enough to spot latent talent and employ him. Rage at the so-called Managerial Merry-go-Round in this bloated, over payed, Prima-Donna League. Rage at the conniving and patronising media that reports this farce as if there were some sort of hierarchical stepladder where the weak-chicks of the bunch, the runts, are expected to just shut up and acquiesce.
I've even heard it said " Ah well, that's football". Listen - that may be true - but it doesn't mean I have to just accept it.
As far as I'm concerned he goes to Liverpool FC with my curse - I wish him nothing other than complete and utter failure - with the ringing endorsement of many ex-Liverpool has-beens sounding in his ears to a chorus of "I told you so". The fact is, many of these football gurus, Mark Lawrenson et al, have serious doubts whether he's "big" enough for the Liverpool job. Further irony there, methinks.
Anyway, as Literature decrees, the King is Dead, Long Live the King.
I am disappointed that the Sigurdsson deal may fall apart. I am disappointed that any future Steven Caulker deal will undoubtedly be jeopardised. I am gutted that all of our players will have been hit by this. But........
My real concern is for the progress of my Club, so I'm far more interested in the recruitment process that Huw Jenkins and the Board have to concern themselves with.
Our Board has shown over the last 6 years that each time they've been asked to step up to the "replace the Manager" plate that they are equal to the task.
I find myself now thinking back to a much lauded and enjoyed Social Evening put on by the Swansea City Trust the night before we played Fulham Away this season, and attended for a Q&A session by Huw Jenkins, Brendan Rodgers and Chris Coleman.
Any
other Swans who were there that evening (@epaul, @tomthetipster) can
you answer me this. Did you feel that there was a coldness between HJ
and BR that night, or is this just part of my inebriated imagination?
The Board, over this period, has always shown the imagination to "think outside the box", coming up with both candidates and appointments that have all been successful in their separate ways. Let's hope they can pull this trick again. I'm certainly minded to place my confidence in them.
The Board, over this period, has always shown the imagination to "think outside the box", coming up with both candidates and appointments that have all been successful in their separate ways. Let's hope they can pull this trick again. I'm certainly minded to place my confidence in them.
Let me explain.
I'm a voracious consumer of Football News. I regularly read as much and as often as I can, and the Internet is a fantastic source for all and everything, even if much of it has to be taken with a large pinch of salt, and very much with tongue tucked in cheek. However, if you surf long and hard, you'll eventually glean a gem or two.
I've seen it suggested that what we now need to do, given that we're going into our second season and would want to avoid that dreaded football cliche (second-season syndrome), we should employ an "experienced" PL Manager. God forbid.
The usual suspects are offered up - Steve Bruce, Mick McCarthy, Ian Holloway, Alan Curbishley (Christ, when did he work last?)........and on and on and on......... That, it seems to me, is the last thing we want, since it's almost certain to start from a defensive and beaten mind-set. Shiver.
More explainable to me at least is the second set - "young up and comers" if you like, and at least these have the merit to be likely to advance - Chris Hughton, Lee Clarke, Gus Poyet, Eddie Howe.....there are lots. Each have their merits, and Houghton has the added bonus of at least having a PL track record. Interesting.
Thirdly, and this is where I stand, go "off the wall".
The most interesting Tweet I've seen was from Guillem Balague, Spanish Football afficionado, who Tweeted that Swansea City had canvassed Football Managerial talent in Spain, recently. (@GuillemBalague.....Swansea has prepared reports on Managers from La Liga in case Rodgers was leaving)
That takes into account people like Michael Laudrup and Pepe Mel, Unai Emery even, and Managers of that quality. I would be far happier to see us mining this seam than any other, but hey, that's just me. Incidentally, both Laudrup and Emery are available, whilst it might to be harder to pry Mel from Real Betis.
Laudrup, as well as being a great footballer in his day , has coached at Malaga, whilst Emery was recently at Valencia for God's sake.
I'm a voracious consumer of Football News. I regularly read as much and as often as I can, and the Internet is a fantastic source for all and everything, even if much of it has to be taken with a large pinch of salt, and very much with tongue tucked in cheek. However, if you surf long and hard, you'll eventually glean a gem or two.
I've seen it suggested that what we now need to do, given that we're going into our second season and would want to avoid that dreaded football cliche (second-season syndrome), we should employ an "experienced" PL Manager. God forbid.
The usual suspects are offered up - Steve Bruce, Mick McCarthy, Ian Holloway, Alan Curbishley (Christ, when did he work last?)........and on and on and on......... That, it seems to me, is the last thing we want, since it's almost certain to start from a defensive and beaten mind-set. Shiver.
More explainable to me at least is the second set - "young up and comers" if you like, and at least these have the merit to be likely to advance - Chris Hughton, Lee Clarke, Gus Poyet, Eddie Howe.....there are lots. Each have their merits, and Houghton has the added bonus of at least having a PL track record. Interesting.
Thirdly, and this is where I stand, go "off the wall".
The most interesting Tweet I've seen was from Guillem Balague, Spanish Football afficionado, who Tweeted that Swansea City had canvassed Football Managerial talent in Spain, recently. (@GuillemBalague.....Swansea has prepared reports on Managers from La Liga in case Rodgers was leaving)
That takes into account people like Michael Laudrup and Pepe Mel, Unai Emery even, and Managers of that quality. I would be far happier to see us mining this seam than any other, but hey, that's just me. Incidentally, both Laudrup and Emery are available, whilst it might to be harder to pry Mel from Real Betis.
Laudrup, as well as being a great footballer in his day , has coached at Malaga, whilst Emery was recently at Valencia for God's sake.
You will see from these suggestions that I have cast my net at a high level.
Hey, why shouldn't we? We are one of the most progressive Clubs in the League that's often purported to be the world's most competitive - the very best even.
Last season we beat the eventual Champions at our home ground, the Liberty.
I think we're allowed to aim high.
The King is dead, long live the King.
Onward, Swansea City.
1 comment:
Excellent blog. Eloquently presenting what many fans are feeling right now
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