Life in the Championship: Where Will We Finish Next Season?

Life in the Championship is never easy but the Swans have earned promotion from it before and are heavily backed with the bookies to do it again.

Most bookmakers are predicting the club will bounce straight back to the top flight and are the current favourites to end up in top spot.

You can back the club to win the title at 15/2, while the club’s promotion odds lie at 3/1.

That’s level with the Premier League’s two other casualties Stoke and West Brom, while Aston Villa are also hotly tipped following their Play Off Final defeat.

If the Swans are going to bounce straight back they’re going to get organised, and that starts with a new manager.

The club will be expected to lose a number of players over the summer, so finding replacements will be key.

Middlesbrough and Frank Lampard’s Derby are also favoured to mount a challenge according to the bookies, the latter a 16/1 shot to take top spot.

At the other end of the table, Ipswich are the favourites for relegation, following a tough season. The side have just appointed Paul Hurst as their new boss for the 2018/19 campaign, after he failed to achieve promotion with Shrewsbury last season.

QPR and Millwall are also among the favourites for the drop, alongside Reading, Nottingham Forest and Preston North End.

It’s going to be a tough season for the Swans. If they can keep the nucleus of the squad, promotion is surely the only position acceptable. That’s a lot of pressure on the new man. Can we do it?

The Swans Out On Loan: What Happens Now?

It’s going to be an interesting summer at the Liberty. Not only are a number of players wanting to move on, the club will be wanting to offload a number of players, including those currently returning from loan deals.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks. With those returning, we take a look at those now back in Swansea whose future may lie elsewhere...

Roque Mesa

Mesa looks all but confirmed to be making his way out of the Liberty Stadium this summer.

The midfielder spent the second half of last season at Sevilla, becoming a regular in the first team. They look set to lose money on the £11million the spent on him last season with the Spanish side likely to snap him up for just £7million.

Jefferson Montero

Montero has suffered with injury in recent years and in turn it’s seen his form drop considerably.

He failed to make the most of a loan move to Emelec. An interesting bit of business, after failing on loan at Getafe, he was given permission to make a sub-loan switch to the Ecuadorian side.

After a good start to Swans life, he’ll certainly be offloaded in the summer. That’s if anyone wants him.

Borja Baston

Swansea invested heavily in 2016, spending £15million to bring him over from Atlético Madrid.

One goal in 18 Premier League games saw him shipped out to Malaga for last term and it’s been a very similar story.

He’s struggled with confidence and has picked up a few injuries which has only added insult. In fact, Malaga were relegated from La Liga.

It’s unlikely the Swans will want to keep him on, but with two years left on his contract, it’s going to be an interesting summer for the Spaniard.

Jordi Amat

Amat has enjoyed a decent spell at Real Betis this season, finishing sixth in La Liga and making 26 appearances.

He’s enjoyed playing regularly and will be desperate to make the switch permanently. It’s likely a number of clubs would be interested in taking him, so the Swans may struggle to keep hold of him in the Championship.

Swansea in Talks with Ostersund Manager Potter

Swansea have confirmed they are in talks with Ostersund manager Graham Potter for the vacant role at the Liberty.

Potter has been heavily linked with the club since Carlos Carvalhal’s departure and reports are suggesting the Swedish club have allowed the 43-year-old to speak to the Swans.

It’ll be the first move in Swansea’s rebuild and one that couldn’t come quick enough given the work that needs to be done following relegation to the Championship.

Potter has been in charge at the Swedish club since 2010 and are currently sixth in the Allsvenskan, six points off the European placings.

He’s done a remarkable job to get them there; when he took over they were languishing in the Swedish Fourth Division. Back-to-back promotions and promotion in 2016 helped them get to the top flight for the first time in their history, winning the Swedish Cup.

That produced European football, where they famously took on Arsenal in the Europa League last season, so he’s been a success so far.

Ostersund is Potter’s only managerial job to date, following a long career in the Football League. He started out with Birmingham City, before moving to Stoke, West Brom and York City among others.

It’s thought that striker Saman Ghoddos and midfielder Ken Sema could follow Potter, with both out of contract at the end of the Swedish season.

Could Jordan Ayew Be Heading To Scotland?

Swansea’s transfer merry go round has well and truly begun, with Celtic keen to bring Jordan Ayew north of the border according to reports.

Ayew scored 11 goals in all competitions last season and looks likely to leave following the clubs relegation.

Liverpool have shown an interest but a move to Parkhead is becoming increasingly likely.

He joined the Swans less than 18 months ago and had become a key man for the club. The club will be hoping to keep him, with the Ghanaian almost guaranteed to score a hatful in England’s second division.

Glasgow will be tempting for the 26-year-old, where success is almost guaranteed. Brendan Rodgers led the side to a double treble this year, and will be wanting to make a bigger fist of European football next season.

Strengthening their squad may be a tempting offer for Ayew. Berekum Chelsea director of football, Nana Oduro said, “I believe he may go to Scotland looking at how events are unfolding since they want to meet every demand.”

Ayew will be one of a number of faces looking to move, with the likes of Alfie Mawson and Lukasz Fabianski, while Ki Sung-yeung has already left to find pastures new.

Swans Linked With Two Dutch Legends For Managerial Job

As the managerial merry-go-round continues up and down the country, more names are being thrust into the Swansea hotseat, with both Jaap Stam and Frank De Boer now rumoured to be interested in taking the job.

The club parted company with Carlos Carvalhal last week following the club’s relegation and a number of names lined up to take the role

However, the odds have been slashed for the former Reading boss to take the job at the Liberty.

Chris Coleman remains favourite for the job at 2/1 with SkyBet, alongside Ostersunds manager Graham Potter, but Stam continues to emerge as a contender.

Stam has been out of a job since being sacked by Reading in March, while De Boer is also shortlisted, despite his disastrous spell at Crystal Palace.

It’s thought the club are hoping for a return to the ‘Swansea Way’, and a Dutch man would provide that according to the board.

De Boer was a target in December but the Swans opted for Carvalhal, who has left his post after just five months.

Swansea are hoping to have an appointment made relatively quickly, with plenty of business needed to be done in preparation for life in the Championship.

The club have already lost Leon Britton and Ki Sung-yueng, with more expected to follow.

Reports are suggesting that as many as 10 players could leave the Liberty this summer, so a quick turnaround and rebuild is necessary.

Currently the odds for the Swansea job looks as follows:

Chris Coleman - 2/1

Graham Potter - 2/1

Jaap Stam - 7/2

Cameron Toshack - 6/1

Michael Laudrup - 7/1

Chris Wilder - 9/1

Lee Johnson - 12/1

Frank De Boer - 14/1

Leon Britton - 14/1

Roque Mesa to Move on to Sevilla on a Permanent Basis

Swansea are set to offload Roque Mesa to Sevilla on a permanent deal according to reports.

The midfielder spent the second half of the season on loan with the Spanish club following Carlos Carvalhal’s arrival at the club, despite only joining the club last summer.

Signing for £11million, he struggled to make an impact at the Liberty before heading to Spain. It was a rocky start there too but earned his place in the starting eleven and kicked on from there.

Sevilla are now rumoured to be in the process of putting together a £7million offer for the Spaniard.

Paco Gallardo, deputy football director at Sevilla said, “The attitude that Roque Mesa has had with us has been splendid.

It fulfils all the profiles we want. A player with desire, with hope, humble, with quality.

Footballers with these characteristics are the ones we want to have in our side. We would like him to be with us, but it is something that is still to be finalised.

Once the coach is here, we will be able to continue advancing in the remaining matters so that Roque (Mesa) can be a Sevilla player.”

Mesa made just 16 appearances for the Swans and proved to be another flop at the club. Now, with City playing Championship football, they look set to lose £4million as the rebuilding process begins.

The Next Swansea Manager: A Look At The Early Contenders

Life hasn’t been easy for Swans fans in recent months, in fact when it’s come to the board’s choice in managers, it’s been a bit of a disaster.

But, they have a chance once again to make the right appointment, and this time it’ll be vital as the club will likely have to build a campaign that sees them promoted from the Championship.

Already there has been a number of names thrown into the hat, with the bookies are already shortening the odds of a few by the minute.

But whose in the running at this early stage? We take a look at the more likely candidates…

Chris Coleman

Chris Coleman is the standout favourite for the job after recently leaving his post at Sunderland.

The former Swansea player is a Wales legend following his Euro 2016 campaign with the national team and would certainly instil some of the togetherness and fight that the Welsh side had in abundance.

He’s 2/1 to get the job and it does seem as though it could be the perfect fit.

Leon Britton

Leon Britton’s Swansea future is up in the air a little with his contract about to expire. It could be a little more unknown now as the bookies place him as second favourite for a place in the dugout.

The 35-year-old took the role as caretaker manager after Paul Clement left and he’s due to make a decision on his future imminently.

It’ll be his first managerial role of course though and it’ll be one heck of a challenge to bounce straight back to the top flight.

Garry Monk

Despite having just taken charge of Birmingham, Garry Monk is at 8/1 to return to the Liberty Stadium.

He’s never really settled at a club since leaving Swansea back in 2015 and it’s perhaps unlikely the club will offer him a position at this moment in time.

Nathan Jones

Luton boss Nathan Jones is also at 8/1 after leading the Hatters into League One.

He’s been at the club since 2016 and has plenty of ambition. He’s earned his crust at the lower levels, but whether he’s the man to take Swansea on a promotion push is another question entirely.

Roberto Martinez

The man largely credited for Swansea’s rise to the Premier League was offered the job back in December, but the Belgium post was too good of a job to leave.

That will likely still be the case, unless he struggles throughout the World Cup. He’s at 16/1 to get the job, but even if Martínez was to become available over the summer, you’d hope the manager vacancy at the Liberty would have been filled by then.

Carvalhal to Leave at the End of the Season

Swansea boss Carlos Carvalhal will leave the club at the end of the season it has been confirmed.

With Swansea almost certain to be relegated from the Premier League this weekend, with only a 10-goal swing able to keep the Jack Army up.

Carvalhal was out of contract at the end of the season anyway and it has been decided by the Swansea board will not renew that.

Despite a positive start to his reign, the club struggled for goals in recent weeks and have gone eight games a week, all but confirming their exit out of the top flight.

The next hire will be crucial for the Swans if they’re to bounce straight back and there will be plenty of questions asked by fans and pundits alike following the recent failure of the former Sheffield Wednesday man.

Iwan Roberts, former Welsh striker said, “There’s some big questions: the owners need to come out and answer some questions as well.

“The club has tried to do things on the cheap, bring players in on the cheap.”

It’s going to be a huge summer for the club as they look to keep hold of players and find a new manager.

Chris Coleman will be hotly tipped after leaving Sunderland and as a man Swansea born and bred, he’d bring a major shake up to the club.

Craig Bellamy is another name being mentioned after missing out on the Wales job a few months ago. Either way, something is going to have to be pulled out of the bag with a run of Francesco Guidolin, Bob Bradley, Paul Clement and Carlos Carvalhal.

We wait in jest now as Swansea will need to come back from a truly dismal season.

With a lack of creativity, goals and the likes of Alfie Mawson likely to be moving on, it’s a major rebuilding job. The Swansea board need to get moving.

How The Next Few Days Could Go For The Swans

If you weren’t nervous before yesterday’s dismal defeat over Bournemouth, you certainly will be now.

The Swans have just two games to rescue their season after dropping into the relegation zone, and face a must win game against Southampton on Tuesday night.

Carlos Carvalhal’s men are level on points with their opponents but have a -7 goal difference on the South Coast side, and it really is make or break.

But what are the permutations in the final week of the season? Four teams can go down still. We take a look at who they face and their chances of survival

Swansea (33 Points)

The Swans perhaps have the best chance of survival. If we beat Southampton on Tuesday evening, only a draw would be required at home to Stoke.

There are two winnable games left for Swansea and with both at the Liberty, you’d expect the Jack Army to help seal Premier League football for another season.

Huddersfield (36 Points)

Huddersfield sealed a huge point against Manchester City at the weekend and you’d expect that to be just about enough for them.

They’ve two games left to make them mathematically safe, but they don’t come easy against Chelsea away on Wednesday and Arsenal at home on Sunday.

A win for either the Swans or Southampton would see them needing just a point from their final two games, while if it finishes a draw at the Liberty, Huddersfield will require two.

They’re three points clear of Swansea and Southampton currently and they will be certainly nervous going into their game at Stamford Bridge.

Southampton (33 Points)

A win in South Wales would sadly all but secure a place in next season’s Premier League for the Saints.

Due to the goal difference it could all but seal Swansea’s fate.

A draw puts them in all kinds of trouble though, as Southampton face Manchester City on the final day of the season. Swansea would then only have to better Mark Hughes’ result on the final day.

West Brom (31 Points)

West Brom are all but down and if either Swansea or Southampton win on Tuesday evening.

Only a draw will do and then the Baggies would need to beat Crystal Palace on the final day and require both Swansea and Southampton to lose in their last games, the latter with a five goal swing.

It’s going to be a nervy night on Tuesday, but the Swans have the best chance of survival out of the three. Home advantage will be key, but survival is in their own hands...

Fabianski Named Swans Fans’ Player of the Year

Of a season where only the few have really shone, Lukasz Fabianski has been named Supporters’ Player of the Year.

The Polish keeper has been instrumental in keeping the Swans outside the relegation zone in recent months, although that now stands at just a point clear.

There will be a full focus on finishing the season strongly before jetting off to Russia as part of his nation’s World Cup squad.

This weekend’s fixture is key to survival hopes with Fabianski saying, “This is the big one, we should all focus on that game because winning that game and getting three points is massive for us.”

The former Arsenal man has been an ever present in Swansea’s side this season, playing 32 of the club’s 35 in the top flight and he’s been key in the club’s quest for survival.

He’s ranked among the very best in the league when it comes to stats, a fantasy football players dream, and has saved multiple points for the club.

His consistency has made him a fan favourite and the club will want to keep hold of him regardless of their league status next season.

He beat the likes of Alfie Mawson, Federico Fernandez and Ki Sung-yueng to become the fans favourite, while Jordan Ayew also picked up three awards.

The Ghanaian international, who has bagged 11 goals for the Swans this season, picked up Players’ Player of the Year, Top Scorer and Goal of the Season for his stellar effort against Wolves.

Elsewhere, George Byers, a hot prospect for the future, secured Under-23s Player of the Season and Connor Roberts took the award for Best Newcomer of the Season.

Leon Britton, whose contract is up at the end of the season, also received recognition from the club he’s played for at every step in the Football League. He picked up the Community Champion Award, a week after picking up the Sportsmen’s Club Award.

It’s looking increasingly likely the 35-year-old will be saying goodbye to the club, 16 years after making his debut.