Club update | Andy Coleman

This is a critical time for the football club and I recognise, appreciate, and share the frustration that many of you are feeling right now. 

I also understand just how important it is to get the right head coach to lead this squad, implement a playing style that respects our identity, establish a bond with supporters, and take this club forward. 

We will not compromise on the quality of the person in that role to save a few days and we are willing to accept the challenges that come with that. Our responsibility is to find the right individual, one who embodies what it means to represent Swansea City and its values and who can help accomplish our goals of promotion and sustainability.

I want to take a moment to thank Alan Sheehan for doing an excellent job in challenging circumstances over these last three games. The feedback we have received on Alan from experienced coaches on our staff, historical club figures and others across the game has been exceptional. He has begun to connect with supporters, and while we didn’t get the result we wanted against Middlesbrough, there were important signs of progress from the squad that are very encouraging. 

Alan will be leading the team for our upcoming two games against Preston and Southampton. I am confident that Alan will have the squad prepared for these fixtures and that he gives us the best chance to get the results we need. Please stand strongly behind him.

We have been working diligently for weeks on a multitude of options and there has been great interest in the position. We are making real progress, but we will not settle for a candidate that isn’t the right fit just to move quickly. While this may elongate the final phase of the search, I am adamant that we must do what is in the best interests of Swansea City.

Over the last several months, we have been building the foundations of our data and analysis infrastructure that supports the football department to ensure we have an elite football operation. That process is bearing fruit in the head coach search and Paul Watson has been critical in implementing these improvements. It has also enhanced our capabilities ahead of the January transfer window, and our preparations for that—which have been ongoing since September—have not been affected by the head coach search.

While Swansea City are known for a possession style of play, the reality now is that many of the most successful teams across the UK have adopted that philosophy. We have developed a data driven understanding of the specific attributes within that style that will give us the best chance of success in the Championship.

We have applied these data tools to identify candidates from both domestic and foreign leagues, and anyone we are seriously considering must demonstrate the ability to coach the kind of style we want and have identified as giving Swansea City the right structure to achieve our goals.

I know that we will get the leader that will make our fans proud to support this great football club and I ask for your support to both our players and staff in the coming days.

Andy