Potter: Birch arrival a positive step

Graham Potter is looking forward to getting down to work with Trevor Birch, and believes the arrival of the new Swansea City chairman is a positive step.

Birch, 61, starts work with the Swans today, having been confirmed as the successor to Huw Jenkins last month.

Birch will have complete day-to-day control of all football and business matters, reporting directly to majority owners, Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien.

He has previously held the role of chief executive at Chelsea, Everton, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Derby County and has an outstanding network of contacts in the football industry.

“I have met him and spoken to him on the phone and I am looking forward to working with him,” said manager Potter.

“Everybody I have spoken to about him has been consistently positive in their feedback.

“His experience speaks for itself, he has had various roles in football and is a successful guy outside of the game too.

“He is the chairman, so any major financial decisions rest with him. We will work together in terms of the best way for the football to be shaped and for us to move forward.

“He is there to make the strategic financial decisions.

“He has experience of the restructuring process we have been speaking about, so he can add to that and that can be very valuable.

“Also, in terms of the progress we have made this year in terms of the value of the players and the group, we have plenty to build on and it is exciting times as we look to move forward.”

Part of Birch’s remit will include working with Potter and head of recruitment Kyle Macaulay on the make up of the Swans squad, providing the financial direction behind decisions to be taking in the upcoming summer transfer window and beyond.

And Potter believes having an additional level of expertise as part of the process can only be a good thing for the future of the club.

“We have started conversations about next season. Kyle and I speak regularly and we will liaise with Trevor and the economic picture will become a bit clearer as we head into the summer,” he added.

“But, in any window, you have to expect an element of the need to be adaptable. The market dictates that, but we need to be proactive and clear in what we want to do and the challenge is to try and improve the group.

“Trevor will provide advice and direction and he will be part of the process, working with agents, and having someone of his experience is great for Kyle and I.

“I see it as a positive step, we have had a bit of pain essentially with relegation and everything that comes with that.

“Slowly we have been crawling back. On the pitch there are some really good signs of what is possible and we have to make sure the club is in a good position, not just short term but mid and long-term too.

“We want to be competitive and get back to where we all want to be, which is the Premier League.”