The Swans travel over to Norfolk today before training later this evening and in the morning. The Swans are trying to hurry through the registration of Hannes Delcroix who has signed from Burnley on loan. More on that as the day progresses. The primary goal has to be a result at Norwich City on a weekend that storms aplenty hit the UK.
Luke Williams is working hard to bring back support for him as the Swans head coach, talking yesterday he tugged on the heartstrings of all Jacks by commenting that Swansea City have had a hard time over the past eight years or so. "We are suffering at the moment in this short-term run, we are suffering as a club over a longer period of time, that's obvious. Since leaving the Premier League, it's been suffering, suffering, suffering, more and more year on year, and I can feel it. But has to be broken. It's challenging because we have a different set of circumstances to the ones when the club first exited the Premier League”
We all know that, and sets of circumstances change seasonally at Swansea. Luke is obviously aware of the clubs continued losses week by week, and is prepared to accept that when reflected in the clubs spending on players. In any event the budget has to remain within P&S. Some are saying he has a maximum of two games to avoid being ejected from the Swansea hot seat. That’s debatable but the comments of the club entering three vital games (Sheff Utd, Norwich and Coventry home) by Chairman, Andrew Coleman has got the attention of Swans fans.
Luke went on, admitting the shortage of cash. "We can't build a group in the simplest way, just finding players who are performing very well in the Championship, splashing the cash and bringing them in to make those performances for us. Lovely, a shortcut is brilliant. But we are not in that situation, so we have to find a clever way. It's our responsibility inside the building to re-engage with the fans and to give them optimism and hope that actually something is changing. It is ridiculously challenging, yes, because we don't have the obvious things that help many teams to be successful. But sulking is not going to change that. The only way to help is to warrior up and try to find a smart way to try to build a group of players with a feeling and a style that can hack the system and get us where we want to be”
It most certainly is another January of disappointment to date. Curtailed visits abroad to ‘scout’ a player (by the Chairman and the head coach) ! when he’s not playing. Time wasted on Joe Low when it now seems Wycombe won’t sell the player unless it’s for silly money this month. We now know the best offer for him was £625,000 with add ons. The Swans just cannot compete with even the most average of Championship clubs, or should we say on par with the Swans. Be that offers for players or salaries which over the last year of transfers are below what most Championship clubs offer. In fact we did a report on this in the summer. Most recent signings are on league one salaries. Some far below.
Sulky pants, Morgan Whittaker has again disregarded the club that pays his wages and failed to turn up for Plymouth Argyle’s game on Tuesday. His unprofessionalism knows no bounds. He will sign for Middlesbrough later today for six million pounds with an assessment of around a million pounds hitting the Swans coffers by way of a sell on fee.
The Swans need to start winning games to attract players, they also need to have something different to offer new players. Stretching salaries to suit won’t happen (Harry Darling contract offer) and with the likes of Joe Allen and Kyle Naughton finishing up their contracts this summer there has to be some big decisions made without emotion.
For tomorrow’s game at Carrow Road (12.30pm) the Swans have pretty much an unchanged squad to choose from. Sam Parker and Josh Ginnelly are still being eased back in very slowly. They could be included in the match day squad. Parker especially. Ollie Cooper is expected to be fit and ready come mid February, so he is out. Harry Darling is out suspended.
Norwich City news to follow and more Swans updates.