The inevitable has happened as Alan Sheehan is now the new and permanent head coach of Swansea City. As many of our readers know we have kept you as up to date as we could on this process. For us once that contract was offered in our exclusive report on Sunday the only detail would be the length of the contract and remuneration.
His two relatively new coaches, Richard Stearman and Mark Fotheringham will have their contracts reviewed very shortly but no guarantees as to their future are agreed. That’s all good news for the Swans and the majority of their supporters, and Sheehan will now be looking to end the season in style. This coming Saturday is the final game of the season with Oxford United the visitors. (12:30pm) There are currently tickets available but it is heading for a near sell out.
It has been a pretty disappointing campaign which over the past two months has given the Jack Army a lot of hope. Alan Sheehan has lost three games overall this season, and it isn’t a surprise to us in those three losses there has been no Harry Darling. As we reported yesterday there will be a last ditch attempt to keep him at Swansea City over the coming weeks. It isn’t as soon as we thought, but talks were scheduled for next week. That could be fluid as most things are it seems at Swansea, or that’s the term being bandied around of late. We’ve reported on numerous occasions Darling will be having talks, other outlets can dress it up as they like, it’s been news for weeks.
Oxford United only joined the football league in 1962 but have had their moments. They won the League Cup in 1986 beating Queens Park Rangers 3-0 in front of 90,000 people. This game had a number of Swansea stats attached to it. One being Jeremy Charles who moved from Swansea City to Queens Park Rangers and shortly after that to Oxford United in 1985. Charles scored the Swans first goal in the top flight in 1981 when Swansea City smashed Leeds United 5-1. It doesn’t end there, it rarely does. In the final Charles lined up against another ex Swans the lion that was Robbie James. Anyone who saw him on his day would agree with that.
Charles scored that day at Wembley.
⚽️ Racist Ron
Ron Atkinson played for the U’s between 1959 and 1971. A racist ? That will be for comments made about a black player when he thought he was off air on TV. Enough said there. He holds the appearance record for the club and when he played his nickname was ‘The Tank’ His managerial career thereafter was impressive.
⚽️ Swansea link
Swansea born Mark Harris plays for Oxford United, he started his playing career off at EFL League One side, Cardiff City. His scoring record this season is pretty poor, but you can guarantee he will be up for this fixture if selected. Harris started off the season with four goals in four games. Since then it has been two goals in forty one outings for the twenty six year old. His return tally for the one hundred and thirty two games he has played in the Championship is fifteen.
The U’s have blown hot and cold this season but last time out they defeated Sunderland 2-0. They have proven hard to beat and as we saw in the fixture at the Kassam Stadium they are very durable. The Swans ran out 2-1 winners back then, but lapses in concentration could have seen the game slip away. It was projected that Oxford could come to Swansea looking for points to stay in the league. That’s now not the case with Oxford well safe in the league, however the manner they concede goals is alarming at times. Under Gary Rowett safety has been the priority as it has for the Swans under Alan Sheehan. Swansea now guaranteed a top half finish but will be all out for the points in front of a large home support.
A look back at that game earlier on this season.
⚽️ Harry Darling
It’s hard to get a yes or no this time of the week on a players fitness. Darling fell pre match against Millwall last Saturday which kept him out of the squad. Or was was it playing keepy uppy with a sponge in the shower ? Humour ? It’s there somewhere. Any players fitness is pretty much not worth reporting with training to come over the next few days.
We will have a lot more on this game tomorrow on the Indy.