I don’t recall how it happened, but I found myself lashed to the ship’s mast, somewhere between the Greek islands and Mevagissy. Had the boys been watching the must-see film of the summer, Odysseus? Was I to be tested, teased and tormented by the sirens' calls? Was my crew even listening to my cries to be freed? Their replies were telling: “No way, mush. We found you bladderwracked in Fowey and saved you from the crabs.” Okay, I nodded. They carried on: “You blew our goodwill when we caught you over-sipping the ship’s rum, so we tied you up for your own good.

Some of the crew wanted to string you up.” I moaned at this. How was I going to see the Swans?

⚽️ Reasons To Be Cheerful PT 99.

There is a deserved atmosphere of positivity and optimism around for the start of the Swans’ new season. There are very good reasons for this. The club has added quality and depth to its squad, and the incoming players appear to be very smart signings that address key areas. Stephen Welsh and Ross Stewart, signed as free agents, look set to be top-class additions. The former is performing well in the back four, and Stewart (below) will hopefully provide an additional source of goals, alongside other goal-scoring forwards, rather than the over-reliance on Žan Vipotnik we had last season.

At the same time, Vitor Matos has made decisions regarding players viewed as surplus to requirements. He may have preferred to keep Ethan Galbraith, but the latter's refusal to sign an improved contract saw the writing on the wall. His sale to Stoke provided the financial wherewithal for the main summer transfer spend.

Several fringe players have left. Clearly, the club has decided they were unlikely to make the breakthrough to become regular first-team starters. These include Liam Cullen (below) and Cameron Congreve, both of whom were sold for a transfer fee. Kyrell Wilson was released. Whereas Bobby Wales, Ollie Cooper and Sam Parker have been loaned out to gain regular football and experience. Hopefully, they will come back stronger, as Filip Lissah did after his successful loan at Falkirk last year.

With the transfer window open until Tuesday, 1 September (11.00 pm), there is still a possibility of more business. This could well include outgoings, with the possibility that Florian Bianchini, Ronald, and Vipotnik will head out. Some rumours have Marko Stamenić, Zeidane Inoussa and Leo Walta as possibilities as well. The club’s recruitment strategy appears to have greatly benefitted from the data-driven association established with Off The Pitch and Jamestown Analytics. These data tools have been supplemented by Matos setting out his requirements to improve his squad, and supported by the experienced and recently appointed Sporting Director, Ben Stevens, to negotiate these.
Fans were pleased to see incoming players signed early in the window, as a statement of intent. Also pleasing was the way advance knowledge of club dealings has been dampened, to avoid deals being hijacked. And the move to recruit a proven goalscorer in Ross Stewart and to provide cover in the event of Vipotnik being transferred was a clear sign that the club was prepared for all eventualities. (The speculation all summer has been that Vipotnik – the Championship’s leading goal scorer for 2025-226 – could be the subject of a £20m+ transfer bid.)

This approach is being professionally managed; it has a clear sense of what it wants, operates within an agreed budget, and uses skilled negotiation to get deals done. This professionalism is also evident in the overall club management, which appears much more sure-footed and business-like. This is in stark contrast to the period described by The Indy in a recent article on agent payments and the lack of negotiation and football skills needed to conduct effective transfer business, including in the case of Bianchini, “never watching the player physically” in advance. (below)

Vitor Matos has been a crucial appointment in this change in the club's fortunes. Appointed in November 2025, with the Swans again dallying in a relegation position (20th in the table), he turned around performances while developing a coherent identity of strong pressing, purposeful possession and increased aggression. He deals well with the media and comes over as a very engaging and canny coach. It is his first full season with the Swans. He has had the benefit of his first pre-season and now faces the challenge of welding a squad identity from the many new faces, and of shaping the individuals into a team that plays to his style. The upcoming campaign will be as tough as any in recent years. The Football League’s decision to extend the Championship play-off from top six to top eight places has kindled ambition across every club that they might have a shot at glory. Most clubs have worked on their transfer strategies mindful of this, and it is bound to make the league even more competitive this season.

Could this be the year for the Swans? Most agree that it’s too early to say. There is still a lot of work to be done to transform this new group of players into a team that knows what it can do, both individually and collectively. Unquestionably, the squad has depth and quality; the style of football so far has been more entertaining, with quicker attacking movements, more shots on goal, and several players looking to score. At the same time, the defence is looking stronger and more resolute, with a mobile midfield. It is definitely heading in the right direction, and if nothing else, I expect to see the Swans up there and playing football that is good to watch.

It’s the Swansea Independent transfer dash as we head towards the deadline of 11pm tomorrow.

⚽️ Bianchini link Millions in the bin

Photographs already licensed