So Where Do We Go From Here? (Continued)
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| Well we've looked at who to blame but that doesn't matter unless we can put it right. From the top to the bottom, and I include the fans in this, we have to get this club to that target position of 22nd or higher in the third division. |
| Well, the obvious thought is to get in new talent to booster the playing squad. I can see an immediate flaw in this plan that we have a large(ish) squad at the moment so could we actually substantiate new players on a budget that, on guesswork, is strained enough as it is? We have an odd situation that one manager was given the rope to build a new squad in the summer and then we replaced him early doors. We now have a new manager that may not be happy with his lot, but has his arms tied by the financial restraints that years of mis-management have put on us. So I'm not too sure whether we have the ability to strengthen the squad or whether Brian Flynn is being told that his lot is what he has at the moment and that he has to work with it. |
| Of course, there is always to be the argument of "speculate to accumulate" And it's a good argument. Keeping us in the football league is paramount to the future of this club but sadly I can see no reason why spending money can guarantee that. Increase the chances, yes, guarantee, no. If we spend and still go down is that the end for the club? Who knows but I would rather see a Swansea City in the Nationwide Conference then no Swansea City at all. We have to face reality that we are a football club surviving on a pittance income. Costs are high and statements have been posted on the Message Board here that we have a big shortfall in the wages month on month. If that's true then I'm afraid we have to accept that any funding for new players is going to be in very short supply indeed. |
| So, a change in management? I've seen it read that we "should get Addison back" "We should do this" "We should do that". But again, we have to accept that Brian Flynn, Kevin Reeves and Alan Curtis have contracts. Terminating those contracts will come at a cost and that comes back to the same argument that I was using with the players, we cannot afford to do so. People who have read my thoughts before will know that I was not the biggest fan on the appointment of Flynn but it's done and we are going to have to accept it and cross fingers and pray that we have the right man in the manager's chair. |
| Change the Board? This one I find laughable. What exactly are we going to change them into? These are the people (and remember that one is an elected representative of the fans) who give up their time to try and keep the club afloat. None have ever claimed to have "five year plans" or "money to burn" but they are trying. I don't go with the "we can't criticise" brigade but at the same time I am fully appreciative of what they have done for the club. Sure, there are probably things that I would have done differently but then again I wouldn't have done what they have done full stop. The reason? Because I could do without the hassle that I have no doubt these people have got in recent months. I don't doubt that they are looking for investment and I do believe that we need a leader. But the inevitable calls for certain people's return is, in my opinion, short sighted. This club needs people at the moment who will do things for nothing and sadly, as we are finding out, people like that are few and far between. So if you bump into a multi millionaire on this front then point him in our direction - failing that cross your fingers that a Swansea fan's numbers come up tonight (or Saturday - I'm not fussy!) |
| So what can we do? I'm a critic. I always have been and it's always easier to criticise than give praise. But the future of this football club is under serious threat again. And everyone needs to pull together to hit the target that we all want. League football. Everyone has the right to their opinion and no-one can see positives in a result that bought us none but we can stick together and try our best. If we fail and we go down, we can go down with heads held as high as possible. People need to come back through the gates no matter how bad things look and while we are there, maybe bring a mate as well. I know one thing, that infighting will take us into the Conference next season. We are backs against the wall and we quite probably have to accept that what we have at the moment is what we are stuck with, whether we like it or not. That's an appeal to the fans but it's not just fans that need to do their best as well. We need to look further. |
| To the board, whatever we have please throw it at the cause of league football. To the management, do your best to put pride into the players and those that maybe could do better - whatever it takes keep that going. And to the players, have pride and commitment. 4-0 defeats can be swallowed if we seriously believe that we have done everything that we can. I honestly believe that some of the players we have are playing at about 10-20% capacity at the moment - 110% is what is needed - nothing more and nothing less. |
| A City the size of Swansea needs league football. Other sides have been in worse positions than us and they have survived. Some have survived without the intervention of an Al Fayed or a Hamman - we can too. And we need to. The time for retribution is not now but next May when we can do no more in the battle but for now let's try and pull together and fight the cause that we all want to succeed. |
| I don't believe that I have all the answers nor will I ever claim to do. But what I can see is a football club dying on it's feet with everyone pointing the finger at everyone else. I just don't see how that can help and it's time that we put that to one side at the moment surely? |
| We've won other battles but this one could prove to be the biggest yet. |
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