Jack Butty is back, his operation successful as he recuperates in dry dock, or at least that’s what it sounded like. Here we read his thoughts, his dismay, and his positivity for the future. He can’t splice his mainbrace but he chats Swansea City better than most.
SUMMER TURBULENCE AVOIDED
Many Swans fans may have understandably dreaded the prospect of a turbulent close-season. Within two weeks of the last game of the season on 8 May, there were the first stories that relegated Southampton wanted to appoint our head coach, Russell Martin, to return it to the Premier League.
Martin was Marmite to Swans fans. Some hated the ‘process’ and suave pressers. For me and many others, he was delivering the best football we’d seen in a few years, and although hit and miss, it was becoming more consistently excellent and effective. If Martin had stayed and been backed by the owners, the Swans would, in my view, have been in the running for promotion next season. But that is now over — we begin a new era.
It was feared that the financial dispute between the two clubs on the release clause for Martin would be even more protracted and delay the appointment of a new coach. If that were to happen it would make the preparations for the coming season very difficult. The clubs appeared to realise that prolonging this would do neither any good. Instead, it was agreed to allow Martin’s move, with the contract release sum to be resolved by arbitration. The Swans’ new Sporting Director, Paul Watson, was active in his new role to liaise with Southampton to try and free up the log jam. Watson was reported by Keith as possibly one of our best season signings. He comes with a very impressive CV from Luton Town which suggests that his skills in finding lower-cost players that can be developed and sold on for a profit will fit perfectly with the club’s model for squad improvement and financial sustainability.
While this was playing out, there were fears in mid-May that Nathan Jones was in the running to be the Swan’s new coach. No one will forget Jones’s over-egged and gleeful prancing when his Luton side beat the Swans in a bad-tempered game. As I recall, it was also the game where a Luton player disgracefully kicked Ryan Manning into the air over a free-kick dispute. It now appears that Jones was never a serious consideration. Huge sigh of relief all around.
On 22 June, Michael Duff was officially announced as the Swans’ new Head Coach. This looks like a great appointment. Duff won the League Two title with Cheltenham in 2021 and then led Barnsley to the League One play-off final in May. In his first presser, he sounds like a man who knows what he wants from his football team and how to get it. Since then, we’ve quickly made two signings. Josh Ginnelly knows Duff from Burnley and has been in free-scoring form for Hearts last season — 13 in 41 appearances. Then there was the signing of Josh Key from Exeter City. Both look like excellent signings in areas that badly needed cover, although Ginnelly’s calf strain is a worry if that leads to a long layoff.
Duff has also appointed his backroom team with Alan Sheehan and Martin Paterson. Kris O’Leary retains his role in this team too. Finally, the club announced the return of Martyn ‘Marge’ Margetson as Head of Goalkeeping. Many remember Martyn in this role during the Steve Cooper two years and his contribution to building a very effective defence. Martyn is, of course, fulfilling a similar function to the England international team, showing how highly regarded he is in the football world.
It looked at one point like we might again experience a summer of turbulence but that appears to have evaporated. I thought this was well put by the dantheswansman in a thread, ‘Is this too much positivity for us?’ on Swansea Independent. Dan wrote, "I am totally amazed how well the club is doing so far…Am I just living in some dream world or are we (Swansea City) finally doing what we all want and making a positive movement into this season ?”
Dan summed up what most of us have been feeling in recent weeks. In mid-May, we feared the worst. But now that has been turned around by the abovementioned decisions and appointments.
Moreover, the new management arrangements appear to provide high competency and financial stability. The Chairman, Andy Coleman, has relocated to Swansea to manage hands-on rather than from a distance in America. This is in line with the new financial investment that is still percolating through but shows a commitment to the club.
The club appears to be in a better position than it has for some years as it approaches a new season. Sure, there will be hiccups along the way, but it feels like we will manage these and progress.