Allegedly Chris Davies the assistant to Ange Postecoglou at Spurs was in the stands at Swansea City yesterday afternoon. And allegedly he was about to be appointed as the new Swansea head coach. Of course then allegedly he wasn’t in the stands at Swansea, and yesterday morning Swans Chairman Andrew Coleman already knew he couldn’t afford to appoint the Spurs man, and even if he could Davies wouldn’t have come to west Wales anyway.
That’s about the extent of Chris Davies and his interest in managing the Swans. And we’ve yet to see any proof that Davies was in Wales let alone sat in the west stand at the Swansea.Com. Obviously if he was there social media would have seen a flood of pictures from all angles of said Spurs assistant coach, seated in the stands, in his car, arriving at the club, having a few sandwiches and anything else you care to mention. We would welcome a shot of him in Swansea, if nothing else to calm the nerves of Swansea fans who seem determined to state Davies was at the game, and you would have thought with thousands of people congregated in one place - at least one of them would have snapped a shot on a phone. Ninety two percent of people carry a mobile phone with that capability.
A host of journalists were at the game, we’ve spoken to four of them directly, and they didn’t see Chris Davies, and one from a national newspaper told us, if we had seen him we would have targeted him for a comment. That’s not to say he wasn’t there, but what do you think the professional journo’s at the game were looking for ? Of course they were scanning the area for a sight of Chris Davies. The assembled journalists were just a matter of yards away from where he would have been.
We’ve been watching the Swans for years and years, as soon as the rumours of Chris Davies joining the Swans surfaced we questioned the ability of Chairman Coleman and his assistant Ken Gude having any capability to engage with Daniel Levy at Tottenham Hotspur. That didn’t happen, and we are told the figures to get Davies to Swansea, even if he wanted to come were not within the clubs financial scope. Whether he was at Swansea or not is irrelevant now as he isn’t coming to the Swans anyway. John Eustace has indicated he isn’t happy to talk to the Swans, and now Chris Davies has basically said the same.
And then there’s Shaun Maloney.
Regardless of what the club states a tentative inquiry was made as to Kevin Muscat’s availability. The Swans learned his salary demands would be in the region of seven million pounds over three years with the usual bonuses, and he wanted hard cash to spend as well. That interest albeit tentative was dropped on Thursday morning. In any event he is expected to be appointed in a multi million pound deal at Shanghai Port in China on Tuesday. So don’t expect Muscat to come anywhere near Swansea City.
Eustace, Davies, Muscat, Maloney.
The Swans have been working hard at a new appointment, but they are learning very quickly it’s a multi million pound business if you want a top coach - or even an older version to stabilise and progress the club. These people don’t crop up wanting ten grand a week, that’s why Swansea have to again take a form of gamble to appoint an up and coming new head coach, or indeed look about for the previously referenced, ‘old head’
The there is this guy.
Thirty seven year old Anthony Barry (below with Thomas Tuchel) is the assistant coach at Bayern Munich. Again we know that the Swans Sporting Director has made him a part of his list of coaches who ‘could’ be interested in the Swans job. However, Thomas Tuchel the Bayern manager has already stated ‘Barry isn’t going anywhere’ when he became linked with the Eire job very recently. Only this year Chelsea received over a million pounds in compensation when Barry left to join Bayern Munich. This is the level the Swans should be looking at, and inquires are a good benchmark, but again the Swans will be in the millions of pounds territory in compensation, future salary and cash for new players. Barry was initially brought to the attention of the Swans by Roberto Martinez who has worked with him in the past, and Barry is also his assistant within the Portugal international set up.
Would you give up a two million pound a year contract to come to Swansea City ? We think once that question is answered you will have your own answer ready. Jim Goodwin, currently at Dundee United is a longer shot, although Andy Goldie who left the Swans in the summer put his name forward to Paul Watson after the Russell Martin fiasco. Goldie and Jim Goodwin worked at Dundee United and Liam Ross who is also on the Swans coaching staff is aware of Goodwin as well. Ross is from Dundee. Again Goodwin comes with compensation payments, but of course nowhere near those of Barry.
That leaves Brian Barry-Murphy, Eric Ramsay, Steve Bruce and Nathan Jones to discuss, but really the hopelessness of it all this morning is quite sapping.
This mornings feature has replaced our exclusive report which will be timed for later on this evening.