News has reached us that Swansea City are aiming high in their attempts to appoint a new manager as formal negotiations seem to have been finalised for Russell Martin and his staff to leave the club. The current managerial betting game continues, but we are told that none of the alleged contenders have been spoken to as yet.

The current betting this morning has some familiar names on the list but we understand none have been approached, and that’s not because the majority ownership of Swansea City haven’t been busy. In a short but informative call yesterday it was disclosed that ‘Swansea City fans will be delighted’ if current efforts to replace Russell Martin come to fruition. That said, if this is the case then it’s a real departure from the last three appointments made by the club in Graham Potter, Steve Cooper and Russell Martin.

As it stands

Chris Davies - 2/5

Steven Schumacher - 6/1

Steve Cotterill - 8/1

Oscar Garcia - 12/1

Ian Evatt - 16/1

Ryan Mason - 16/1

Luke Williams - 20/1

Nathan Jones - 20/1

The Swans have often appointed new managers who rarely feature in any betting, and this has has been the case for the last three appointments since leaving the premier league. What we do know is we can discount Luke Williams who has a big buy out clause in his contract. Suffice to say it was only eighteen months ago he left the Swans stating the position at the club wasn’t for him, and he was travelling too much to be with his family. Nathan Jones most certainly won’t be welcomed at the Swans, and the majority ownership know that to appoint him would be a huge mistake initially anyway. However, his name remains in the frame, and an interview is no indicator of him getting the job. However, as we reported last week, Chief Operating Officer at Luton, Paul Watson, who is believed to have agreed a package to come to Swansea has worked with Jones before, and successfully at Luton Town. But as we all know three wins in a row and the fans of any club can be turned.

Paul Watson links to Nathan Jones –> Watson Latest

Óscar Garcia ( Oscar ) pictured below, is an interesting point, he has had a lot of success as a manager and coach but recent appointments at RC Celta de Vigo and Reims haven’t gone well. He walked out on Watford after four games, so any record there should be dismissed. At Red Bull Salzburg over two years he had a nigh on seventy per cent win rate. Overall his win record of nearly one in two will make the Spaniard more of a favourite than those above him. We have also been told Steven Schumacher just isn’t feasible at any level, and by that we assume that means, relocation, the fact he has just taken Plymouth Argyle in to the Championship, and that dreaded thing that takes ages, compensation.

At this time we can’t look anywhere else other than Chris Davies for all the reasons we reported a few days ago.

That assessment is here –> Chris Davies in focus

As we are now are aware that none of these potential candidates have been officially spoken to we have to take it in good faith that Jake Silverstein and Jason Levien are indeed aiming high. But how high and how long this will take will concern Swans fans ? Regardless of the time frame to date Swansea City are still yet to announce the departure of Russell Martin and his staff, and Southampton haven’t indicated anything whatsoever, albeit talks have taken place. We stand by the slow process being more about what Russell Martin can be guaranteed by Southampton and indeed negotiations on top of that regards his staff.

Obviously etiquette would dictate the matters being official after Southampton’s last game of the season today, but when has etiquette been anything other than a false flag in football ? The Saints didn’t hang around when announcing Rubén Sellés leaving the club today. So etiquette, really ? Regardless of how far the Swans are down the road in appointing a new manager and staff they can’t announce anything until Martin has left the club, that just isn’t clever management of this situation.

Where can we look for an appointment that will ‘delight’ Swansea City fans then ? It’s only a guesstimate, but surely the likes of Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers have their sights set far higher than Swansea City ? Recalling a quote from ex West Ham joint Chairman David Gold ‘ We are in for everyone ‘ And Talk Sport’s Simon Jordan’s retort at the time ‘ You can be in for everyone, but if you haven’t got the muscle or financial means then it’s just words’ Could it be that the Swans are aiming high but in their usual left-field way ? There’s no indications that any of the approved list in betting are close to any appointment, and surely Swansea City haven’t been tied up just negotiating Martin’s departure ? Of course we stand by anything else regards ‘extra’ business Southampton want to do.

That Martin report is here –> The Saints are coming

So, as we said, we can only hope that the ‘aiming high’ information remains correct, and we don’t end up with someone like Nathan Jones, because that’s just too low for the majority of Swans fans to go.

Anyone else got a strange feeling about this one though ?

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Photograph licensed from Reuters

Swansea City Polls