There is a certain inevitability to a manager being shown the exit door when their team is relegated, and with Swansea’s Carlos Carvalhal out of contract at the end of the season anyway he was always likely to get the boot.
The Portuguese manager had only been at the helm of the Welsh club since December, and despite a mini revival he could not prevent them falling through the trapdoor – assuming they don’t enjoy the famed ‘ten goal swing’ on Sunday by hammering Stoke and witnessing Manchester City destroying Southampton on the same day.
The Swans must prepare for life in the Championship then, their first since 2010/11, and they must do so with a sensible new managerial appointment in tow.
The bookies have already opened their markets for the next Swansea manager, and here is a look at the leading names in the running:
Chris Coleman (3/1)
Born and bred in Swansea, the appointment of Coleman would go some way to pacifying the fans, who are likely to be rather disgruntled at a fall from grace which has seen the Swans slump from eighth in the Premier League to the second tier in barely two years.
That said, his appointment would go against the grain at the Welsh club, who have tended to employ technically-minded coaches, rather than old-fashioned managers, since Roberto Martinez walked into the club in 2007.
Names like Sousa, Rodgers, Laudrup, Guidolin and Clement have followed, and it is a lineage that Coleman does not exactly follow with his rather ‘British’ style.
It would be an appointment that appeases the fans, sure, but Coleman’s club management CV – hardly glittering and including a Championship relegation with Sunderland, does not fit the usual Swansea stereotype. Their owners have a rather big decision to make….
Graham Potter (4/1)
Here’s an interesting curveball, and one who fits the now traditional Swansea profile.
Potter has cut his coaching teeth at Swedish club Ostersunds, guiding them to three promotions and a Swedish Cup victory.
That latter triumph took them to the Europa League this season, where they beat the likes of Galatasaray, PAOK, Hertha Berlin and Arsenal in one leg of their last 32 clash. Not bad for a team who a few years ago couldn’t even afford hot water!
Will anybody take a chance on a manager unproven in the mad, bad world of British football, however? The bookies odds suggest Swansea are seriously considering the idea, but whether they take the plunge remains to be seen.
Roberto Martinez (14/1)
There’s that old saying ‘never go back’, but you suspect Roberto Martinez would be welcomed with open arms by the Swansea faithful.
After a decent playing career at the club he was named manager, and led them to the League One title before leaving for Wigan.
The quietly-spoken Spaniard is currently the head coach of Belgium, of course, but you wonder if they have a poor campaign at the World Cup whether Martinez would be tempted by a return to club management.
“Swansea City will always be a special memory and a special football club to always keep an eye on. As a football club, it is very close to my heart and that will never change.”
Those were the words of Martinez back in 2014; do they still ring true today?
Leon Britton (16/1)
It is likely that Leon Britton will call time on his playing career this summer, and in a bizarre echo of the Martinez scenario he could be asked to step straight into the managerial hotseat.
A club legend, Britton has already overseen two matches as caretaker boss earlier in the campaign, and his technically-minded style would suit Swansea’s typical approach.
The Telegraph has reported that the club is likely to return to the ‘Swansea way’ after losing their identity in recent seasons, and that would mean appointing a younger head coach in the guise of a Martinez or a Brendan Rodgers. Perhaps Britton fits the bill?