Swansea City Move on From Luke Williams: Where Next?
Luke Williams
Swansea City recently made the decision to move on from manager Luke Williams after a run of seven losses in nine, that left the Welsh club 17th in the league and plummeting.
On December 29, the team were ninth and just four points off the Championship playoffs, but following speculation that linked Williams with other jobs, the sides performances have significantly dipped.
In January, Swansea lost Captain Matt Grimes to Coventry City and failed to replace the player, leaving Williams to feel let down by the club’s hierarchy as the team continued to fall down the table.
This disagreement, alongside results, led to Williams’s dismissal and the Welsh side in search of a new man to lead them.
Since the change at the helm, Swansea beat Blackburn 3-1, with both sides managerless. It is unclear whether the team will look to immediately appoint a manager, or take time in finding Williams’s successor, but the club’s Director of Football has suggested the latter.
So, whilst Swansea themselves get their search underway, here’s three names who could be in consideration.
Russell Martin
Russell Martin
The first name out of the hat, is former manager Russell Martin. Martin is quite possibly the most obvious option. Plays the same style of football, knows the club and its hierarchy well, alongside most of the players.
In his spell at the club, he led the team from a 15th place finish to a 10th place finish, with a 36.36 win percentage.
What remains to be seen is if the club matches Martin’s ambition. The former CB felt comfortable leaving the Swans for Southampton two seasons ago and will feel his playoff win and time in the Premier League has earnt him some big roles, rightly or wrongly.
Martin is currently linked with the vacant Rangers job, but if he is still available in the months to come, I would think that at least an approach would be made to the former boss.
Des Buckingham
Des Buckingham
Des Buckingham, another of the favourites, lacks Championship experience, but matches the calibre of past appointments in Williams and Martin.
Last season Buckingham took Oxford United to an unlikely promotion playing some attractive and tactically astute football, before being rather unceremoniously removed as the club fell into bad form.
Buckingham would come in with bags of character, enthusiasm and some serious ideas. Whilst experience could be seen as an issue, the former Oxford boss has a really high ceiling, and backed with the right people, could surprise some people.
A wildcard if you will, but maybe a risk worth taking.
Rob Edwards
Rob Edwards
Former Welsh International, Rob Edwards will be hoping to be one of the top names on the list of next Swansea managers.
Edwards is coming off the back of a tough end to his stint at Luton Town, with team still rooted to the bottom of the Championship. Despite this season, the former CB created a culture at Luton, taking them to the Premier League, and giving a valiant shot at staying in the top division.
Other than a Premier League promotion on his CV, Edwards also won League Two with Forest Green Rovers before an indifferent stint at Watford.
Appointing Edwards would mark a significant shift for Swansea. Whilst it matches the pattern of young, ambitious approaches, Edwards plays a significantly different style of football, with more focus on counterattacks and high-speed football. Not only that, but there would be a mark change in culture, with a more down to earth, close, style of management. Something that in truth, could be just what the Welsh club needs right now.
Other names in the hat include former Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe, current caretaker Alan Sheehan, and of course, Wayne Rooney. Swansea City have recently become quite stagnant, and maybe a change of discourse is the plan, but look for these top three to certainly be in contention.
